The Great Barrier Reef is on its last legs, scientists say.
If you still have any doubt on whether or not our actions have a real effect on the environment, the near-death of the world’s largest coral reef should confirm the fact that we are indeed destroying our world.
“If it was a person, it would be on life support,” said one scientist studying the Great Barrier Reef. Rising water temperatures due to global warming are the culprit in this case.
The Great Barrier Reef runs for 1,400 miles off the edge of Australia. 93% of individual reefs are dead thanks to a process called coral bleaching in which corals die when exposed to water that is too warm.
60% of the Reef examined by scientists was bleached entirely white, while another 20% was a sludgy brown, showing that its death is approaching quickly. Even the healthy ones look endangered.
“When we went back a few weeks ago to see if they had recovered or died, quite a large proportion had died,” said Amanda McKenzie, CEO of Australian Climate Council.
Here are some comments by people on Twitter:
- “The Great Barrier Reef is dead, bees are on their way to extinction, global warming is getting worse… we’re literally all gonna die soon.”
- “it’s actually so depressing to hear that the great barrier reef is officially pronounced dead.we’re destroying our own world.”
- “Here, let me spell it out. If you were actually surprised by the news about the great barrier reef, then you are part of the problem.”
