The Power of Words in Saving the Great Barrier Reef

 The Great Barrier Reef is under threat. What was once a vibrant, rich spectacle of colours, has now been diminished to bleached coral, dull and colourless.  

Extinction is indeed an inevitable part of the world’s narrative. The disappearance of species across the globe is far from disconcerting, kindling needless media rhetoric. After all, Australia’s fauna and flora is rich and diverse, what is a species here and there?

Perhaps these were the initial thoughts people had when considering the Great Barrier Reef. It must have seemed unlikely that a reef, the size of approximately 70 million football fields, could ever be proclaimed dead. [1]

Yet, this has now become a stark reality.

The world in its entirety has been proclaimed by scientists to be entering a new ecological epoch: The Anthropocene. The impact of humans has been so profound that extinction has been taking place at an unprecedented rate and the environment has been subject to drastic changes.

Just last month, 15000 scientists from 184 countries issued a warning to humanity, the second notice since the 1992 declaration. [2] Yet, we continue to turn a blind eye.  

There continues to be too much contemplation and little proactive action. The Great Barrier Reef is illustrative of the extent of this dilemma. Despite the current dire situation, the environmental minister gave the green light to Adani in their proposal for the Carmichael coal mine. [3]

I live in Abu Dhabi, a city of artificial gardens, sky-scrappers, and sand dunes. This has allowed me to appreciate the irreplaceable, natural, whimsical beauty found in Australia. Our environment forms a key part of the Australian identity, and it also holds a wealth of significance to the traditional custodians of our lands.

The Great Barrier Reef is more than a valuable economic resource. The loss of the Great Barrier Reef would entail the loss of a 25-year-old million narrative. The extermination of single species reflects a whole world to be forever beyond our reach. This Great Wonder of the World is an irreplaceable part of our heritage. I firmly believe we need to take a strong stance in the way of protecting this wonder and the least we can do is to be aware of the impact of our words.

Much of the language that surrounds the Great Barrier Reef is far from productive. When one looks up the ‘Great Barrier Reef’ the top searches are ‘dead’, ‘bleaching’, and ‘dying’. The top articles that come up propagate a sense of helplessness, with one news article stating the ‘Great Barrier Reef may be beyond salvageable’. [1] Whilst another article says, ‘Don’t give up on the Great Barrier Reef. It is not dead’. [4]

Is such language productive if we are to protect our reef from further diminishing? Although it is certainly important to acknowledge the state of the Great Barrier Reef and ensure that the public understands the magnitude of this problem, it should not be our only focus.

 We need to be realistic, but also ensure that the language we use is not detracting from the responsibility we all must take to ensure the preservation of Australia’s rich environmental diversity. Some people could interpret these reports to mean there is little risk in building a coal mine in an already ‘dead’ reef, however, no matter the state of the Great Barrier Reef, this is not justifiable in any way.

A productive solution starts with individuals being clearly informed and empowered to know the steps they can take. Individuals need to understand what can be done to prevent the reef from continuing to deteriorate. Bringing light to the dire situation of the reef is valid, however, words of defeat need to be used with caution. If we allow confusion and mistrust to spread, then amongst the sea of emotions, there will be little room left for accountability.

Let's inject some hope into our daily discussions. It becomes counterproductive when the words we use are without proclamation for change. We need to sincerely believe that there is a chance the Great Barrier Reef can be preserved for future generations, and we need to believe that this change begins with us.

If we see that there is no way out of this situation, then how can we expect those in a higher power to hear our voice?

Let us not forget the fate of the Great Barrier Reef remains in our hands, dead or alive

Sources Cited

[1] Johnson, Ian. (2017). Great Barreir Reef may no longer be salvageable, Australian experts concede.  http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/great-barrier-reef-dying-coral-bleaching-global-warming-australia-climate-change-a7761351.html

[2] Ripple et al. (2017). World’s scientists’ warning to humanity: a second notice. https://academic.oup.com/bioscience/article/67/12/1026/4605229 

[3] Flannery, Tim (2014). The great barrier reef and the coal mine could kill it. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/aug/01/-sp-great-barrier-reef-and-coal-mine-could-kill-it

[4] Bradbury, Phillapa. (2017). The Great Barrier Reef is not dead says the leader of a new initiative. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/the-great-barrier-reef-is-not-dead-says-leader-of-new-initiative/