In class on Tuesday, we discussed foreign environmental policy. Specifically, we discussed preservation efforts regarding the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Our discussion hit a wall when we started to assess how we might make environmental policy appealing for U.S. citizens. Unfortunately, as tough as the pill might be to swallow, we cannot appeal to the U.S. public. There … [Read more...]
Understanding Science is Key
An interesting thing I found about these articles is the focus that the Fernandes article puts on science, while the Arkema article discusses the lack of scientific based management objectives in ecological systems. In the chapters we read on the Great Barrier Reef, the discussion seemed very science-based and reliant on scientific data and knowledge about nutrient and energy … [Read more...]
Eco-tourism and the Great Barrier Reef
Many of the reasons for the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) are economic. It is the perfect example of a commons resource that has been over-fished and over-polluted due to poor management practices and a profit-driven economic system. What many people don't realize are the economic benefits that come from preserving the GBR. According to the World Wildlife Fund, … [Read more...]
Which Is Worth More? Money or Diversity.
After discussing in class on Monday the many different anthropogenic effects of humans on the Great Barrier Reef I became interested in seeing which groups were the ones most likely to support protecting the reef. I discovered this article, showing a huge controversy of whether a coal port should be put in at Abby Point, a city directly on the Reef. In order for the port to … [Read more...]
Overfishing is just one of the problems…
The new zoning of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) makes a strong effort to maximize the size and type of ecosystems that are protected as no-take areas, but this zoning does not address a lot of other negative impacts within the reef. Hutchings outlines human impacts on the reef and overfishing is only one of many. What about runoff from land or coral bleaching? I … [Read more...]