Ecotourism is often touted as a solution to almost every environmental problem. It's an easy way to monetize environmental preservation, and it seems like a good idea most of the time. Need money to protect an area where endangered species live? Ecotourists will pay to see those endangered species. Need to give government a reason to protect a fragile reef? Ecotourism can … [Read more...]
When environmentalists are at odds with environmental government agencies
So, in preparing for this stakeholder meeting, one thing that I found interesting in my preliminary research of the issue was how environmentalists did not support the decision made by the environmental government agency in Australia. The obvious question is this—when, in theory, both the environmentalists and the environmental government agency should both be acting in the … [Read more...]
Down in the Dumps
Abbott Point, a relatively low-populated region of Queensland, has been making headlines recently not for its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef or national parks, but for a different reason. A coal port expansion plan, which would involve dumping 3 million cubic meters of sediment inside the Great Barrier Reef’s borders, has caught the eye of environmentalists and … [Read more...]
GBRMPA
Despite overwhelming opposition from scientists and environmental activists against the expansion of the Abbot Point coal port, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) went through with the decision anyway. Threats of air, water, and noise pollution were not enough to sway this 'environmental' government agency against the prospect of economic growth. The GBRMPA … [Read more...]
Dredging Near the Great Barrier Reef: Is EBM enough?
A few weeks ago Australian authorities approved a plan to dump dredged mud within the Great Barrier Reef marine park so that deep-draft ships can reach the Abbot Point coal port in northern Queensland. Although the park is not a pristine area, and there are already places within the park where dredged material can be dumped, it is concerning to see an expansion of this … [Read more...]