Climate Council

It’s one of the greatest environmental catastrophes that our country has ever seen… and yet somehow, it’s fallen off the political agenda! I’m talking about the Great Barrier Reef: our incredible natural ecosystem that was devastated by coral bleaching earlier this year. At the time there was plenty of media coverage – but recently, things have gone eerily quiet... So has the Great Barrier Reef recovered? I recently returned from a trip to Port Douglas, and after seeing the Reef in its current state – I think it's time to make some noise again. Can you help us #RaiseTheReef by watching and sharing our latest video? You might remember that we visited this very same reef in May – at a time when huge swathes of coral were stark white, struggling to survive. Almost six months down the track, I was hoping to see signs of recovery – but if anything, it’s gotten worse. Much of the coral that was bleached is now dead, covered in dark brown algae, while others are weakened and suffering from disease. The truth is, it could take decades for the bleached areas to recover – and that’s before we even factor in climate change. If bleaching events continue to happen regularly, driven by warming waters, there simply won’t be enough time for the coral to recover. That’s why we can’t let the Reef fall off the national agenda. We need to keep the pressure up for climate change action. So our request to you is simple: Keep. Talking. About. The. Reef. Share our video on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. And check out our website for more ways to #RaiseTheReef – including emailing your local MP. Together we can turn up the volume. Let’s make sure this issue doesn’t go away. Thank you, Tim Flannery Chief Climate Councillor P.S. We’ve been working hard to Raise The Reef in the media – we even brought a crew of journalists with us to Port Douglas! Check out the media coverage on Sunrise, The Guardian and ABC News.

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