Fears+for+Great+Barrier+Reef+as+deforestation+surges+in+catchments

Fears for Great Barrier Reef as deforestation surges in catchments By Michael Slezak 16 November 2017 []



=Summary:= Queensland, in Australia, has had a huge surge in deforestation recently. The latest government data shows that the already large amount of deforestation is going to keep increasing due to its benefits to the owners of the land and the local government. This land is very important because roughly 10% of Queensland is catchments for the Great Barrier Reef. Catchments are areas where freshwater rivers and floodplains drain on to the reef. This means the sediment that becomes loose from the deforestation goes into these catchments and deposits silt onto the coral reefs, severely harming them. In order to combat this environmental degradation and to protect one of the largest coral reefs in the world, the Queensland Labor government is trying to pass legislation to halt the land clearing surge and is trying to gain the support of international entities in order to protect these reefs. People against the clearing of forests hope that their efforts can save these treasures that are valued by the entire world.

=Relation to the Course:= Coral reefs are among the world's oldest and most diverse and productive ecosystems and are home to one-fourth of all marine species. Coral builders work slowly, taking five years or more to create 2.5 centimeters of coral(Miller 186). Marine biologists estimate that humans have directly or indirectly caused the death of 10% of the world's coral reefs (Miller 194). From these we can see that coral reefs are important and vulnerable parts of ocean ecosystems, and that we must do a lot to protect these fragile ecosystems.

=My Opinion:= Since coral is such an important part of the environment, it must be necessary to protect coral reefs. Deforestation is also another major issue that we face in the environment that is caused by human activity. Deforestation not only removes valuable biodiversity in the forests of Queensland, it has a profound effect on the coral reefs located near the forests. The Great Barrier Reefs are one of the world's largest coral reefs and are one of the very few remaining coral reefs that are flourishing; however, activities such as deforestation for industrial purposes in places like Queensland causes sediments to loosen in the soil, which then runs off into waterways that deposit this sediment in the coral reef. This causes coral bleaching, removing from the great biodiversity and ecological value of these ecosystems. I believe that all efforts should be made in order to prevent the deforestation and degradation that ensues. Getting international environmental entities involved, such as the UN, allows more political power in order to further protect these valuable ecosystems. It would also be helpful if the Australian Government passed more regulation enforcing the protection and conservation of the coral reefs.

=Law: [|Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999(EPBC Act)]= The EPBC is the Australian Government's key piece of environmental legislation which commenced 16 July 2000. The EPBC provides for the protection of the environment and helps conserve Australian biodiversity. Through the enforcement of this act, a great effort can be made to protect the coral reefs that are being affected by deforestation in Australia. This is the act that the people against deforestation are trying to strengthen so that they can further protect Queensland against deforestation.