Cairns School Strike 4 Climate amid Great Barrier Reef bleaching
Young advocates gathered in Cairns to protest against gas, coal and the most recent mass bleaching event that was announced on March 25.
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YOUNG advocates gathered around Muddy’s carpark on Saturday to protest against gas, coal and the most recent mass bleaching event that was announced on March 25.
School Strike 4 Climate Cairns organiser and Year 11 Cairns State High School student, Pranikaa Gulati said urgent action was needed.
“I think a lot of people are aware of climate change and they know it’s happening,” Ms Gulati said.
“Not everyone realises how fast it is and what it means for us, we need to start talking about it more and talking about the solutions.”
Ms Gulati said they were fighting for 100 per cent renewable energy generations and exports by 2030.
Mossman parent, Anita Everett said events like this should not be necessary.
“I just wish that the government and actually even a lot of the general public need to be aware that this is happening and we need to do everything we can to make some drastic changes,” Ms Everett said.
“So that our kids can actually have a bit of a chance of a future, we just had 40 degrees a few weeks ago and then the mass bleaching.
“It’s not really looking very bright for the future, if we are continuing the way we are we will have no reef soon which will also effect the economy.”
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority confirmed coral bleaching had been observed at multiple reefs in all four management areas including the Far North, down to the Mackay-Capricorn region, confirming a mass bleaching event, the fourth since 2016 and despite La Niña conditions.
“It is important to note that bleached coral is stressed but still alive,” GBRPA said in its March 25 update.
“If conditions moderate, bleached corals can recover from this stress, as was the case in 2020 when there was very low coral mortality associated with a mass bleaching event.
“Weather patterns over the next couple of weeks continue to remain critical in determining the overall extent and severity of coral bleaching across the Marine Park.”
Ms Everett said the most recent bleaching was extremely concerning.
“It’s gone quite south. The southern part of the Reef was the section which was a little more healthy now that’s been affected it’s a bit of a worry,” she said.
Quick Silver Tourism managing director Tony Baker said he had yet to see if the effects went to areas their tours go to.
“I have been looking at our sites, the sites we go to immediately off Cairns look fine,” Mr Baker said.
“I am not sure what is happening elsewhere in the marine park.
“I don’t have any reports of anything out of the ordinary.”
The confirmation of the bleaching has aligned with World Heritage committee members touring North Queensland to assess the health of the Great Barrier Reef ahead of a possible in-danger listing.
The bleaching comes as members of the United Nations committee visited Townsville on the weekend to as part of a mission to assess the Reef’s state of conservation and protection.
While the committee had refrained from listing the Reef as in-danger previously, will be in Australia until March 30 and is expected to make a decision in mid-2022.
Despite the obvious reputational ramifications an “in danger” listing would create for local tourism operators, Queensland Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef Meaghan Scanlon said it was important that the World Heritage Committee saw “the good, bad and the ugly.”
“We’ve said that we are up for a discussion with the World Heritage Committee about what further needs to be done,” she said.
“I briefly met with the delegates earlier in the week, and I’ll be meeting them again on Sunday.
“I’m very aware how important staying on the World Heritage List is, in terms of people coming from around the world to see this icon for tourism.
“But they all know that there are two big threats and all levels of government need to be focused on addressing those threats. I think there is more the Commonwealth could be doing to reduce emissions by just matching our $2b renewable energy and hydrogen jobs fund - there’s a federal budget this week, certainly hoping to see some money there.
James Cook University associate professor of marine biology Dr Jodie Rummer warned unless there was urgent change, “the reef will face more severe marine heatwaves, more often, and without time to recover, making mass bleaching events, like this one, annual occurrences from 2044 onward.”
“To give the Great Barrier Reef its best chance at survival, we must emphasise and work together at rapidly replacing climate polluting coal, oil, and gas with clean energy and aiming for net zero by 2035,” Dr Rummer said.
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Originally published as Cairns School Strike 4 Climate amid Great Barrier Reef bleaching
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