Or maybe it’s past the tipping point. Maybe it’s just too late. But while orange Julius aka the questionably mentally deficient commander-in-thief tries to make up his addled mind if he believes in marine biology or industry funded woo, the Great Barrier Reef is undergoing another bleaching event that may be even worse than the devastating ones it already endured in the last two years. The year 2017 is turning out to be worse than any year so far:
Prior to 2017, the Great Barrier Reef had suffered through three major bleaching events in modern history – 1998, 2002 and 2016 – and underwater and aerial surveys earlier this year indicated that 2017 would offer little reprieve, with scientists confirming back-to-back bleaching events were taking place. They had maintained hope that things would cool off quickly, but further surveys have now revealed that seems unlikely, along with the true extent of the current damage.
It’s so bad that some experts say the reef can no longer be saved, others are only a little bit more hopeful:
Members agreed that, in our lifetime and on our watch, substantial areas of the Great Barrier Reef and the surrounding ecosystems are experiencing major long-term damage which may be irreversible unless action is taken now.
“The planet has changed in a way that science informs us is unprecedented in human history. While that in itself may be cause for action, the extraordinary rapidity of the change we now observe makes action even more urgent.”
It’s unlikely that the US will lead the way in saving the world’s reefs or anything else from the effects of climate change. At least not for another election cycle or two.