Citizens unite
Great Barrier Reef fans are banding together
Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef – spearheaded by Andy Ridley, creator of the Earth Hour global movement – is a network of individuals, organisations and businesses working to conserve reefs around the world. Here are Ridley’s tips to save Great Barrier.
Step one
Carbon-offset your flight across to the reef. Hardly anyone does it, but it’s one of the coolest things you can do, as it’s not a big cost but makes a huge difference. Climate change is the greatest threat to the reef, so we all need to do everything we can to reduce our emissions footprint.
Step two
Research the tour operator taking you out on the reef. It’s easy to check who has eco-certification but, beyond that, it’s about who is giving the best, most knowledgeable nature experience.
It’s a good test of an operator if they have a Master Reef Guide on board and, if you do a snorkel safari with an MRG or a marine biologist, you’ll see what’s healthy and what’s damaged, and you’ll come back more informed – and a better advocate for the reef.
Step three
Look and enjoy, but don’t touch the reef or its inhabitants. Hopefully, if you’re with a good tour operator, they’ll explain how to snorkel safely, respectfully, and without damaging the coral.
Also, use reef-friendly sunscreen that doesn’t contain the chemicals oxybenzone and octinoxate, which can damage corals.
If you don’t have reef-safe sunscreen, put your regular sunscreen on at least half-anhour before you swim and let it soak into your skin. Otherwise, it just washes straight on to the reef.
Ridley says he puts his kids in full sun suits, which protect them not only from stingers in the summer, but sunburn as well.
Step four
Aim for a net zero emissions lifestyle and say no to single-use anything. Globally, 91 per cent of all stuff produced is used just once, then ends up in the atmosphere, oceans or landfill.
So when you buy anything, from a car to a shirt, ask yourself what kind of impact did it take to make it, what impact it has while using it, and when you’re finished with it, what impact it will have. Will it sit in landfill, or be used by someone else? Some solutions are simple: think Spotify, instead of buying a CD.
Step five
When you’ve been to the reef, tell the world what you’ve seen. The story of the reef is incredibly nuanced: it’s an enormous ecosystem, about the same length of the west coast of the United States, so while parts have been damaged, other parts are amazing. The truth is important.
‘‘I’ve been out to Cockatoo Reef, 200km offshore – famous for its Blue Hole – and I’ve never seen better coral, while Flynn Reef and Milne Reef are two of my favourites for day trips off Cairns. At the southern end, Lady Elliott and Heron Island are extraordinary places,’’ Ridley says.