Coal or the Reef, Greens Say

The Australian Greens are calling for urgent climate action based on advice by Professor Terry Hughes, co-author of new research in Science on poor management of World Heritage areas, including the Great Barrier Reef.

“The Abbott and Palaszczuk governments need to take heed of this serious warning from one of the world’s leading coral reef scientists,” Senator Larissa Waters, Australian Greens environment spokesperson, said.

“Based on the science, the choice is simple – coal or the Reef?

“Professor Hughes says digging up the Galilee Basin while keeping a healthy Reef is an ‘impossible task’.

“Dredging our Reef to enable more coal ships to treat it like a fossil fuel highway will come back to bite this precious global icon, which is already struggling from climate change, through more coral bleaching and ocean acidification.

“If the Abbott and Palaszczuk governments want to keep the Reef off the ‘In Danger’ list and prevent more extreme weather events, they must keep the Galilee Basin coal in the ground,” Senator Waters concluded.