Climate change has already wreaked havoc on the world’s populations and environments, and its damages will only further escalate with time. Humanity has accomplished countless impressive feats in fields of education, innovation, sports, physical performance, philosophy, and wisdom. Yet, despite all our time on this beloved planet, so little effort has been directed towards sustaining the planet that has provided so much. Nature contains immensely beautiful landscapes, habitats, and environments that oftentimes play second fiddle to the interest of advancement, whether directly through actions including deforestation to make room for factories or indirectly through those same factories spewing out boundless and unchecked pollution. The world simply needs to start taking better care of the planet or we will tear it apart until the once gorgeous and abundant world we once knew vanishes before our very eyes.
It is so easy for anyone with a laptop to write about the horridness of climate change crisis but offer no further explanation, guidance, or commentary on the issue. When facing any giant problem, it remains wise to break the issue down into more manageable and approachable issues, such as issues about climate/environmental changes that lie in coral reefs. Coral environments are crucial to marine life across the globe and support many oceanic communities and even nations. When asked about the significance of coral reefs to an island nation’s cultural identity and economy, the representative from New Zealand said, “It is important to maintain coral and reef habitats because they are the crutch on which so many ecosystems rely. These reefs are home to numerous species of small fish who in turn, feed and nourish the predator fish who are consumed by the nearby populaces for food. If the reefs disappear, so will the fish we eat. With societies polluting and overfishing, people really aren’t making it easy for the oceanic ecosystems to keep up with this outrageous pace.” Unfortunately, many individuals live in areas of the world where the effects of climate change are so visible as they are in a nation such as New Zealand that faces the devastating reality that their cherished reefs are in danger of disappearing.
The New Zealand representative continued, listing numerous plans of action to protect their reefs from the effects of climate and environmental change, citing wishes to, “subsidize the game and wildlife department to help further protect the numerous ecosystems from being overhunted and overfished. Additionally, increasing fines for littering along beach areas, as well as the number of organizations which are tasked with cleaning up ecosystems, including reefs.”
The representative’s parting words to those who are still failing to realize the brevity of time with which the world has to act on this matter are captured in the following statement: “When island nations begin to sink, and the damage is too far gone, maybe then they’ll realize it all could have been avoided.” With these solemn words, hopefully, enough people and nations will be called to take immediate action, realize yesterday was the time to act, and hopefully, tomorrow will not be the day when we look back on a ravaged and depleted world too far gone and lament what we have done.