In Term 2 2022 HASS, we learned about civics and citizenship. As we focused on active citizenship, we had gotten a task to write a letter to MP demonstrating active citizenship.
Letter To MP
22th May 2022
Mr Ben Morton MP
PO Box 329
Applecross WA 6153
Dear Mr Ben Morton MP
My name is Andrew Chen and I am a Year eight student at All Saints College. I am writing to ask you to support investing more time, effort and money into protecting and caring for the Great Barrier Reef. I’m a resident of Applecross and am highly worried about the damage occurring in the Great Barrier Reef and how long the ecosystem in the area can survive under such stress.
As you may be aware, in the area of the Great Barrier Reef, there have been serious issues with coral bleaching. Coral bleaching is when corals are under stress and expel microscopic algae which live in their tissues, this makes the affected coral expose their skeleton and put them at risk of starvation and diseases. This issue began in January 1998 and largely intensified by February and March of the same year. As you can see, this issue has already lasted for twenty- four years and is still getting worse and worse on a daily basis.
Coral bleaching is mainly caused by a rapid change in environmental conditions. According to CNN, already 91 per cent of corals in the Great Barrier Reef have been affected by coral bleaching. This issue could be helped by the Queensland and Australian government pushing on minimizing the use of chemically enhanced pesticides and fertilizers. Another way this could be helped would be schools investing a larger period of time each week educating the students about coral bleaching, this could raise awareness of this issue.
Global warming has also been a huge risk to the health and safety of the Great Barrier Reef, it has not only been a large factor in the worsening of coral bleaching, but it also puts up its own problems. One of the major issues that global warming shows is that global warming has decreased the ocean’s pH levels by it absorbing thirty per cent of the carbon that is created by human civilization. A more acidic ocean would mean that the corals in the affected area would have a weaker ability to build skeletons and form a coral reef. Global warming has also created an ongoing heatwave that has damaged more than 90 per cent of corals.
The Queensland government could stop this issue from worsening by pushing for more communities and groups of people to help with this issue. I know that currently there are already groups/ companies that are in assist of the Queensland government to help protect the Great Barrier Reef. Some groups/ companies include NRDC, marine park organisations and education programs.
Protecting the Great Barrier Reef is an extremely important investment as if the Great Barrier Reef were to die out, Australia would also lose a large quantity of money and jobs due to the loss of tourism. The Great Barrier Reef provides 60 thousand jobs annually and it is seven per cent of Australia’s entire economy, Australia would also lose five point two billion dollars each year. The Great Barrier Reef is also the world’s largest coral reef system and home to a quarter of all ocean’s marine life. If the Great Barrier Reef were to die out, do you really want more than 3000 species of known fish would lose their habitats and would have to find new homes?
Under the previous arrangements, I have heard that recently the Queensland government had invested one billion dollars into the further outlook of the Great Barrier Reef, but I argue that this isn’t enough. As mentioned above, the Great Barrier Reef brings in five point two billion annually, a one billion dollar investment compared to that just doesn’t seem right. As a civilian who feels highly concerned about the health of the Great Barrier Reef, I expect a higher investment from the Australian and Queensland government to make sure the Great Barrier Reef isn’t damaged further than it already is.
Once again, I ask you to support this change to invest more time, effort and money into the protection of the Great Barrier Reef. If no further action is taken, coral bleaching will soon affect a hundred per cent of all Great Barrier Reef’s corals, global warming completely stops the growth of any more coral reefs and is one of the seven natural wonders of the world will disappear. I also hope you understand the damage this could do to the Australian economy and its tourism business. Once more, I hope you support this change and to represent your state of WA in parliament.
Yours sincerely
Andrew Chen