Will tropical coral reefs be the first ecosystem to be eliminated by climate change?
Friday, July 18, 2008
At Maribo (The fierce urgency of now), Simon Donner expresses disappointment at what he sees as a well intentioned but weak efforts at the ICRS to communicate the importance of conservation. There are some interesting comments in the thread (although mine may be 'over the top').
"Mike", the world's first hydrogen bomb, vaporised Elugelap island and other parts of the Enewetak atoll on 1 November 1952. In the half century or so since then humans have destroyed around a quarter - some say a half - of all tropical coral reefs, which are one the world's richest and oldest ecosystems and provide vital benefits in over 100 countries. Will the rest be gone within another fifty years - or less? So what?
Please note that this blog is now pretty much 'on hold', with only occasional updates since January 2008. For notes on the Anthropocene extinction and what comes next see The Book of Barely Imagined Beings.