Watching reefs bleach and die makes me ashamed to be human. All those fishies looking up at me, the little clown fish trying to seek shelter in his bleached and dying anemone, the chromis in the algae-overgrown skeleton of a staghorn coral–they don’t know why the reefs are dying. But I know.
Because of overfishing, erosion, pollution and of course global warming. All caused by one species: us (and don’t go and blame farting cows now, because they are bred by humans). Each fish or worm or whatever lowly creature plays their part in the eco-system, except for us humans. We think we are above those rules, so we have the right to destroy the oceans, the whole planet, just because we always want more. More comfort, more profit, more luxuries, more food for more people.
If only people could step back and reflect what they actually need and take less instead of more, more, more.
Sorry to be so negative, but despite the fact that we cherish each corner with healthy coral, try to console ourselves that a half-dead coral colony is actually half-alive, hold on to the hope that some species of coral seem to adapt and anxiously watch the weather for a cold-spell to give them a breather I’m afraid we are just bullshitting ourselves. The reefs are dying so fast, it’s heartbreaking. And yes, nature can adapt, but not when the changes come so fast and on such an extreme level.
2 comments
Norbert says:
March 8, 2024 at 8:20 am (UTC 0)
You are so right, Birgit! And mankind thinks to have the right to increase their numbers arbitrarily on this planet. Even eco-friendly people sometimes think it is okay for them to have five kids. Their excuse: Technology will help us to compensate for our large numbers. 8 billion people on this planet are simply too many. But no politician considers to steer in the direction of lowering our population numbers. Not a single one has that on their list. Growth, growth, growth is all they are thinking.
Birgit says:
March 9, 2024 at 4:41 am (UTC 0)
More growth, more consumers, more profit…