Quarterly Essay 66: The Long Goodbye Audiobook By Anna Krien cover art

Quarterly Essay 66: The Long Goodbye

Coal, Coral and Australia's Climate Deadlock

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Quarterly Essay 66: The Long Goodbye

By: Anna Krien
Narrated by: Danielle Carter
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The Great Barrier Reef is dying. Extreme weather is becoming all too familiar. And the Coalition government is divided and paralysed.

In this vivid, urgent essay, Anna Krien explores the psychology and politics of a warming world.

©2017 Anna Krien (P)2017 Audible, Ltd Climate Change Conservation Environment Environmental Nature & Ecology Oceania Outdoors & Nature Politics & Government Public Policy Science World
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This extremely important work is exceptionally well researched and I think it should be required research for all those working on improving the health of global coral reefs. I had previously struggled to wrap my mind around how a country with such a renown natural treasure could still be bogged down by antiquated conservative politics... it turns out that Australia and America have a lot in common in that regard, especially in relation to how heavy coal and gas industry sits in the pockets of powerful politicians.

Most of this essay is centered on Anna Krien's journalism work into the energy sector, climate change policy, and Australian politics in the recent years. This is not a textbook explaining all the wonders of coral reefs. Krien brings us into the issue by introducing the Great Barrier Reef and its importance as a fragile marine ecosystem via a snorkel trip she had there once, but then most of this discussion centers around what isn't being done in Australia to address the core issue facing coral reefs--carbon emissions causing climate change which is raising sea temperatures which are causing most coral reefs to bleach and die.

This quarterly essay was published in 2017, but these issues are ongoing and I hope updates are published periodically so continued pressure is on policy to be relevant and effective for improving the state of our coral reefs. I wish there were more in depth journalism about the Florida Keys Reef Tract in this similar vein. I recommend this to all those interested in coral reefs, the Great Barrier Reef, scuba diving, marine life, marine conservation, climate science, climate policy, ocean policy, Australian politics, Australian accents, energy resources management, coal vs. renewable energy, quality journalism, and environmental activism.

Essential Environmental Reading on Coral Reefs

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