Summary: The Great Barrier Reef

Not only is Australia home to the Great Barrier Reef, but it is also the only continent in the world that is its own country. The Great Barrier Reef is the world 's largest coral reef system that stretches 1,250 miles off the Northeast coast of Australia. The coral reef support much of the marine life such as fish, sea turtles, and other marine mammals. In 1981, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, became in charge of the environmental protection of the Great Barrier Reef. Research found that because of the acidity in the ocean, the coral reef is at its slowest growing rate in at least 400 years. In 2014, the Great Barrier Reef was added to the UNESCO 's Endangered Sites list. Along the coast of Queensland, where the coral reef is, there are many ports located there and oil sludge is constantly being dumped into the ocean. The Great Barrier Reef is in dire need of being restored and protected.

Michelle Innis in "Great Barrier Reef Is Not 'in Danger ' but Needs Care, U.N. Experts Say" talks about the Great Barrier Reef being threatened. A

What 's going on in Australia has a huge impact on climate change which can affect ecosystems around the world. What 's happening there is on a larger scale than something small like littering. It 's important to know about the article because it brings awareness to what is happening to the environment in another country. It shows that we do have an impact on how we handle the climate change situation, It also shows the tough choice between protecting the environment and boosting the economy, which something every country can relate to. It 's unfortunate that many people, including students, are so absorbed in their own lives that most are unaware of what 's going on in the world. I think students should know what 's going on in Australia because what they do there has an influence on their future too. As humans, we rely on the earth to survive and the earth relies on us to treat it right so it