Geography case study flashcards

Natural environmental change

Flooding, drought

Human-induced environmental change

Mining, deforestation, pollution

What is environmental change?

Any alteration or disturbance to the natural environment

What is sustainability?

Using and managing resources in a way that meets our needs today without ruining the ability of future generations to meet theirs

What is biodiversity?

The vast variety of all life on Earth

What human actions are causing environmental degradation on the Great Barrier Reef?

Fossil fuel emissions, agricultural runoff, coastal land clearing, dredging, marine pollution

Impacts of human actions on the Great Barrier Reef

Coral bleaching, biodiversity loss, tourism industry decline, disruption to First Nations people, ocean acidification

What is Reef Blueprint 2030?

GBRMPA’s roadmap for climate change and reef resilience

What does Reef Blueprint 2030 aim to do?

Accelerate action on climate change and the reef’s resilience

What are the 5 mains areas of Reef Blueprint 2030?

Climate adaptation, local pressures, water quality, traditional owners, global advocacy

Positives of Reef Blueprint 2030

Active interventions - building corals heat tolerance, backed by federal and state funding, indigenous co-management, localised intervention programs, scientific adaptability

Negatives of Reef Blueprint 2030

Local actions cannot lower ocean temps - reef still vulnerable, targets are slow to meet despite heavy funding, difficult and expensive - reef is so large, climate change mitigation can be ineffective due to overriding global stressors