UNESCO want to assign endangered status to the Great Barrier Reef, Australia does not agree

In the words of UNESCO, climate change and the warming of the oceans have affected the Great Barrier Reef GBR, the world's biggest coral reef ecosystem. Hence, it is in danger. Frequent bleaching events pose a threat to the reef. There have been four incidents of bleaching over the last seven years and the first this year during a La Nina phenomenon. This typically brings cooler temperatures. Bleaching happens when the water warms, the corals lose the colorful algae living in their tissues and turn white. The UNESCO report recommended shifting the Great Barrier Reef to endangered status. It was the outcome of a 10-day mission in March to the reef off Australia's northeast coast that was added to the World Heritage list in 1981. However, Australia does not agree. Its environment minister said her government would lobby against this recommendation by a UN panel. Australia argues against Great Barrier Reef's recommended endangered status. The GBR contributes to the economy of Australia. Its heritage status attracts tourists and in case of an endangered tag, it could lose the heritage status. Prior to COVID-19, it attracted two million tourists every year and provided employment to thousands of people.

Officials from the UN cultural agency and the International Union for Conservation of Nature reported that in the absence of an "ambitious, rapid and sustained" climate action, the GBR is in peril. Environment minister Tanya Plibersek said the new centre-left Labor party government that has come to power has already addressed several of the report's concerns, including action on climate change. She said the new government has legislated to commit Australia to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 43 percent below the 2005 level by 2030. The previous government had committed to a reduction of 26 percent to 28 percent by the end of the decade. As managing director Anna Marsden said - "The Great Barrier Reef is a wonder, she's got her challenges, but she's definitely not on her last legs in any case."

Some popular stories of this blogger –

Police in Alberta, Canada, chase ostriches escaped from their enclosure, one of the birds killed when hit by a car

President Tsai Ing-wen of Taiwan quits as head of the governing Democratic Progressive Party after loss in election

International Space Station to grow tomatoes, SpaceX will carry the seeds

Kim Jong-un seen in public with his daughter, speculations are rife on her future

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might not attend this year’s Christmas celebrations in Sandringham

Democrats retain control of the US Senate

Police arrest a student of University of Virginia suspected of shooting dead three football players of the school

An explosion in central Istanbul killed eight people wounded 81; the authorities suspect the involvement of a woman

Climate change has a direct impact on survival of insects who are necessary to maintain the ecological balance

Australia faced wildfires in 2020, now in 2022 it is facing floods

Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia declared a national emergency because of the death of 22 people along the east coast due to floods. He described it as - "This is a major catastrophe... of national proportions." Many persons had to be rescued from flooded regions. The emergency would ensure ready availability of emergency powers. The country faced wildfires in 2020 that destroyed the vegetation and wildlife. Heavy rains led to the emergency in the states of New South Wales and Queensland. It seems members of the community stepped up rescue efforts and helped to keep the death toll to a minimum. The authorities carried out mass evacuation from areas that endured the highest floods ever recorded.

Personnel of the military extended assistance in the flood recovery in northern New South Wales. The number of homes and businesses flooded in southeast Queensland was more than 20000. Sydney is the capital of New South Wales. It is the biggest city of Australia and it had to endure the wettest start to a year ever recorded.


Sky News dated 9 March 2022

He loved model planes and aero modeling

Here is the fifteenth unforgettable character in my life …

The young man was an Engineer, his hobby was aero-modeling which got him a huge fan following. He was also a Management Trainee and took the initiative to organize cultural programs of the Officers club. But, behind his outward appearances, there lurked a hesitant attitude. He was one of the privileged classes and, in the seventies there were a limited number of such individuals - unlike today when one takes pride in announcing that he belongs to so-and-so-community; he was uncomfortable in any group. He always felt that since he was a branded person; everyone was passing unkind remarks behind his back. He suffered from a complex of sorts.

His hobby was flying remote controlled aircraft models on Sunday mornings in the Stadium complex. This made him a darling of young girls – they would keep him company and watch wonder eyed as he readied the model, placed it on the ground and withdraw to a distance with his control box. Once the model got airborne, he would use the hand held controls to perform wonderful aerobatics. It was thus that he got involved with a school girl.
When the girl’s brothers learnt of this (they were three toughies!), they seized the opportunity to force the boy into marriage. They knew that he had a bright future in the organization and the brothers loved the catch for their sister. But, the young man found the going tough.
He longed for an escape route. He took a transfer to another unit to be away from the circle of known persons. Once there, he cut off all past links and built up new ones. The last I heard of him, he had settled down in Australia. He must have found the Australian society down South more accommodative than the Indian one.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

New outlets for fresh fish from Chilika

The Great Indian Bustard makes a comeback

Trekking options open up in Uttarakhand


Another boss who understood my feelings

My boss rode a scooter and wore a wig

The man who loved his work


Airstrikes kill at least 27 ISIS militants in Iraq

US police arrest serial killer of Phoenix who had killed at least nine people

Gunmen disguised as doctors shoot dead 38 persons in a Kabul hospital


Sequel of ABBA's hit musical Mamma Mia on the cards

Hackers demand ransom for Disney’s latest Pirates film

'Wonder Woman' with Gal Gadot arriving in India in June