In my pretty little town, there used to be big wooden barrel looking trash cans placed all along the business district…as a way to control the waste tourists and townspeople would lazily litter along the sidewalks. Those convenient receptacles seem to have disappeared because?…too expensive? Too much trouble to maintain? Eyesores? … so now the littering problem is making this little town not so pretty anymore. Trash is overwhelming our entire world.
The latest report card on Great Barrier Reef water quality shows signs of improvement, but the health of the marine environment close to the shore remains poor, driven by pollution runoff from the land. Among the good news is that pollution levels in reef waters have declined in the past five years, and most pollutants seem to track towards the pollution reduction targets set for 2018.
For instance, phosphorus in reef waters fell by 14.5%, suggesting that the targeted 20% reduction in phosphorus loads by 2018 is achievable. Pesticide and sediment loads fell by about half, tracking towards the 60% reduction target for pesticides, and a more modest goal of 20% reduction of sediment load by 2018.
The bad news is that loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen were lowered by only 17%, making it unlikely that the 50% reduction target will be reached by 2018. Nitrogen loads are up to nearly six times higher than natural background levels.
Around 80,000 tonnes of pollutant nitrogen enters the Great Barrier Reef lagoon each year. The Burdekin, Wet Tropics and Mackay-Whitsunday regions contribute over 78% to the modelled dissolved inorganic nitrogen load primarily from agriculture.
Improving nitrogen management therefore remains a priority for the banana industry in the Wet Tropics, and the sugarcane industry in all production areas where rivers flow into the Great Barrier Reef.
S&C = Dismayed&Depressed almost 3 years ago
In my pretty little town, there used to be big wooden barrel looking trash cans placed all along the business district…as a way to control the waste tourists and townspeople would lazily litter along the sidewalks. Those convenient receptacles seem to have disappeared because?…too expensive? Too much trouble to maintain? Eyesores? … so now the littering problem is making this little town not so pretty anymore. Trash is overwhelming our entire world.
briangj2 almost 3 years ago
The latest report card on Great Barrier Reef water quality shows signs of improvement, but the health of the marine environment close to the shore remains poor, driven by pollution runoff from the land. Among the good news is that pollution levels in reef waters have declined in the past five years, and most pollutants seem to track towards the pollution reduction targets set for 2018.
For instance, phosphorus in reef waters fell by 14.5%, suggesting that the targeted 20% reduction in phosphorus loads by 2018 is achievable. Pesticide and sediment loads fell by about half, tracking towards the 60% reduction target for pesticides, and a more modest goal of 20% reduction of sediment load by 2018.
The bad news is that loads of dissolved inorganic nitrogen were lowered by only 17%, making it unlikely that the 50% reduction target will be reached by 2018. Nitrogen loads are up to nearly six times higher than natural background levels.
Around 80,000 tonnes of pollutant nitrogen enters the Great Barrier Reef lagoon each year. The Burdekin, Wet Tropics and Mackay-Whitsunday regions contribute over 78% to the modelled dissolved inorganic nitrogen load primarily from agriculture.
Improving nitrogen management therefore remains a priority for the banana industry in the Wet Tropics, and the sugarcane industry in all production areas where rivers flow into the Great Barrier Reef.
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2015/09/how-can-we-reduce-pollution-on-the-great-barrier-reef/
Teto85 Premium Member almost 3 years ago
Is that supposed to be the PM of Australia?