RantCrush Top 5: March 16, 2017

The Great Barrier Reef, a U.N. Heritage Site, is dying and might never recover, according to a new report that was just published. Last year was the hottest on record and parts of the reef died off at an alarming pace. “We didn’t expect to see this level of destruction to the Great Barrier Reef for another 30 years,” said Terry P. Hughes of the James Cook University. He is the main author of the report. This is a natural disaster that will have a profound impact on the health of the world’s seas. Loss of fish could lead to a humanitarian crisis in parts of the world where people rely on them.

Many scientists are now saying, “told you so,” as they warned decades ago that we needed to work to counteract global warming. And now, with Trump announcing that he wants to back out of the Paris agreement and dramatically cut funding for the EPA, things look darker than ever. Scientists warn that it is vital that the international effort to fight climate change doesn’t lose momentum, as time is running out.

Huge sections of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef were killed last year due to overheated seawater, scientists find. https://t.co/RKuFwqN0OC

— AJ+ (@ajplus) March 15, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.