The Coming Ecosystem Collapse Is Already Here for Coral – The New Republic

The emissions fight has never been more important: Its the only way to avoid these battles of diminishing returns with other ecosystems down the line.

The problem with coral restoration is the one we could soon be facing with multiple ecosystems: Its right to invest billions of dollars in protecting coralwithout fighting to preserve these structures, we risk of the complete collapse of coral ecosystems, involving massive environmental and economic fallout. But focusing on coral-restoration technology can also draw attention away from the culprit driving this change to begin with: emissions.

The most important step for saving coral is moving away from a reliance on fossil fuels. The future trajectory of reef health is entirely dependent on how soon we act, Camp said. The sooner we reduce emissions, the more likely we are to have healthy reefs in the future. While scientists are increasingly wearing multiple hats as activists and communicators, the dialogue around restoring reefs can sometimes glance over the more important truth: Stopping emissions is the best and surest way to guarantee that reefs survive the century. Scientists have only turned to these alternative solutions because the world wont act. Our biggest tool to save coral, reducing emissions, isnt working. So we have to think about the other tools in our toolbox like assisted evolution and geoengineering, Camp said. But, at the same time, the emissions fight has never been more important: Its the only way to avoid these battles of diminishing returns with other ecosystems down the line.

The situation facing coral reefs right now is a dry run for the tipping points rainforests, agriculture, and the polar ice caps could soon face. Right now, the most effective ways to save the Amazon rainforest are preventativestopping deforestation and reducing carbon emissions. But if the Amazon suddenly starts to collapse, it will already be too late and scientists will need to look to new, murky horizons, investing tremendous amounts of money in risky solutions in order to avoid imminent, drastic consequences.

Ecological systems under warming pressure can turn into a runaway train. The trillions of dollars in economic costs of climate inaction are not theoretical: The collapse of reef ecosystems today show us clearly what those economic and ecological costs will look like. Eliminating oil industry subsidies, a transition to a green economy, carbon taxes, far-reaching changes to individual lifestyleseverything needs to be on the table. While scientists can help coral survive into the short-term, its up to the greater communityand, in particular, that means policy at the national and international levelto create a future that coral can survive in.

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The Coming Ecosystem Collapse Is Already Here for Coral - The New Republic

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