Foreword: what is happening to The Great Barrier Reef

Now that Tony Abbott and the Liberal party is in control, the plan to remove 3 million cubic metres from The Great Barrier Reef to build the largest coal export terminal has been enforced regardless of its world heritage classification and UNESCO protection. Not only will this be damaging and potentially killing the world's most diverse and largest living organism and ecosystem, but will also lead to more than 100 million tonnes of greenhouse gases being released into our atmosphere, seriously damaging efforts to tackle climate change. These changes will be irreversible and will have extreme consequences on the environment. The Great Barrier Reef is home to over 1,500 species of fish, 134 species of sharks and rays, six of the world’s seven species of threatened marine turtles, more than 30 species of marine animals (including the endangered dugong), 411 types of hard coral and one-third of the world’s soft corals. All of the Great Barrier Reef is in danger due to the greed of the Australian government all for money.  In the past 6 months alone (the first stage of dredging) there has been a steep increase in deaths of endangered marine wildlife - 6 dolphins, 10 dugongs and 231 turtles have washed up dead near Gladstone on the Great Barrier Reef. Fishermen and their families have also been getting sick and have noticed that many of the fish have washed up with a strange flesh disease. This is the epitome of corporate greed and monetary gain at the expense of our planet.