Essay Process (Draft 2)

Each year more than 1.8 million tourists have visited the Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (Butler, 2005). Ecotourism is now one of the fastest-growing sector. With globalization, people can travel more accessibly across different countries to participate in ecotourism adventures such as diving and snorkelling. Chamy (2012) highlights that as much as ecotourism needs globalization to grow, it is due to ecotourism that globalization has become such an important aspect of interaction across geographic spaces. Diving has become one of the few popular ecotourism adventures. However, the increase in the number of divers have caused rapid deterioration of the coral in the Great Barrier Reef. Other consequences include the extinction of species and negative impacts on the locals. Because divers are responsible for the depletion of corals, the Australian government should provide adequate education to divers and sufficient funds in supporting corals preservation, thereby preventing the loss of coral diversity. Collaborative efforts among the divers, government and non-profit organizations are needed to reduce the negative impacts on the corals. 

Countries like Australia has been promoting and investing in ecotourism activities like diving, attempting to boost their financial reserves. However, the increase in number of divers have caused serious damage to the corals. Scientific evidence have shown that the Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral cover in the last 27 years, and 95% of its living coral could be lost by 2050 (Whiteman, 2012).

The loss of coral diversity is one of the negative consequences caused by the divers. Many inexperienced divers kick and break corals as they swim. For example, frenzied kicking from diver’s fins can cause serious damage to the corals. Some divers may touch or even remove corals from the sea, which ultimately kills the corals. Butler (2005) convincingly argues that if the breaking down of corals continues, it would result in permanent loss of marine ecosystem. There may also be a possibility of species extinction. Experiments have proven that repeated breakage of corals caused by intensive diving, may lead to a reduction in coral’s sexual reproduction (Pilcher, 2012). Therefore, it is important to let damaged corals have enough time to recover, or else it may result in corals extinction. Corals extinction will in turn negatively affect the species that depends on them. For example, the fishes that depend on corals for food and habitat may go extinct too. In addition, ship fuels and litters thrown by divers can cause water pollution, which also contributes to deterioration of corals. Another problem caused by the divers is that they may indirectly affect the local’s standards of living. This is because the loss of corals will affect the locals who depend on them for food and income. Butler (2005) further convincingly argues that in the Great Barrier Reef, more than 500 million people live within 100 kilometres of coral reefs rely on reefs for their daily subsistence.

The first solution to coral depletion is to educate and encourage the divers to adopt a coral-friendly attitude. Government plays a big part in encouraging divers to become passionate environmental stewards for the corals. For example, government can educate the divers to limit their interactions with corals and avoid walking near them. Divers must also be properly trained, in order to reduce the negative impacts on the corals. Lonne (2012) highlights that to be a reef-friendly diver, one must have proper buoyancy control and movement underwater. Furthermore, government can also encourage divers to support non-profit organization such as Coral Reef Alliance, Reef Relief, and the Planetary Coral Reef Foundation.  

The second solution is to ensure that government provides sufficient funds for corals preservation. For example, the Australian government pledged to reduce the damage to the corals in the Great Barrier Reef. The Australian government has recently invested $208 million in its Reef Rescue program (Wardell, 2013). In addition, the Great Barrier Reef was also designated as an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which provides further protection to the coral reef system (Milman, 2013).

Lastly, government can charge diving fees from divers, which may be useful in controlling the number of divers. For the Great Barrier Reef, divers must pay an Environmental Management Charge (EMC). According to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the money generated from EMC can be used by the management for education, research, policy development and corals conservation. The Australian government can also limit the number of divers allowed in a dive site at one time. This is to ensure that corals are given enough time to recover. Research have shown that when human disturbances are reduced, corals can recover by themselves more quickly (Watts, 2013). 

It is of paramount importance to increase the divers’ awareness towards corals conservation. Educating the divers can be seen as the most effective solution as it requires lesser cost to implement. However, it is important to recognize that the Australian government also plays a major role in corals conservation through provision of funds and support. Therefore, effective corals conservation needs collaborative efforts among the divers, government and non-profit organizations. 





References

Butler, R. (2005, November 17). Coral reefs decimated by 2050. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from Mongabay: http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1117-corals.html

Chamy, A. (2012). Globalization and the paradox of ecotourism. Accessible Sustainable Ecotourism: Necessary Market Adjustment in a New Age of Travel, 2. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Ecotours: http://www.ecotourdirectory.com/ecotourism/articles/globalization-and-the-paradox-of-ecotourism.php

Lonne, T. (2012). A scuba diver’s impact on a coral reef. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Dive.in: http://www.dive.in/articles/a-scuba-divers-impact-on-a-coral-reef/#comments

Milman, O. (2013, June 16). Great Barrier Reef on the brink as politicians bicker. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from The Guardian: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jun/16/barrier-reef-un-heritage-status

Australian Government, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. (n.d.). Visitor contributions. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority: http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/visit-the-reef/visitor-contributions

Wardell, J. (2013, January 31). Australian government pledges to protect Great Barrier Reef. Retrieved from Reuters: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/01/australia-barrierreef-idUSL4N0B100I20130201

Watts, A. (2013, April 7). Good news about coral reefs- they recovered from warming. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Watts up with that: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/04/07/good-news-about-coral-reefs-they-recovered-from-warming/

Whiteman, H. (2012, October 3). Australia vows to reverse great barrier reef's coral decline. Retrieved October 14, 2013, from CNN: http://www.cnn.com.sg/2012/10/03/world/asia/australia-great-barrier-reef-coral/index.html

Essay (First Draft)

Thesis: Because divers are responsible for the depletion of corals in the Great Barrier Reef, the Australia government should provide adequate education to divers and sufficient funds in supporting the preservation of corals, thereby preventing the loss of coral diversity.

Introduction:

Globalization has become a driving force to many industries. Ecotourism being one of the fastest-growing sectors has benefited from it. Globalization plays a major role in facilitating the cross-border interaction between countries. Through globalization, people can travel more accessibly across different countries to participate in ecotourism adventures such as diving and snorkelling. Chamy (2012) highlights that as much as ecotourism needs globalization to grow, it is due to ecotourism that globalization has become such an important aspect of interaction across geographic spaces (Chamy, 2012). Diving has become one of the few popular ecotourism adventures. However, diving has caused deterioration of the coral reefs. Other negative impacts include the extinction of species and pollution. Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is an example of rapid depletion of coral reefs.

Because divers are responsible for the depletion of corals in the Great Barrier Reef, the Australia government should provide adequate education to divers and sufficient funds in supporting the preservation of corals, thereby preventing the loss of coral diversity. Collaborative efforts among the divers, governments and non-profit organizations are needed to reduce the negative impacts on the corals. 

a) Description of a situation

There is an increase in the number of divers as more people want to enjoy the beauty of the reef and the thrill of discovering the underwater world. Each year more than 1.8 million tourists have visited the Great Barrier Reef. Butler mentioned that large amount of revenues are generated from popular ecotourism adventures like diving and snorkelling (Butler, 2005). Therefore, countries like Australia has been promoting and investing in ecotourism activities like diving, attempting to boost their financial reserves. However, scientific evidence have shown that the Great Barrier Reef has lost half of its coral cover in the last 27 years, and 95% of its living coral could be lost by 2050 (Butler, 2005). Undeniably, divers are partially responsible for the damage of the coral reefs.

b)  Identification of a problem

Loss of coral diversity

The increase amount of divers have caused a rapid disruption of ecological life systems. Some divers kick, grab and break corals as they swim. Divers who unintentionally touch the corals may also damage the corals, causing it to have difficulty in recovering. Some divers may even remove beautiful corals from the sea bed, which ultimately kill the corals. Butler (2005) convincingly argues that if the breaking down of coral reefs continues, it would result in permanent loss of marine ecosystem and its biodiversity (Butler, 2005). In addition, the frenzied kicking from divers’ fins can hurt corals.

Extinction of species

Experiments have proven that repeated breakage of corals caused by intensive diving tourism, may lead to substantially reduced sexual reproduction in corals, and eventually lower rates of re-colonisation (Pilcher, 2012). If damaged corals are not given enough time to recover, it may eventually lead to extinction of corals and other species. Depletion of corals will in turn affect the species that depends on them. For instance, the fishes that depend on corals for food and habitat.

Pollution

Divers may have to take transports such as boats to their destination, which generates more carbon emissions and worsens global warming. Litters thrown by divers and ship fuels can cause water pollution, which contributes to coral reef degradation.

Negative impact on locals
The loss of coral ecosystems will also affect the indigenous natives who depend on them for food, job and income. Butler (2012) further convincingly argues that more than 500 million people who live within 100 kilometres of coral reefs, many of whom rely on reefs and services they provide for daily subsistence (Butler, 2005). Therefore, divers who are involved in ecotourism adventures may indirectly affect the standards of living of the locals.

c) Description of a solution
Government support

Charging diving fees at certain dive sites may be useful in controlling the number of divers visiting Great Barrier Reef. The money generated from diving fees can be used to conserve the corals. Government can also support by providing sufficient funds for the purchase of permanent buoys. Pilcher (2012) mentioned that the installation of permanent buoys can reduce the damage of coral reef from recreational activities (Pilcher, 2012). 

Limit the number of divers
Australian government can limit on the number of divers allowed in a dive site at one time. This can ensure that corals are given enough time to recover. Research have shown that when human disturbances are reduced, reefs might do much of the recovery by themselves (Watts, 2013). 

Environmental education
To prevent the depletion of corals, government can educate the divers by encouraging respectful attitudes for coral-friendly diving. Divers should be reminded to avoid walking near corals as sediment may be stirred up and cover the corals, which may cause corals death. Divers must remember the maximum limit of interacting with corals and do not remove them from the sea.

Diver who are properly trained tend to be reef-friendly, thereby reducing the negative impacts on the corals. Lonne (2012) highlights that proper buoyancy control and movement underwater are requirements for being a reef-friendly diver (Lonne, 2012).

Non-profit organization
Public should be encouraged to support non-profit organization such as Coral Reef Alliance and Reef Relief. Currently, the non-profit organization are helping in managing the marine ecosystem. They also promote local communities to become passionate environmental stewards for the reefs.

d) Evaluation of the solution

It is of paramount importance to increase the divers’ awareness towards corals conservation. Effective marine protection needs collaborative efforts among government agencies, conservation groups, non-profit organizations and the public. As a whole, collective efforts will yield greater results than individual efforts. Therefore, divers can still enjoy diving while sparing a thought for the marine environment. 

References

Butler, R. (2005, November 17). Coral reefs decimated by 2050. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from Mongabay: http://news.mongabay.com/2005/1117-corals.html

Chamy, A. (2012). Globalization and the paradox of ecotourism. Accessible Sustainable Ecotourism: Necessary Market Adjustment in a New Age of Travel, 2. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from: http://www.ecotourdirectory.com/ecotourism/articles/globalization-and-the-paradox-of-ecotourism.php

Lonne, T. (2012). A scuba diver’s impact on a coral reef. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Dive.in: http://www.dive.in/articles/a-scuba-divers-impact-on-a-coral-reef/#comments

Pilcher, N. (2012). Corals and human disturbance. Retrieved October 2, 2013, from UNEP: http://www.unep.ch/regionalseas/main/persga/pilcher.html

Watts, A. (2013, April 7). Good news about coral reefs- they recovered from warming. Retrieved October 4, 2013, from Watts up with that: http://wattsupwiththat.com/2013/04/07/good-news-about-coral-reefs-they-recovered-from-warming/

Essay

Thesis:
Globalization has stimulated the growth of ecotourism, but ecotourism is now considered to be playing a major role in environmental degradation.

Introduction:

Globalization has stimulated the growth of ecotourism, but ecotourism is now considered to be playing a major role in environmental degradation. Ecotourism has become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the tourism industry. Tourists can now visit unique ecological sites, where flora, fauna, and cultural heritage are the primary attractions. However, the tremendous growth in ecotourism comes with a price. An uncontrolled growth of ecotourism has resulted in serious environmental degradation. For example, ecotourism has caused pollution, destruction of ecosystem and loss of biodiversity.

The negative environmental impacts can be mitigated by ensuring public are well educated on the importance of conserving the environment. This is to ensure that all tourism activities have minimal environmental impact. Collaborative efforts among governments, policy makers and local communities are also needed in order to consistently promote sustainable tourism. Akbarov convincingly argues that everyone involved in ecotourism are responsible for achieving the goals of responsible tourism. (Akbarov, 2013)

a) Description of a situation

Ecotourism has been promoted globally because it simultaneously benefits the global economy and the environment. As a result, many countries are investing in this growing industry in an attempt to boost their financial reserves. However, many conservationists have questioned the long term sustainability of ecotourism and the possible negative impacts on the environment (Trevor, 2004).

b)  Identification of a problem

Destruction of ecosystem
Environmental stress can arise from accommodating to tourist’s needs. An increase in the number of visitors entering into protected areas, especially when combined with activities like hiking, can cause serious environmental damage. This have also resulted in rapid disruption of ecological life systems.

Deforestation
Natural land are converted for the development of tourist infrastructures, which had led to more deforestation and habitat destruction. In order to develop ecological sites, governments must resettle the indigenous inhabitants of a region, which caused the indigenous natives to lose their home.

Loss of biodiversity
Deforestation has resulted in the loss of habitat and biodiversity of wildlife, which may eventually cause species to extinct in the future. It is also important to protect biodiversity to ensure that humans can continue to benefit from them. For example in Africa, majority of the continent's 700 million inhabitants rely directly on biodiversity for food, medicine, building materials, fuel wood, craft materials and income (Wynberg, 2000).

Pollution
Some tourists are keen to take boat trips to various sites such as Antarctica, the Amazon Rain forest and Papua New Guinea. This have resulted in more carbon emissions for getting to these places. For example, eco-tourist travelling to Antarctica are adding to global warming, which have caused the melting of polar ice caps. Tourist is causing pollution from ship fuel and rubbish, as well as disturbing wildlife (Steinmetz, 2009).

c) Description of a solution

Ensure sustainability
Limit on the number of tourists that are allowed to visit an area. This can help to maintain the balance and vitality of the ecological site. This will also help to reduce the amount of carbon emissions to the environment. Governments should ensure tourist facilities are built in a way that it minimizes the deleterious environmental impacts. For example, constructing facilities on the outskirts of the park boundaries (Nash, 2001).

Environmental education
The way forward to fight bad ecotourism is to educate the public on the importance of biodiversity, and the various ways to minimize the environmental impacts. In this way, public can increase their environmental and cultural awareness. For example, the Honduran schoolchildren from the capital city of Tegucigalpa are routinely taken to visit the La Tigra cloud forest visitor center, funded in part by eco-tourist dollars, to learn about the importance of the rain forest and biodiversity (Nash, 2001).

Promote sustainable tourism
Sustainable tourism is travel designed to minimize the impact of humans on the places they visit, and encourage protection of both cultural heritage and the environment (Parode, 2012). Countries like Europe are now focusing on sustainable destination development and aims to balance conservation and tourism (Walsh, 2013). The Global Sustainable Tourism Council and The International Ecotourism Society are a one of the few council that promotes sustainable tourism practices. 

d) Evaluation of the solution

It is of paramount importance to educate people in order to increase their environmental and cultural awareness. Promoting responsible tourism can ensure sustainability of unique ecological sites. Effective environmental protection needs collaborative efforts among concerned government agencies, conservation groups, non-governmental organizations and the public. For example, getting more locals to participate in eco-tourism projects can garner more community support. As a whole, collective efforts in conserving the environment will yield greater results than individual efforts. Tourist can still enjoy ecotourism while sparing a thought for the environment. 


References

Akbarov, E. (2013). Sustainable tourism. Retrieved from Academia: http://www.academia.edu/4023366/Sustainable_tourism_Elchin_Akbarov

Honey, M. (1999). Ecotourism and sustainable development: Who owns paradise? Retrieved from Google Document: http://books.google.com.sg/books id=Qm_RonNzC7sC&pg=PA18&lpg=PA18&dq=throughout+most+of+the+world,+the+rise+of+ecotourism+has+coincided+with+the+promotion+of+free+markets+and+economic+globalization,+with+the+private+sector+hailed+as+the+main+engine+for+de

Nash, J. (2001, April). Encouraging conservation or adding to exploitation? Retrieved from Population Reference Bureau: http://www.prb.org/Publications/Articles/2001/EcoTourismEncouragingConservationorAddingtoExploitation.aspx

Parode, N. (2012). What is sustainable tourism? Retrieved from About.com: http://seniortravel.about.com/od/typesoftravelforseniors/f/SustainableTravel.htm

Steinmetz, T. (2009, December 23). Eco-tourists causing "horrendous" pollution in Antarctica. Retrieved from eTurboNews: http://www.eturbonews.com/print/13462

Trevor, P. (2004). Globalization, ecotourism, and development in the monte verde zone, costa rica. Retrieved from Scholar Commons: http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/940/

Walsh, J. (2013, October 5). Burren to host international conference on sustainable tourism. Retrieved from Irish Central: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Burren-to-host-international-conference-on-sustainable-tourism-226309891.html

Wynberg, R. (2000, April 5). Privatising the means for survival: The commercialisation of Africa's biodiversity. Retrieved from Grain: http://www.grain.org/article/entries/33-privatising-the-means-for-survival-the-commercialisation-of-africa-s-biodiversity