Raise the Reef

Raise the Reef

It’s one of the greatest environmental catastrophes that our country has ever seen… and yet somehow, it’s fallen off the political agenda.

It's time to make some noise about the Great Barrier Reef, and the threat posed by climate change and coral bleaching.

Share our video, email or call your MP, and help us #RaiseTheReef.

Together we can turn up the volume. Let’s make sure this issue doesn’t go away.

 

 

It’s one of the greatest environmental catastrophes that our country has ever seen… and yet somehow, it’s fallen off the political agenda.

It's time to make some noise about the Great Barrier Reef, and the threat posed by climate change and coral bleaching.

Share our video, email or call your MP, and help us #RaiseTheReef.

Together we can turn up the volume. Let’s make sure this issue doesn’t go away.

 

 

Call your MP

Give your MP’s office a call to let them know you're concerned about coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef, and put it on their radar. This will help them represent the issue in parliament, raise it with their colleagues, and work towards solutions. It only takes a few phone calls for a political office to notice new trends.

When someone picks up the phone, let them know why you’re calling e.g. “ I live in [politician's electorate]. I’m calling to let [name of politician] know about my concerns about the recent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef”

Then leave your message. You want to let your politician know about the severity of the bleaching event, what the Reef means to you and ask what your politican plans to do about it. For example:

  • “Please let ...

When someone picks up the phone, let them know why you’re calling e.g. “ I live in [politician's electorate]. I’m calling to let [name of politician] know about my concerns about the recent bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef”

Then leave your message. You want to let your politician know about the severity of the bleaching event, what the Reef means to you and ask what your politican plans to do about it. For example:

  • “Please let [name of politician] know that earlier this year the Great Barrier Reef was hit by the worst mass coral bleaching event in its history. The latest data shows that 93% of individual reefs were affected and 22% of coral on the Reef has died. Rising global ocean temperatures, driven by climate change, has been the cause of this bleaching.“

  • “The Reef is important to me because….”

  • “I also want to hear about what you plan to do to protect the Reef.”

Don’t forget to thank them. Political offices are always busy, try to keep your call short, thank them for their time and hang up.

Unique messages are the best messages. Don’t feel like you need to follow the talking points exactly. For example, your own experiences of the Reef and how much you value it can help to add colour to your message, also drawing from a range of facts about the bleaching can help to make your concerns stand out.

Follow-up questions during your call:

  • If you’re told about your MP’s plan to protect the Reef, make sure you ask them how it incorporates combating climate change.

  • If you’re told that the Great Barrier Reef can recover from bleaching, it’s important to point out that climate change is expected to increase the severity, frequency and extent of future bleaching events. This will put reefs at even more risk of bleaching that they can’t recover from.

  • If you’re told that it was an El Nino event that was responsible for the bleaching, remind them science shows El Nino was not a factor in the coral bleaching that has devastated the Great Barrier Reef. The bleaching would not have occurred without the strong influence of climate change.

  • If you’re told that there are bigger threats to the reef than climate change, like the crown-of-thorns starfish and agricultural run-off, remind them that whilst these are serious threats, it is climate change that has become the most serious threat to the long-term viability of coral reefs.

For more tips check out our Reef Communications Guide.

For more facts check out our Reef Report.

Make your call count, tell us how it went

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