. 24/7 Space News .
WATER WORLD
China denies politics behind UNESCO move on Barrier Reef
by AFP Staff Writers
Paris (AFP) July 18, 2021

A top Chinese official said Sunday that political tensions between Beijing and Australia were not behind a UNESCO recommendation to place the Great Barrier Reef on its endangered list.

Deputy education minister Tian Xuejun is chairing this year's meeting of the UN cultural agency's heritage committee, which comes after years of worsening relations between China and Australia.

The Great Barrier Reef has been put on a list of World Heritage sites that could be put on the in-danger list after losing half of its corals since 1995.

Australia has assailed the move, blaming global warming for the loss, while UNESCO experts argued that pollution run-off has contributed to the loss.

Asked at an online press conference about "Australian government allegations" that Beijing pressed to have the Barrier Reef listed as endangered, Tian said the decision was based "on reports and data provided by Australia itself."

"Australia should fulfil its obligations to protect world heritage sites instead of making baseless accusations against other member states" of UNESCO, he added.

Both China and Australia are among the 21 nations on this year's heritage committee, which is evaluating nearly 50 new sites that could be added to its more than 1,100 World Heritage list.

The designation can be a boon for tourism, while encouraging governments to protect cultural or environmental treasures.

Australia has assailed the recommendation to add the Great Barrier Reef to the in-danger list after seeing the 2,300-kilometre (1,400 miles) system lose half its corals since 1995.

It says it has spent billions of dollars to clean up coastal waters and says global warming is responsible for the mass coral "bleaching" that occurs when the invertebrates do not have enough algae to provide nutrients.

UNESCO experts counter that pollution run-off has contributed to a drop in water quality, pointing in particular at the Carmichael Coal Mine, and say clean-up efforts have fallen short.

"Politics have subverted a proper process and for the World Heritage Committee to not even foreshadow this listing is, I think, appalling," Australia's Environment Minister Sussan Ley said in June.

But Tian said "the recommendation to include the Great Barrier Reef on the endangered list was made after an evaluation by the UICN," the International Union for Conservation of Nature, one of three advisory bodies to the heritage committee.

A decision on the reef's status is expected around July 23.


Related Links
Water News - Science, Technology and Politics


Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly


paypal only
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal


WATER WORLD
Coral cells seen engulfing algae for first time
Onna, Japan (SPX) Jul 15, 2021
In a world-first, scientists in Japan have observed individual stony coral cells engulfing single-celled, photosynthetic algae. The microscopic algae, known as dinoflagellates, were engulfed by cells cultured from the stony coral, Acropora tenuis, the scientists reported in the journal Frontiers in Marine Science. "Dinoflagellates are crucial for keeping coral healthy and alive," said Professor Noriyuki Satoh, senior author of the study and head of the Marine Genomics Unit at the Okinawa Institute ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

WATER WORLD
Blue Origin says will fly 18-year-old to space on July 20

NASA solar sail asteroid mission readies for launch on Artemis I

Chinese harvests first batch of 'space rice'

NASA Launches Entrepreneurs Challenge to identify innovative ideas

WATER WORLD
Environmental concerns grow as space tourism lifts off

Suborbital aerospace plane makes maiden flight

Musk's Starship launch tower in Texas might be demolished

ESA contracts Arianegroup to make a more versatile Ariane 6

WATER WORLD
Mars Helicopter reveals intriguing terrain for rover team

China Shares New Images of Mars Taken by Zhurong Rover

Curiosity rover finds patches of rock record erased, revealing clues

Ingenuity Mars helicopter photos show latest flight area

WATER WORLD
Exercise bike in space helps keep crew fit

Homemade spacesuits ensure safety of Chinese astronauts in space

Mechanical arm is Chinese astronauts' space helper

Tiangong: astronauts are working on China's new space station - here's what to expect

WATER WORLD
Space, the final frontier for billionaire Richard Branson

Department of Space's commercial arm NewSpace India can also lease ISRO assets

OneWeb and BT to explore rural connectivity solutions for UK

Russian rocket launches UK telecom satellites

WATER WORLD
DARPA announces researchers to exploit infrared spectrum for understanding 3D scenes

Developing cohesive, domestic rare earth element technologies

Lockheed Martin opens new spacecraft facility in Florida

Northrop Grumman's SABR Radar Goes Agile

WATER WORLD
Brainless slime molds 'think' their way through the environment

TESS discovers stellar siblings host 'teenage' exoplanets

Haziness of exoplanet atmospheres depends on properties of aerosol particles

Four newly found exoplanets may offer insights into Earth's teenage years

WATER WORLD
Ride with Juno as it flies past Jupiter and Ganymede

The mystery of what causes Jupiter's X-ray auroras is solved

Surface of Jupiter's moon Europa churned by small impacts

Scientists solve 40-year mystery over Jupiter's X-ray aurora









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.