It's the science, not the reef, that is being polluted

The new study was published in a high profile peer reviewed journal which requires that any conflicting evidence be addressed. Although the earlier study was briefly cited no mention was made of its directly contradictory conclusion. By not mentioning any conflicting evidence in a journal which specifically requires this, the clear impression is that there was none. Obviously this was not just a matter of not being aware of the earlier study but had to be a deliberate decision to ignore its conflicting findings. At minimum this kind of misrepresentation must be seen to constitute scientific misconduct and quite arguably could be seen as fraud.

Government and taxpayers have been paying extravagantly for, and relying heavily upon, scientific advice which is often provably false, highly selected or of grossly exaggerated certainty. Laws against fraud and false or misleading advertising are being blatantly violated and need to be enforced.

Trying to frame it all as simply honest differences of opinion among researchers makes a farce of the very concept of scientific integrity. There is compelling prima facie evidence of violations of existing legislation regarding fraud and unethical business practices. This deserves proper investigation and charges being made if indicated. If those found guilty were simply stripped of all public funding and barred for a lengthy period from any future funding the humiliation plus the horror of having to find some honest means of making a living would surely inject a much needed concern for honesty into the research community.

Australianow faces a developing economic crisis that may well become the most serious in our history. Three-quarters of our small miners, fishers, timber cutters, farmers and graziers have been forced out of a cherished way of life that helped sustain us all. Misguided and often malignant environmental restrictions and demands have played a major role in this decline. We have the most expensive housing and power in the developed world, soaring food prices and the smallest manufacturing sector of any OECD nation. There are numerous other more real and important needs for our limited government revenue than maintaining several hundred bureaucrats and academics on a permanent Barrier Reef holiday.

To further confuse the issue, much of the opposition to the dredging is being driven more by opposition to coal mining than by any actual threat to the reef. Unfortunately both the world economy and our own are still going to require a lot of coal for a few decades yet to come. Trying to force a premature adoption of alternative energy at this point is a recipe for disaster.

Fortunately the real situation is far less bleak than the alarmist's proclaim. The GBR is in excellent condition and under no threat. The warming effect of increased CO₂ has been greatly exaggerated and the net effect of a slightly warmer climate plus the stimulation of plant growth from CO₂ is more likely to be a net benefit than a detriment. Meanwhile population growth is falling in most nations, and is already below replacement level in many with the global population projected to begin to decline by mid- century.

A variety of technological advances in energy generation, use and storage are on the horizon and promise to eliminate the problems associated with a heavy dependence on fossil fuels. However, their ongoing use for a few more decades will be essential to get from here to there.

In the meantime the most certain way to assure a speedy recovery of the GBR would be to take the reef experts at their word, accept it is doomed and stop throwing good money after bad in a hopeless effort to save it. If it got as bad as they claim despite all the money and effort expended and while starting from a vastly better condition to begin with, surely nothing can save it now.

Closing down GBRMPA and reducing reef research to pallative care in the form of a modest monitoring effort could save over $100 million annually. If this were done and future expenditure made contingent upon any positive signs of a possible turnaround, I am confident we could soon expect a miraculous recovery.