A petition is out to make the Great Barrier Reef an Australian citizen. A true blue Aussie battler who deserves its fundamental right to live. 

Lad Bible Australia have kickstarted the ‘Citizen Reef’ campaign pushing for the world’s largest living organism to receive the same rights as an Australian citizen – and forcing the Federal Government to take action to protect it.

The reef is home to 10% of the world’s marine species, supports 64,000 jobs and brings in $6.4 billion to the economy each year. However, more than half of the Great Barrier Reef has been bleached to death since 2016 as a result of global warming. The hot ocean water kills the reef’s algae, leaving the coral to starve.

Lad Bible Australia say the reef fits the requirements to become a citizen. It’s a permanent resident, it’s in Australia when decisions are made, knows plenty about the country, and intends to stay (if we let it).

Should it then receive citizenship the reef will have the right to the highest attainable standard of physical health, freedom from torture or inhumane treatment and punishment, and most importantly the right to life.

With a huge social influence it’s not Lad Bible’s first time pushing its viewers to focus on the threat of the climate crisis. They launched The Trash Isles campaign lobbying the UN to label the growing ocean plastics as a country, so that someone is accountable, while updating the Lad Bible audience about the issue that is our rubbish. They also partnered with National Geographic in 2016 to livestream the Before the Flood documentary.

This time they’re hoping the campaign will make Australians aware of how rising sea water temperatures are threatening the reef.

The petition is addressed to a few of the big wigs in Canberra, including the Prime Minister Scott Morison and the Department of Home Affairs. You can find out more and sign it over on change.org

 

Feature photo by Mitchell Scanlan-Bloor

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