Why LADbible Are Fighting To Get The Great Barrier Reef Australian Citizenship

You may not know it but the world's largest living organism, The Great Barrier Reef, has been looking out for you your entire life.

She's been protecting your coastlines, preventing tidal waves and tropical storms from washing away your cities.

She's regulating the carbon dioxide levels of the ocean to combat climate change and keep your air and beaches clean.

She's created a nursery to more than 10 percent of the planet's fish species, helping to maintain the world's fish populations.

She's even contributing to the Australian economy by generating $6.4 billion every year, supporting over 64,000 jobs and holding a modest net worth of $56 billion - that's about twice the worth of Aussie bazillionaire, Rupert Murdoch.

But despite her massive contribution to Australia, she's still denied the one basic right of every Australian citizen - the right to life.

Coal mining, greenhouse gas emissions, the continued growth of the fossil fuel industry and lack of action against climate change are all threatening the life of The Great Barrier Reef. In fact, more than half of The Great Barrier Reef has been bleached to death since 2016 - all due to increasing ocean temperatures that force her to starve herself. We're giving her an eating disorder and she's dying right in front of us.

But we're not here for guilt trips. We at LADbible Australia have a plan.

PA Images

On May 8 2019, we contacted the Australian Department of Home Affairs to make The Great Barrier Reef a living, breathing Aussie citizen.

Why would we do that? Well, by making The Great Barrier Reef a citizen of Australia, she'll be protected by three key Australian rights and freedoms.

Article 12.3

The right to the highest attainable standard of physical health.

Article 7.1

Freedom from torture or cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment and punishment.

Article 1.2

The right to maintain your own means of subsistence.

Article 6.1

The right to life.

Put simply, if we recognise her contribution to Australia and rightfully make her an Aussie citizen, then the Australian government is obliged to make decisions in the interest of her health and safety; and in turn take real action against the one thing that's really killing her - climate change.

The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey

But you can't make a reef a citizen, can you? Sure you can!

To become an Australian Citizen you simply need to tick the following boxes:

• Be a permanent resident. (She's permanently residing across 344,400 sqm of Australia.)
• Be in Australia when a decision is made. (She's certainly not taking a holiday any time soon.)
• Have spent time in Australia and know about the country. (Being around for over 500,000 years measures up, yeah?)
• Intend to stay in Australia or maintain a lasting link. (She pretty much forms a large chunk of the country.)

But seeing as we don't have the power to grant her citizenship on our own, we're calling for power in numbers. More specifically your numbers.

While we work with the Australian Marine Conservation Society and the Oceanic Preservation Society, along with a team of CITIZEN REEF ambassadors, all you need you to do is click here to help get The Great Barrier Reef the recognition she deserves.

Every vote of support you contribute will directly notify the Australian Government to let them know we are a unified voice who believe this living, breathing Aussie icon, should become a living, breathing Aussie citizen.

Topics: Environment, Australia, Citizen Reef

LADBible Australia