TV Presenter Edwina Bartholomew Interviews Andy Ridley – founder of Citizens of The Great Barrier Reef which is galvanising a world-wide movement to engage and help save and protect our Reef.
Australia’s Great Barrier Reef is a barometer for the wellbeing of the whole planet and it’s already bearing the burden of climate change. But the common purpose of one rapidly-growing group: Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, is to focus on the future of this natural wonder and make sure the world isn’t giving up on its future.
It’s only natural to think that one person’s voice might be meaningless when there’s a problem the size of a planet, but Andy Ridley, COE and Founder of the recently formed movement Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef, believes that the power of the crowd offers us boundless opportunities to change the world we live in.
In today’s Game Changer interview he tells Edwina Bartholomew about his frustration over the general perception of what’s happening to the reef, “Probably more than half the world thinks it’s actually dead”, he adds emphatically “coz it isn’t!” Listing the biggest threats to the reef as global warming; bad water quality due to agricultural run-off, and Crown of Thorns starfish, Andy adds one more threat “Apathy. Apathy is the biggest problem that we have in dealing with most of the issues on the planet.”
So what’s the plan of attack? Committing to become a Citizen is not just about signing a petition or ‘liking’ on facebook. Becoming a Citizen means becoming involved in a greater community to create real action, initiating or joining in projects to rethink the old consumer-minded ways of doing things and even recruiting others. It’s about changing our path to a prosperous future while avoiding the old ways which create pollution. He adds “We can have a better world without the materialism that’s going on”.
“Digital connectivity is key” says Andy, and should know – he’s also the founder of the already globally successful Earth Hour movement launched in 2007 and reaching 7,000 cities on every continent. “We are the first generation in history that has the ability to connect behind a common cause.”
Do you want to become part of this Game Changing movement? You won’t be alone – check out the list of heavy-hitting partners here.
And here’s where you become a Citizen: Citizens Of The Great Barrier Reef.
