An insightful article I read today pointed out that some of the most severely devastated areas on the Indian Ocean last week were stretches of coastline that had been stripped of their natural barriers – coral reefs and mangrove forests. It seems that on the whole, areas that retained coral reefs or mangrove forests were more protected from the force of the tsunami. It wasn’t a complete protection by any means, but areas with these natural barriers did not suffer the naked force of the tsunami – the reefs and mangroves appear to have lessened the blow.
This revelation suggests that preservation of natural coastal habitats is more than just a nice environmentalist ideal – it saves lives. It’s not just against tsunamis that mangroves and coral reefs are valuable. Hurricane storm surges can also be mitigated to some extent by these natural coastal barriers.
What damages coral reefs and mangrove forests? Pollution, unrestrained coastal development, overfishing and global climate change are the chief culprits. It’s a powerful thought that the devastation of nature can be reduced if we are willing to reduce our own destruction of natural environments.
With that thought in mind, we’re adding a new bumper sticker to the Tsunami Relief section of our Irregular Goods store tonight. As already noted, we’re donating 150% of all after-tax profits from the sale of items in this section to efforts to provide assistance to survivors of the earthquake and tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. You can spread word of the importance of coastal conservation and lend a hand at the same time.
My goodness. Hell has frozen over, and my dog has learned Latin. We are in agreement on most accounts, Mr. Wood.
I saw a similar story on the news this past Tuesday.