Stretching along the Australian coast, the Great Barrier Reef is an underwater wonderland home to thousands of different fish and coral species. But it’s facing multiple threats. Reef that was once blooming is now grey, crumbling and barren.
Environmentalists say one of the threats is coal. Queensland is Australia’s biggest coal-producing state. Up and down the coast, there are huge coal ports fed by miles-long trains that lumber in from the big mines inland.
The BBC’s Jon Donnison reports the scale of the mining operation in Queensland is striking – and growing.
Read more and see photos via BBC
Note: This BBC interview can be heard in the Here & Now podcast or with the WBUR app.
Reporter
- Jon Donnison, BBC Sydney Correspondent covering Australia. He tweets @JonDonnison.
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