Expert Details
How is your day at the beach impacting the coast? Ask Chris today.
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Name: Chris Tola |
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Description:
Surfrider is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the protection of Australia's oceans, waves and beaches through Conservation, Advocacy, Research and Education. Surfrider advocates for sustainable management and use of the coastal zone, and aims to increase awareness of issues impacting on our enjoyment of the coast, and to ensure our children have similar opportunities to enjoy it as we have today. Question Posted by: Paul
Chris has a wealth of experience in coastal NRM with over 25 years of activism and consultation under his belt. His communication skills and links to all aspects of coastal management assist Surfrider maintain their standing as the peak coastal representative organisation nationally.
Chris also recommends these sites:
Surfrider Foundation Australia
The Australian Coastal
Questions and Answers
Date: 12 June
Qn: Would you be stoked if climate change resulted in in more extreme weather and bigger waves? or would that be bad news....?
Ans: The implications of Climate Change, Sea Level Rise and Global Warming are sadly much more concerning for surfers than many people realise.
What with Sea Change, greater access to transport and more people coming back to the Sport, we’ve got more people getting out there and going surfing and accessing the Coast. This is great, however, Surfrider estimates that due to the number of urbanised beaches which have been fortified with sea walls and the like, many surf breaks will be lost.
We understand that there will be new breaks created also, however the number of beaches lost will be greater than those created – this will cause even more pressure on existing and surviving breaks, and sadly probably more aggression and tension out in the water.
Also, there is the distinct possibility that with the increasing number and severity of storms, sand bank creation will be disturbed, so that while the surf may be bigger, it may be more unrideable.
Another aspect is that, during storm events there is increased stormwater run-off into our waterways and into the Ocean, so even if the waves were great, the amount of pollution into the water will make surfing downright dangerous (www.surfrider.org.au/drain).
I guess the overall effects of what this process is going to do to our coastlines isn’t going to be great, and as surfers, we have the responsibility to be brave enough to start making a stand to see climate change mitigation take a higher profile.