Summary of #9: Peter Ridd on record Great Barrier Reef coral cover and scientific integrity

00:00:00 - 00:55:00

Peter Ridd, a physicist who worked on the Great Barrier Reef, discusses his background and provides evidence that the reef is not as damaged as many people believe. He notes that the Great Barrier Reef is sitting at record high coral cover, despite recent bleaching events, and that scientific institutions tend to focus on reporting coral death but are quieter when the reef thrives. Ridd argues that a sea level rise of one meter can actually be beneficial to the Great Barrier Reef and that the biggest threat to coral reefs is pollution from agriculture. He also urges a degree of skepticism towards scientific institutions and proposes the creation of a government office to check scientific claims that can be challenged. Ridd recounts the events that led to his termination from James Cook University and the legal battle that followed. Finally, he dismisses the claim that suntan lotion damages the Great Barrier Reef and notes that the human footprint on the reef is thankfully light, allowing for robust coral growth and abundant fish in the largely untouched ecosystem and diverse habitat.

• 00:00:00 In this section, Peter Ridd, a physicist who worked on the Great Barrier Reef since 1985, discusses his background and how he became convinced that much of the information said about the reef is untrue. He was fired from his university for his opinions and now discusses the state of the reef to anyone who will listen. The Great Barrier Reef is said to be one of the icons of climate alarmism, but Ridd shows that it is not as damaged as many people say, and it is actually sitting at record high coral cover, blowing away the proposition that recent bleaching events have killed a significant amount of coral.
• 00:05:00 In this section, Peter Ridd explains that coral reefs are not just made up of corals; in fact, large parts of the reef are made up of other materials such as coralline algae and coral sand. He also describes the symbiotic relationship between coral polyps and algae, and how this relationship allows coral to get its color. Ridd goes on to discuss coral bleaching and how it doesn't necessarily mean the coral is dead, and how the great barrier reef has actually recovered from bleaching events in recent years with little to no death of the coral. He notes that the reef is a changing system with cycles of death and regrowth, and that scientific institutions tend to focus on reporting a lot of coral death, but are quieter when the reef thrives.
• 00:10:00 In this section, Peter Ridd explains the history of the Great Barrier Reef, which is believed to be around a million years old and has undergone several cycles of sea level rise and fall. During these cycles, the flat top hills became coral reefs once again, and coral started to grow on top of them. The current warm and abundant period known as the Holocene is rare, and there have been periods where the earth was colder and carbon dioxide levels were lower, making it more difficult for trees to grow. Ridd highlights the absurdity of claims that a one-degree temperature rise caused the loss of half the coral of the reef, given that corals are known to grow faster in areas where the temperature is a couple of degrees higher.
• 00:15:00 In this section, marine physicist and former professor of James Cook University, Peter Ridd, discusses the impact of rising temperatures on coral reefs. He argues that modest climate change of about a degree or three would actually make the corals grow faster, based on experiments that demonstrate this. Ridd also states that the biggest threat to coral reefs is pollution from agriculture and that a little bit of sea level rise may even be beneficial for the Great Barrier Reef which has seen a drop of one meter in the last five thousand years. Finally, he notes that bleaching is actually a survival strategy of corals that have developed for hundreds of millions of years rather than a death sentence.
• 00:20:00 In this section, Peter Ridd discusses how a sea level rise of one meter can be beneficial to the Great Barrier Reef. Areas presently exposed to the air due to low sea levels will then be submerged and support coral growth. Ridd also explains that coral is like a fish out of water and does not thrive when exposed to air, and that there is no doubt that the sea level was one meter higher in the past than it is now. He adds that the Earth is dynamic, and changes in the climate and sea levels are natural. Therefore, we should be careful not to automatically ascribe changes to human causes and consider the fact that our planet undergoes massive changes all the time.
• 00:25:00 In this section, Peter Ridd discusses the unfair accusations against farmers in Queensland for supposedly killing the Great Barrier Reef due to nutrients, pesticides, and sediment runoff from their farms. Ridd argues that this is just terrible science since farmers are blamed for things like the amount of sediment that does not even reach the Great Barrier Reef, and pesticides that are in such low concentrations that they cannot be detected even with sensitive equipment. Ridd is fighting back against these accusations of the farmers by using the record high coral cover as evidence that farmers are not damaging the reef, and he believes that this will be an effective argument to discredit the doom-laden claims made by scientific institutions and media.
• 00:30:00 In this section, Peter Ridd discusses the credibility of coral surveys and the adjustments made to temperature data. He commends the scientists who reported record high coral cover and believes that they have not fudged the data. In contrast, he criticizes the adjustments made to temperature data, which he claims have removed important data points such as the 1930s dust bowl temperature maximum. He also praises Tony Heller's work in exposing these adjustments. Ridd believes that the record high coral cover should be highlighted as it conflicts with the climate alarm narrative, but acknowledges that it has not made a difference in the political level in Australia.
• 00:35:00 In this section, scientist Peter Ridd discusses the importance of understanding and acknowledging the issue of scientific institutions lying about research findings. Ridd notes that many people may choose to maintain the belief that the Great Barrier Reef is dying due to climate change, even after being presented with evidence of record high coral cover because accepting this evidence requires acknowledging that institutions have been providing false information. Ridd argues for a degree of cynicism towards institutions, noting that the issue of scientific literature falsehood is not only present in environmental sciences but is also widespread throughout scientific findings. Ridd urges that one should not blindly trust in institutions, but rather acknowledge the potential for bias, conflicts of interest, and other factors that may compromise the integrity of research findings.
• 00:40:00 In this section, Peter Ridd discusses scientific integrity and the need for proper skepticism in scientific institutions. Ridd proposes the creation of a government office that will only check scientific claims that are used by the public or industry that will be killed or sued if their claims do not work. He believes that politicians elected by the people are more trustworthy than bureaucrats in the institutions, and they are the only ones who can challenge the orthodoxy or groupthink that has taken over science. Ridd suggests that the only way to bite back on the corrupted scientific institutions is for politicians to form their own red team to go against the establishment's blue team.
• 00:45:00 In this section, Peter Ridd discusses the skepticism towards institutions such as the Catholic Church or the BBC. He explains that many are reluctant to disbelieve these institutions or their findings on issues such as the Great Barrier Reef, as they want to trust that they are truthful. However, Ridd states that as more people begin to speak out about their skepticism and share information, the cracks in the dam of trust will continue to grow. Ridd encourages individuals, especially older scientists, to speak out and share their skepticism, as they have a duty to their children and grandchildren. He also mentions his website and upcoming videos, as well as the controversy he faced with James Cook University.
• 00:50:00 In this section, Peter Ridd recounts the events that led to his termination from James Cook University and the subsequent legal battle. He explains that he was initially charged with misconduct for criticizing the work of a scientific enemy who had incorrectly claimed that coral near an island had been destroyed by sediment. Ridd's team took photographs that showed the existence of coral in the area and publicized their findings, leading to a charge of misconduct for criticizing a fellow academic's quality assurance systems. Ridd was later fired after being slapped with several more misconduct charges, including sending an email that claimed JCU was using "Orwellian tactics." He managed to win a high court case that established that the university had acted unlawfully in censoring him but ultimately lost on a technicality in regards to free speech. However, he spent $1.5 million in donations, mostly from American supporters, to fight the legal battle. Ridd admits he is still fighting for open debate and scientific integrity but currently spends his time writing books and articles and giving talks on the topic.
• 00:55:00 In this section, marine scientist Peter Ridd dismisses the claim about suntan lotion damaging the Great Barrier Reef as 'barking mad', reasoning that the amount of sunscreen oils and lotions swimmers apply cannot produce enough sunscreen concentrations to harm the reef. Ridd mentioned that not all 3,000 reefs are visited by tourists, meaning that only a fraction of one reef is explored regularly. Despite the occasional cyclone damage, the 'human footprint' on the reef is thankfully kept light, allowing robust coral growth and abundant fish, which thrive in the reef's largely untouched ecosystem and diverse habitat.