Background

This year (2017) has seen the largest global coral bleaching. This is the first time we've ever seen bleaching to central parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Without positive human intervention, some scientists estimate the reef will be completely gone by 2050.

So what's killing the reef? The main culprit is climate change. And the dirtiest of the fossil fuels is coal. Why is this relevant? Because coal is big business in Australia. We are the world’s largest coal exporter, accounting for 35% of all coal exports in the world. Between 2011 to 2012 coal mines paid Australian state governments an estimated $4.5 billion AUD in freight charges, natural resource royalties and corporate taxes. It's no wonder then the Australian government is denying the Great Barrier Reef is in trouble.

Insight

According to a 2016 survey by the CSIRO and James Cook University, an overwhelming 81% of Australians see it as part of their duty as Aussies to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

The Idea: Dear 19% 

A Twitter Chain Story

With lots of petitions floating around on the internet, how do you get people's attention? And how do you get the rest of Australia, the minority 19% on-side? With a petition written by the 81% of Australians, to the rest of Australia and the government.

We're giving Aussies a chance to rewrite the future of the Great Barrier Reef. Using the hashtag #dear19percent, the public can contribute to the world's largest chain story on Twitter. From fond memories swimming with your first turtle, to your proposal on the reef - we expect to read all kinds of stories, great and small.

Titled 'Our Great Barrier Reef,' the chain story will coincide with World Ocean's Day, June 8th, starting with a short line from The Great Barrier Reef Foundation, to get things moving. The campaign will snowball from there, capturing what the Great Barrier Reef means personally to each and every Australian. We expect the campaign to create quite a stir on social media, and to garner the interest of local and international press.

At the end of the campaign the chain story will be published into a book, available at all good book retailers. We'll also be sure to send a copy of the book direct to Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, return addressed from the people of Australia.

Click through the below slideshow to see the Twitter chain story unfold...