The Great Barrier Reef’s conservation will get a shot in the arm with an innovative new method of environmental philanthropy. James Grugeon, a Brisbane man, has taken on the task of raising money for the Great Barrier Reef conservation through a crowdfunding programme. Grugeon is confident his Great Barrier Beer, on shelves in Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, will be able to raise an initial $100,000 to mitigate threats to the Great Barrier Reef.

Grugeon has partnered with Bargara Brewing Company in Bundaberg, Queensland. “Australia’s first social enterprise beer” is how he describes his product – the proceeds of which are going to the Australian Marine Conservation Society, reports Brisbane Times.

“I think back to the G20 in Brisbane last year and Barack Obama and the speech he made about whether his grandchildren would see the reef and enjoy it as it is now. Polling certainly shows the majority of Australians think of the reef as an important issue,” he said.

The barrier reef, a hotbed of marine biodiversity and a hallmark of the tourism sector in Australia, is currently trapped in a Federal Court fight between the Australian Conservation Foundation and the Turnbull government as the former tries to overturn an approval of India’s Adani coal mine.

“If we can take people on a journey generally understanding the issues towards the need to protecting the reef then that's a really positive thing,” said Grugeon, who launched his venture – The Good Beer Co. on Nov 25. “If I can create through this beer a way that they have a more sustainable future then that's got to be something that's worth doing,” he added.

Threats to the Great Barrier Reef have only compounded in previous decades. According to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, it faces numerous threats common to coral reefs, such as climate change, declining water quality, weather extremities, illegal fishing and coastal development, among others.

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority stresses upon the need for a concerted international effort to reduce climate change as well as action from local, state and national bodies to build resilience of the world’s largest coral reef.

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