Barrier Reef Deteriorating

http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/01/worrisome-measure-of-decline-at-great-barrier-reef/

The Great Barrier Reef, off the coast of Australia, is rapidly declining. The reef is often cited as an area of conservational success, but has been going downhill since 1985. The three main causes for coral destruction in the reef are cyclones, coral bleaching, and a massive increase in the population of Crown of Thorns Starfish.

Scientists agree that stopping the starfish would be the most effective approach to conserving the reef. The starfish are believed to prosper when exposed to chemical fertilizers from run-off sediment, but no one knows for sure what has caused their recent population boom. Fertilizers may also limit the growth of the coral on its own.

Fracking and Water Contamination: Property Rights

I believe the problem with fracking lies in the fact that it is presently difficult to define who owns the groundwater in a given area. If the government owns it, then fracking (or other disturbances to the groundwater) should be outright banned. If the groundwater was privately owned and sold to houses, then gas companies could negotiate terms with the owner of the wells to determine how much fracking should be allowed. If the people in an area do not want to buy water that has been fracked near, as long as they are able to purchase from another source, I don't see much wrong with the practice. As is, the well water is being polluted, which infringes on the property rights of whoever owns the water (most likely a local government) and should be stopped until the fracking process is refined and less pollution is generated.