The Great Barrier Reef is almost certainly doomed. But that's OK, because our own doom is only probable, not certain. It will die before we do. It will die because of us. But we are such a resourceful, inventive, endlessly self-seeking species that we might yet survive the catastrophe we have visited upon the planet. Maybe in domes.

Yes, huge city-sized domes with a Soylent Green stall on every corner. That would be cool.

When the dome goes up to protect us from an angry planet, the poor may be left outside. Credit:Mary Louise Brammer

The reef is not part of that future though. Like the lake districts of the North American prairies and the cold water salmon breeding waters of the Pacific Northwest, it is a complex and delicate ecosystem. A few degrees change in the climate and it becomes part of the fossil record, rather than a driver of far northern Queensland's tourist economy.

As welcome as Bill Shorten's pledge of funding for the reef might be, its not really that much money – not compared to the scale of the coming catastrophe – and for now it seems to be focused on research. Research is nice. Knowing stuff is excellent. But we've known about climate change for decades now. The research is in. And the reef is going to die anyway.