The recently-formed Tenterfield Climate Action Network is an alliance of party political neutral citizens concerned with climate change and its impact upon Tenterfield and our next generation of children. The group held its first community action in Rouse St on Saturday 7th October.
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Concerned with the glaring negative impacts of the proposed Adani Carmichael mine in central Queensland, the Network utilized signs, leaflets, and letter writing to inform citizens and embolden them to act. This “action” gave Tenterfield residents and visitors a voice within the broader Australia wide “Stop Adani” campaign. The “stop Adani” campaign is requesting our elected officials to not lend $1 billion of taxpayer money to fund the rail for the Carmichael mine and to not proceed with the mine for various other strategic reasons.
A recent ABC 4 Corners investigation concluded that Adani companies are under investigation for tax evasion, corruption, fraud, and money laundering. How our governments could consider lending $1billion of our tax monies to this group baffles the Tenterfield Climate Action Network members. Surely this level of funding would be more securely and effectively spent in the energy production “space” on advancing renewable technologies and there application across our nation.
Renewables are already proven to be cheaper and quicker to build and use than any fossil fuel alternative. There is a global boom in renewables and Australian industries are missing out on its advantages as our governments continue to pursue the mining and burning of coal as a prime energy source. The rest of the world is moving beyond coal and fossil fuels as Australia languishes in a now outdated coal energy ideology.
Proponents of the coal mine herald a possible 10,000 jobs for central Queenslanders. This claim flys in the face of evidence given under oath by Adani officials to the Queensland Land Court. Adani’s own officials conceded that there would only be 1464 jobs as a consequence of the coal mine.
Adanis’ Australian CEO has stated to business media that the mine will be mechanised from pit to port. There will be no 10,000 jobs and network members ask why it is that our elected officials, particularly New England’s Mr Joyce, continue to proliferate the jobs deceit.
The real jobs issue is the possible loss of 69,000 Great Barrier Reef tourism positions. Our reef has been subjected to two major bleaching events consecutively as a result of the acidification and warming of the ocean. Increasing ocean warming and acidification exist as a consequence of fossil fuel induced global warming.
ABC Catalyst reporters only last week reported leading Australian coral research scientists as stating that our reef may only have 10 years of functionality remaining. If our children are to be bequeathed the joy of the Great Barrier reef then we must cease the mining of coal and approve no new coal mines. Adani’s mine in particular, if allowed to proceed, will transport some 500 ships per year through the reef, adding extra significant risk of damage due to groundings on corals and likely oil spills.
Of significant worry to network members is the impacts of CO2 emissions generated by the burning of Adani’s coal over the proposed 60 years of its use. The mine will dig up and burn 2.3 billion tonnes of coal producing 4.6 tonnes of CO2 to be pumped into our already CO2 soaked atmosphere. With temperature rises already being predicted to reach 3 degrees post 2050 the outcome for our children’s lives and the environment will be catastrophic. The Adani mine must not be allowed to proceed.
Over the 2.5 hours that the Tenterfield Climate Action Network hosted the “stop Adani” action, some 75 personally-addressed and signed letters were collected. That equates to one letter every two minutes. Those letters will be passed on to Federal member, Mr Joyce.
Against all informed scientific evidence to the contrary, Mr Joyce remains a climate science skeptic and is avid in his dislike for renewable technology. Mr Joyce is a leading proponent for the continuation of the development of new coal mines, particularly the Adani Carmichael proposal and the lending of $1 billion of our taxes to ensure its proceeding.
If Mr Joyce’s coal ideology and consequent policy actions are allowed to continue then not just our reef and underground water systems are at risk. The very quality of the environment we give as inheritance to our children is now on the line. One letter every two minutes speaks of our citizens depth of concern. Stop Adani.