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Greenpeace activists shutdown Kooragang Island coal loader in Newcastle, the NSW's largest coal loader, in an effort to warn people about the government's expansion plans for the coal industry. The coal industry is one of the biggest causes of climate change.
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“This is a good decision. It’s coal exports that are causing malicious damage, not activists,” said John Hepburn, Greenpeace energy campaigner.
“We have a rapidly closing window of time to make deep cuts in greenhouse pollution – and that means keeping coal in the ground. We urgently need a just transition away from coal to a renewable energy economy.”
The Greenpeace activists, Kerrie Fraser and Terry O’Donnell, peacefully blockaded the Kooragang coal loader in Newcastle in February this year in order to halt coal exports and highlight the central role of coal in fuelling climate change.
“To avoid dangerous climate change we need to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 30% by 2020. This means no new coal mines or coal fired power stations, and strong legislated targets for genuine renewable energy,” said Ms Fraser. “Growing community concern about Government inaction is leading to increasing direct action protest against the expansion of the coal industry all over Australia.”
“In recent weeks we’ve seen students blockading power stations in Victoria and coal export facilities in NSW," Mr Hepburn said. “It’s a sign that the public is losing patience with the PR spin and want real action to cut greenhouse pollution.
“Future generations will look back on people like Kerrie Fraser and Terry O’Donnell and will remember them as the heroes who were brave enough to take action when it was needed.”
Based on the Stern Report figures of A$110 per tonne of carbon emissions, coal exports from the Kooragang terminal alone will cause over $2 million of climate damages every hour. The Australian coal industry causes around $66 billion dollars worth of damage to the global climate each year.
“We have a rapidly closing window of time to make deep cuts in greenhouse pollution – and that means keeping coal in the ground. We urgently need a just transition away from coal to a renewable energy economy.”
The Greenpeace activists, Kerrie Fraser and Terry O’Donnell, peacefully blockaded the Kooragang coal loader in Newcastle in February this year in order to halt coal exports and highlight the central role of coal in fuelling climate change.
“To avoid dangerous climate change we need to cut greenhouse emissions by at least 30% by 2020. This means no new coal mines or coal fired power stations, and strong legislated targets for genuine renewable energy,” said Ms Fraser. “Growing community concern about Government inaction is leading to increasing direct action protest against the expansion of the coal industry all over Australia.”
“In recent weeks we’ve seen students blockading power stations in Victoria and coal export facilities in NSW," Mr Hepburn said. “It’s a sign that the public is losing patience with the PR spin and want real action to cut greenhouse pollution.
“Future generations will look back on people like Kerrie Fraser and Terry O’Donnell and will remember them as the heroes who were brave enough to take action when it was needed.”
Based on the Stern Report figures of A$110 per tonne of carbon emissions, coal exports from the Kooragang terminal alone will cause over $2 million of climate damages every hour. The Australian coal industry causes around $66 billion dollars worth of damage to the global climate each year.
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Louise Clifton 0438 204041 Images from the Kooragang protest on 21st February can be downloaded from: http://media.greenpeace.org.au user: photos password: green
