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Magistrate Trad acknowledged that the 14 male and 13 female activists, which included former coalminer and Muswellbrook resident Graham Brown and Tasmanian mother Rebecca Hubbard, were "acting in the interests of the community in the longer term".
Ms Hubbard said she had taken part in the peaceful protest because climate change was an urgent problem which required immediate decisive action by the Federal Government.
"The more we delay making the tough decisions, the worse the impacts will be," Ms Hubbard said.
"I have a son and I want the Government now to act to ensure he and all our children has a bright future."
Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Julien Vincent said the peaceful action was one of many around the country in the past month as increasing numbers of ordinary Australians took to the streets demanding serious action on climate change.
The past month has seen protest marches in Melbourne, pickets in northern NSW, and the occupation of Swanbank B power station in Queensland. As part of Camp for Climate Action, on July 13, over a thousand people marched peacefully to the Carrington coal terminal in Newcastle. After successfully halting all coal trains through the Carrington port, 57 people were arrested.
"Australians know that you can't deal with climate change without dealing with coal – the biggest source of our emissions," Mr Vincent said.
"With the amount of damage it does to the environment, burning coal should be illegal – not climate activism."
By sidelining Professor Ross Garnaut and proposing to give big emitters free credits to keep polluting, the Federal Government is turning its back on all those who voted for climate action last November.
"Far from kick-starting a transition from fossil fuels to zero-emission renewable energy, the Rudd Government is actively attempting to expand Australia's most greenhouse-polluting industry and is trying to make us believe we can somehow take carbon out of coal" Mr Vincent said.
"Clearly, citizens aren't prepared to put up with this lack of action any longer."
Ms Hubbard said she had taken part in the peaceful protest because climate change was an urgent problem which required immediate decisive action by the Federal Government.
"The more we delay making the tough decisions, the worse the impacts will be," Ms Hubbard said.
"I have a son and I want the Government now to act to ensure he and all our children has a bright future."
Greenpeace climate and energy campaigner Julien Vincent said the peaceful action was one of many around the country in the past month as increasing numbers of ordinary Australians took to the streets demanding serious action on climate change.
The past month has seen protest marches in Melbourne, pickets in northern NSW, and the occupation of Swanbank B power station in Queensland. As part of Camp for Climate Action, on July 13, over a thousand people marched peacefully to the Carrington coal terminal in Newcastle. After successfully halting all coal trains through the Carrington port, 57 people were arrested.
"Australians know that you can't deal with climate change without dealing with coal – the biggest source of our emissions," Mr Vincent said.
"With the amount of damage it does to the environment, burning coal should be illegal – not climate activism."
By sidelining Professor Ross Garnaut and proposing to give big emitters free credits to keep polluting, the Federal Government is turning its back on all those who voted for climate action last November.
"Far from kick-starting a transition from fossil fuels to zero-emission renewable energy, the Rudd Government is actively attempting to expand Australia's most greenhouse-polluting industry and is trying to make us believe we can somehow take carbon out of coal" Mr Vincent said.
"Clearly, citizens aren't prepared to put up with this lack of action any longer."
Notes to Editor
For more about the Greenpeace Energy Revolution campaign visit: http://greenpeace.org.au/energyrevolution
For further information or comment
To download photos or video of the Eraring action go to: http://greenpeacemedia.org User: photos password: green
