Activists painted messages on twenty coal ships in a queue at Hay Point port in Queensland before getting arrested.
The activists from our ship Esperanza drove up to the coal ships
in inflatable boats, while they were anchored in the queue,
painting the messages along the sides of the waiting coal boats.
Police arrived on the scene after the 20 ships had been painted,
boarded one of the inflatables and arrested 10 activists.
Read the action blog
View images on Flickr
Ask Kevin Rudd to join the Energy
[R]evolution
Dangerous Contradiction
The peaceful action highlighted Australia's Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd's plans to rapidly expand coal exports at a time when the
world is trying to cut global greenhouse gas emissions. Whilst
talking about urgent action on climate change Rudd is overseeing
plans for Australia's first new coal port in decades and a doubling
of New South Wales' and Queensland's coal exports.
Just days ago in Port Douglas, he warned "Australia must act
locally and globally on the challenge of climate change because if
we fail great assets like the Great Barrier Reef will be fatally in
peril".
Australia is the world's largest coal exporter by far,
accounting for 30 percent of global exports. The plans for coal
expansion in Queensland alone would increase Australia's current
emissions by 80 percent. Emissions from all of the planned
expansions total 729 million tonnes of CO2 - equal to 120 percent
of Australia's current emissions.
A new poll reveals that 82 percent of Australians want the
country's coal exports capped or reduced. Is Kevin Rudd going to
shape up to be the climate leader Australians hoped he would
be?
In his climate change review for the Australian federal
government, Professor Garnaut said that if we do not successfully
combat climate change, the Great Barrier Reef will die and
Australians will lose 50,000 jobs and $5 billion in tourism dollars
each year.
Queensland: the world's best solar
state
Queensland has the best solar resources in the world, but
instead of leading the way in renewable energy, the 'Sunshine
State' has plans to massively expand its export coal industry. The
earth has enough renewable energy to power the globe six times over
forever. In Australia, all that's missing is the political
will.
If the Rudd government acts now, Australia could become a
powerhouse for renewable energy manufacturing and technological
development, creating thousands of new jobs and investment
opportunities.
Having promised action on climate change, to prove he's serious,
Rudd must agree to replace ageing power stations with renewable
energy and halt the expansion of Australia's export coal industry.
Australia can't continue to burn coal and ship CO2 emissions
overseas and say that they are fighting climate change.
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