When the Australian Minerals Council launched their million-dollar pro-coal advertising campaign yesterday, Australians for Coal, they weren't expecting this. They were trying to build a movement of people committed to supporting good ol' fashioned coal to power Australia's energy needs for the next 100 years and beyond. But the Internet had better ideas.
Q: What’s white bottomed and sweet as a button and will not take well to an Indian coal giant clearing its home as part of exploration works for Australia’s biggest black coal mine?
A few weeks ago, I did something incredible and took part in my first Greenpeace action to stop work on the construction of a massive open-cut coal mine.
This morning, the blockade to stop the Maules Creek coal mine and protect Leard State Forest has swelled to over 100 people. We have closed down Whitehaven's access to the site, and construction work inside.
As a local man whose family has been farming in the Maules Creek area for five generations, I can tell you I am blown away by what has happened here this week.
By Brett Parris, Monash University
In the coming months our new federal government will be promoting a massive expansion in Australia’s coal exports. In all likelihood they’ll hail it as “good For Australia”. It isn’t.