Press release – 20 March, 201220 March, 2012: First up, Greenpeace does not accept funding from the CIA, nor from any other secret service for that matter. Neither do we accept money from any government or corporation. Our campaigns are funded mainly by the many tens of thousands of individuals around Australia who share our desire to protect the environment.Right now, the scale and speed of the coal export boom are out of control. Clive Palmer’s vast proposed ‘China First’ mine would destroy Bimblebox nature refuge and he is part of a plan to build the world’s biggest coal port at Abbot Point, in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.
His company’s own economic analysis for the China First mine showed that the development would cost 2000 jobs in manufacturing in Queensland alone. These impacts are why nearly 2000 Australians made submissions opposing the mine.
The discussion we need to be having is whether the coal industry should be allowed to mine nature refuges or build coal ports in the Great Barrier Reef.
Greenpeace Senior Campaigner John Hepburn