People's Blockade of the World's Biggest Coal Port

Hundreds of people took to the water in Newcastle, Australia, to protest Australia's biggest contribution to climate change: coal exports. The protest was part of a community campaign to stop Newcastle coal exports from doubling. See www.risingtide.org.au for more info

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• coal
• climate
• change
• rising
• tide
• newcastle
• flotilla
• ship
• redgum
• non-violent
• direct
• action

[thinkingthingsthru]

what a bunch a crap, lol. These will be the first people bitching when there are rolling blackouts and their electric bill goes up 800%. What are you gonna replace this capacity with. Are the chinese going to continue to go hungry because they can't get coal to create electrical energy.

[jackieobehave]

It should also be noted, that RisingTide, as well as the greater climate action movement, has received support from a number of workers within the coal industry, who recognise the true cost of coal-fired power, & are also in support of a just transition to clean renewable power sources.

[jackieobehave]

...industry could be immediately shutdown without economic or social consequence, which is why a just transition is needed.

We are also not naive enough to think that stopping a coal ship for a few hours will stop climate change. We know that as soon as we are out of the way, it will sail straight through. The purpose of these actions is more about providing a concerned community with an opportunity to come together in a unified demonstration of our beliefs. To show the world that we want change

[jackieobehave]

RisingTide is fully aware of the issues surrounding employment that would arise in the face of a switch from coal-fired power to more sustainable methods of power production.

Newcastle is a mining area & thousands of people currently rely on this industry to provide them with employment & enable them to feed themselves & their families.

And this is why RisingTide & it's supporters support a 'just transition' from coal to renewables.

It is completely unrealistic to believe that the coal...

[leroywulguru]

a few grams of carbon reduced all just for the cost of hundreds of job losses.

you people make me sick

[novkastelano]

Thanks for the support! The direct action campaign for sustainability in Newcastle will continue as long as necessary. I'd encourage you to do the same wherever you live! It doesn't have to be as big as a harbour blockade...

Check out the Change Agency's website for NVDA resources.

[brotherjupiter]

You guys should get together and do this every weekend until the government can't afford to ignore this greedy road to ruin the willing and unwilling are all headed down. With fewer and fewer off ramps as the years go by.

Keep up the good work!