Tony Abbott’s pointless accusations against environmental groups
Tony Abbott’s defence of the Carmichael coalmine is passionate but baseless, Guardian, Lenore Taylor, 7 Aug 15
Prime minister, ‘sabotage’ is something undertaken by enemy agents, not citizens testing the laws of the land.In yet another passionate defence of coal (in an interview with the Australiannewspaper), Tony Abbott has made so many inaccurate and questionable claims it’s hard to know where to start. Here are some of his statements, juxtaposed with facts.
If a vital national project can be endlessly delayed, if the courts can be turned into a means of sabotaging projects which are striving to meet the highest environmental standards, then we have a real problem in this nation … we have to remain a nation that gives people a fair go if they play by the rules.”
The prime minister seems to be suggesting those taking court action are doing something unpatriotic and wrong. In fact, the environmentalists trying to stop the Carmichael mine are playing by the rules – the laws made by parliaments and interpreted by courts.
“Sabotage” is usually something undertaken by enemy agents, not citizens testing the laws of the land. The Environmental Defenders Office is an organisation representing the views of many loyal Australians. A recent Essential poll found that 50% of Australians believe governments should prioritise support for renewables over the coal industry, including 39% of Liberal voters. Only 6% thought governments should prioritise support for coal. The federal court interprets the law.
In any event, the biggest danger to the Adani mine is its own business case, not environmental legal cases, as my colleague Joshua Robertson explained after the recent court decision. The company’s modelling suggests the project needs a thermal coal price of between US$80 and US$100. The current price is around US$60. The company has axed its entire project management team and has sent staff from potential equity partner Posco back to Korea.
As a country, we must, in principle, favour projects like this.
Actually, our country contains many people deeply concerned about climate change, and our system of government gives them, in principle, a right to have their voices heard and considered.
The Carmichael mine’s environmental impact statement says it will produce more than 200m tonnes of CO2 over the 60-year life of the mine, from gases that escape during the mining process and from emissions created from mining and transporting the coal. But burning the 60m tonnes of coal exported from the mine each year would create 130m tonnes of carbon dioxide, equivalent to about a quarter of Australia’s total annual emissions.
It will create about 10,000 well-paid jobs in Australia.Nope, it won’t………
The prime minister has every right to his views about the coalmine and about environmental laws.
He can try to use the mine’s fate as a way to recast the climate debate back to the familiar theme of “bad” (and now apparently unpatriotic) greenies jeopardising “good” Aussie jobs.
But he surely has an obligation to get facts straight. And well-intentioned Australians have a right to disagree without being accused of “sabotage”. http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/aug/07/tony-abbotts-defence-of-the-carmichael-coalmine-is-passionate-but-baseless
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