Antinuclear

The Adani coal mine is a test of Australia’s environmental intelligence and its capacity to grasp the dire effects of climate change, former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown says.

The ex-Tasmania senator leaves Brisbane on Tuesday at the head of his Stop Adani Convoy bound for Queensland’s coal country, where he expects a warm welcome from communities fearful of job losses due to the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef, which is vulnerable to climate change.

The convoy, which aims to derail Adani’s plans for a new coal mine in the Galilee Basin, drew thousands of people to a protest in Brisbane on Monday.

Mr Brown says he expects a similar response as the convoy heads to coastal communities near existing coal mines.

“I’ve been to Airlie Beach quite recently. People up there are terrified about burning coal because it’s threatening 64,000 jobs on the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Brown told ABC radio on Tuesday.

“This is not some sort of doom and gloom. The reef is half dead. And a major factor in that is the burning of coal.”

Mr Brown said many Australians understood the inherent harm in allowing an overseas company to dig up Australian coal and sell it for use overseas, especially when Australia could be a world leader in renewable energy.

“Adani is a litmus test on whether we’ve got the God-given intelligence as a nation, and as a people, to move to renewables,” he said.

“We should be phasing out coal, and that, of course, means you don’t phase it in for somebody else.”…….

The convoy, which left Hobart about a week ago, is heading north. An event to mark the end of the Queensland leg will be held in the farming and mining town of Clermont on April 28. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/adani-an-australian-litmus-test-bob-brown