Lately I've been having trouble coping with the huge issue of climate change, particularly in regards to our government's complete lack of action.
We know that we are at a tipping point, and our actions now will define the future of our planet.
“Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and we are at a defining moment. Scientists have been telling us for decades. Over and over again. Far too many leaders have refused to listen.”
- United Nations secretary general, António Guterres
Looking at the social movements springing up around the world - from students striking for climate action, to the UK's Extinction Rebellion, to #StopAdani to my personal favourites, the Knitting Nannas - it is also clear that communities around the world are taking action on this issue. It's just our politicians who are slow on the uptake. For me personally, it's overwhelming and sometimes disempowering to feel so unrepresented by our politicians, so this is my statement to let them know I care, that it impacts my vote, and to let anyone else with this feeling know: There are things we can do that have an impact. We can make our voices heard, and be part of the global movement to protect our planet (and ourselves).
This statement covers why I think we need to stop Adani and act on climate change, and also includes a few ways you can be part of this movement.
Why I'm Concerned About Adani
An incomplete list of the reasons I'm concerned about the Adani mine and its impact on the climate, environment and the planet.
Disclaimer: I am a scientist, but I'm not a climate scientist. Everything below is my opinion, based on research and critical thought, and I've included references wherever possible. As such I welcome any discussion or input.
- Coal in general. Coal is the single biggest cause of air pollution in Australia, and the biggest driver of global warming through mining, burning and exporting. According to Adani, the mine will produce 2.3 billion tonnes of coal over 60 years.
- Global warming & CO2 release. The Adani mine will create up to 4.6 billion tonnes of carbon pollution. This greenhouse gas emission will be a huge contributor to global emissions, in a time when it is critical for us to reduce burning of fossil fuels.
Additionally, the mine is right next to the Great Barrier Reef, which is already becoming one of the first global victims of climate change with increasingly frequent severe bleaching events (four times since 1998).
- Opening up the Galilee Basin. Adani paves the way for other companies to mine in the Galilee Basin (one of the largest untapped coal reserves on earth). If all the coal from this one basin was extracted and burnt, it would be enough to bring the entire planet a third of the way to the 2℃ "maximum limit" of global warming.
"Australia’s massive deposits of hydrocarbons were a menace to the planet, and would have to be left in the ground if the world had any hope of avoiding catastrophic global warming. Maybe this was news to people in the Australian government. If so, no wonder they were shrieking."
- Bill McKibben, The Monthly
[For the record, even a 2℃ increase will be enough to cause serious on-going harm to the planet and our way of life. It is estimated it will wipe out 99% of reefs and has been described as "a prescription for long-term disaster" by James Hansen (Nasa, Climatologist). Even 1.5℃ may kill up to 90% of coral reefs and cause damage to crops & fisheries and increasingly severe weather events.]
- Choosing coal, when we should be choosing renewables. In order to avoid catastrophic warming, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says we need to source 75-80% of global electricity from renewables by 2050 (along with putting a price on emissions, and using technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere). Instead of building and supporting more coal power stations, our government should be investing in renewables.
- Indigenous rights. The local indigenous people, the Wangan and Jagalingou, are currently fighting Adani in the courts to protect their ancestral lands.
- Adani's track record. Adani have been implicated in fraud, pollution, corruption, lying, and exploitation. Basically they are not a company we can trust to have the best interests of Australia and our environment at heart.
- Water resources. This project will use huge amounts of water, and the QLD government has granted Adani unlimited volumes from the Great Artesian Basin for the next 60 years. It also risks polluting water aquifers and wetlands, and impacting on endangered species that live in these areas.
- Endangered species - the proposed Adani mine site poses a threat to several endangered species, including the black throated finch.