The environmentalist organization is based on the climate impacts of this mining project, which will be one of the largest in the southern hemisphere and will produce over 30 million tonnes of coal per year.

To know more about what is happening on this subject, Real World Radio interviewed Dr. John Mackenzie, spokesperson of Friends of the Earth. He said it was unacceptable that a project like this was developed, because of its huge impacts on climate change, and considered it was incompatible with the statements by the Australian government that claims to protect the environment and limit polluting emissions.

Dr. Mackenzie also said that greenhouse gas emissions responsible for climate change associated with this project would be as significant as those emitted in several countries, and even similar to those emitted in countries such as Norway or Switzerland.

He also said that the Wandoan community has been opposing this project for years, due to its climate impacts and also to its effects on agricultural production, since the mine will be located in lands used to grow food.

Friends of the Earth has been working with these communities for a long time, as part of their efforts to reduce Queensland dependency on the coal industry, and to facilitate a transition towards a safest climate future for all. Taking legal actions is a step further taken for the environmentalist organization to ensure the rights of communities in Queensland, a place that is often referred to as “Australia’s quarry”, due to the importance of coal in the history of industrial development of that State.

Dr. Mackenzie also made reference to the impacts the mine could have on climate, especially on the frequency of extreme whether events, such as the floods that hit the country recently. And he added that the mine will contribute with irreversible damage to Queensland’s natural heritage, like the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics.

“The impact this mining project will have on the future of these regions is reason enough for us to oppose to it in court”, he concluded.

Photo: Friends of the Earth Australia