Survival guide for humanity: No new coal

Dozens of climate protesters arrested halting coal train, demand ALP heeds the UN and bans new coal

Over a hundred people gathered beside the rail-line into the world’s biggest coal port, supporting around 50 community members as they were arrested whilst occupying the train. Twenty of the group scaled the train and used shovels to unload coal from the laden wagons. A large banner was unfurled over one of the train wagons stating, “Survival guide for humanity: No new coal.”

Newcastle local and renewable energy engineering student, Jasmine Stuart (22) is one of the group in the corridor. “Despite dire warnings from the UN and the world’s leading scientists that fossil fuel expansion threatens the survival of humanity, Australia has 116 new fossil fuel projects in the pipeline, which is simply insane.

“Rallies and campaigning within the system are clearly not working, so people like me who are terrified for our future are left with no option but civil disobedience. As the head of the UN said, “the truly dangerous radicals are the countries that are increasing the production of fossil fuels”.

Law student, Zack Schofield (24)

“NSW is facing the largest coal expansion since the Paris Agreement was signed in 2015. The Hunter Valley Operations expansion alone would produce more than a third of NSW’s domestic emissions for the next 25 years.

“Our leaders are failing us, so ordinary citizens must now intervene. Regardless of attempts to repress climate protests with harsh new laws, we will not be silenced, because legal consequences are far less terrifying than runaway climate collapse and social breakdown.”

The protest is a part of a four day national climate conference, ‘Climate Camp’ organised by climate defence group Rising Tide, at which hundreds of participants heard from climate scientists, policy experts and environment movement leaders. The protest saw the group launch its Climate Defence Pledge, which seeks 10,000+ participants to commit to join peaceful protests to demand the end of coal exports from Newcastle, the world’s biggest coal port, by 2030.

courtesy @risingtide.aus