The Great Barrier Reef is home to an astounding web of life – fish, coral, molluscs, turtles, whales, dolphins, sharks and rays. But we've just found out that half of its coral may have died in the last two years. The news was revealed in Senate Estimates yesterday by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority CEO Dr Russell Reichelt. Coral scientist Professor Terry Hughes tweeted that, “30% of #corals died following bleaching in 2016, another 19% this year.” Professor Hughes will release the data behind this statement in coming weeks. We’ll update you as soon as we know more. Mining and burning fossil fuels – like coal – is warming our oceans and killing the reef.
This is a global tragedy. Our government and coal companies are to blame. They knew this was coming yet for years they chose to undermine action on global warming.
To have any chance of saving the rest of the reef, we must urgently stop digging up and burning coal. And rapidly repower Australia with clean energy.
No more coal. No more excuses.
We are heartbroken, and furious. But we will not stop speaking out, showing up and holding people accountable for their decisions.
Let’s come together now in huge and creative
mobilisations all around the country – more details coming soon. Hundreds of local groups organised local actions to #StopAdani in recent weeks. Now we need to all join together in a much larger show of power. Will you commit to come and bring
friends?
We’ve also set up a "reef grief hotline" so we can all tell our elected representatives just how we are feeling. Last week, our community melted down their phone lines and we can do it again. Call your Liberal MP now.
Not in a Liberal electorate? Call the Environment and Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg on 02 6277 7920 and tell us how it went here.
Our reef is an astounding web of life. It’s one of the most diverse and biologically complex marine ecosystems on earth. The reef is home to six of the world’s seven types of marine turtles. 1625 different fish species. 1400 different types of coral. 30 kinds of whales and dolphins.
The death of so much of our reef was not an accident. It was conscious choice. The government and coal companies knew this was coming yet for years they chose to undermine action on global warming. They laughed as they threw coal around Parliament.
They chose coal not coral.
To have any chance of saving the remaining reef, we must urgently stop all new coal. Starting with Adani's mega-mine.
Together, let’s unite and rally in the streets.
Let’s share our grief with decision makers who chose coal not coral.
Kelly
Kelly O'Shanassy
CEO
P.S. This is very sad news. I hope you take care of yourself, reach out to others who may also be hurting, and remain resolute. Together, we will not stop speaking out, showing up and holding people accountable for their decisions.
Australian Conservation Foundation
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Never give up
In the long term fight for a safe climate future we’re going to have some setbacks. Like yesterday finding out that half the Reef might be dead.
This is heartbreaking and unbelievable and you should take the time that you need to process that.
But we can’t be defeated. Because in the long term fight we are winning. Renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels, communities are stopping dangerous projects across the globe, and developing nations are switching to clean energy.
We know who is warming our planet, and our oceans -- politicians and fossil fuel companies who have known all along the damage they were causing and did it anyway. Together we must make them pay.
I’m so angry and I know you are too. Together we must use our outrage to pressure both the Queensland and Federal governments to stop backing Adani over our future, to say enough is enough -- no more coal, no more excuses.
Come to a protest at Queensland Parliament House this Thursday to share your outrage and call on Premier Palaszczuk to do the right thing and stop this mine for good.
Can’t make it to the rally? Donate to supersize our creative actions and make this latest news as painful as possible for the Queensland government, especially for the Premier who is siding with Adani and trying to push through discounts and taxbreaks for a billionaire.
If we can show the government that the people of Queensland don’t want this mine, that it will lose them votes in the next election, and that we want renewable jobs of the future, we can turn this ship around and stop Adani for good.
This isn’t just about Adani though, this is about all coal, all fossil fuels -- we can’t stand by and let the government destroy our future and the places we love, we have to work together to move Australia to a brighter future.
Join AYCC and our friends in the Stop Adani movement at Queensland Parliament tomorrow. Click here for more details and to RSVP.
For years we’ve been saying the Reef is at risk is we keep mining and burning coal, but consecutive governments have refused to listen. They’ve crossed a line and this is the moment when you to join us in the streets.
We won’t be ignored any longer - climate change is happening right now, we can’t afford to build any more coal mines.
See you there,
Millie, on behalf of the AYCC Queensland team.
P.S. You're not alone in feeling devastated about this. If you want to join a community of people who are doing something about it, then come along to the action or sign up to volunteer.
Here's Terry Hughes' tweet with the new maps of Reef mortality
And here's an SBS story about it: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/05/22/reef-die-hastened-bleachings
Reported elsewhere
Adani megamine royalties deal: Incentives for miners who move first - Palaszczuk to compromise on Adani royalty deal - Most Queensland voters oppose taxpayer support for Adani coalmine – poll - When jobs rest on 'State of Origin' coal fight - Adani's US$16.5 bil Aussie mine rattled by tax deal delay - Adani postpone mine investment - Adani may exit $16.5 billion mine without deal, Canavan says - Adani deal ready by next Monday: Premier - Queensland cabinet kept in the dark on Adani deal - Local GetUp! initiative gives thumbs down to Adani coal mine | video - India may look elsewhere for coal requirements: Australian minister - Mine Needed for 'Dying' Outback - 'I won't be commenting on the past' - Australia: Adani mining billionaire given special treatment that risks threatened turtles - Green groups to protest Adani's impact - Labor seeks cabinet truce over Adani royalties deal - Time to tell Adani where to go - Adani Enterprises profit jumps 60% on surging coal trading - State's own battle of North and South - Party's line is well Trad - Adani does not need Australian banks' money: Ex-Rio Tinto CEO - India may look elsewhere for coal if govt delays decision on Adani project: Australia minister - Attempt to start Adani project a massive fail: Leader claims - Australian Conservation Foundation vows to pursue all avenues to stop Adani loan - Two more federal Labor MPs take stand against Adani's Carmichael coalmine - Labor senator breaks ranks and says Adani coalmine would be a 'huge mistake'
Hundreds protested 25 May outside Queensland parliament
Thursday morning (25 May) there were hundreds of people outside Queensland Parliament House protesting Annastacia Palaszczuk’s love affair with Adani.
You might have seen on the news that Adani is in negotiations with the Queensland government about how much taxpayer money will prop up their mine. This is outrageous.
But some politicians within Labor are calling this a broken election promise and challenging the Premier on her special treatment of Adani. These politicians are under pressure from conservative media and politicians to back down, but we can’t let that happen.
Call Deputy Prime Minister Jackie Trad and let her know you support her standing strong on no public support for Adani’s dangerous coal mine. All the talking points and the phone number are here.
Adani have all the approvals they need to get on with building the mine, now they are just trying to shift their costs onto the public purse. Not surprising really given their business model of privatising profits from burning coal while the whole planet bears the costs.
Adani are delaying their final investment decision until they can work out how much taxpayer money they can milk from the Queensland and Federal governments, we can’t let one cent go to Adani’s Reef destroying, debt-ridden, carbon bomb of a project. If we can make enough noise about this issue, we might delay Adani's mine forever!
We will stop this mine. Call Jackie Trad today and support her position that no public money should fund Adani, and that they should get no discounts (because let’s be real the mine shouldn’t go ahead)
With the news this week that half the Reef is likely to be dead, it’s vital that the Queensland government feels maximum pressure over this coal mine.
In the coming months we’re going to take this fight to the streets, and I need you to be there. The Stop Adani movement is pulling together plans as we speak, sign up here to be the first to know details.
Put in a call today, and thank you for being part of the powerful movement to Stop Adani.
Gemma, on behalf of the AYCC team.
The Australian Youth Climate Coalition · Australia
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