Skip to main content

Australian environmentalists block Adani coalmining site for four hours

By A Representative
Around 30 environmentalists on Wednesday block access to Indian tycoon Adani's Carmichael coalmine site in Australia, disrupting work for four in the morning. The group blocked the gates of Adani workers’ camp, stopping workers from entering the proposed mine site. The group declared that with Prime Minister Scott Morrison set to "snub" the United Nations Climate Action Summit next week, there is an urgent need to take action and stop the construction of new coal mines.
Orien Humennyj-Jameson, a 29 year old musician and biology teacher from Melbourne, said “People are coming to the realisation that we can’t rely on politicians to take the necessary action in the face of climate emergency. To create meaningful change is possible, but it will require us to inconvenience our own lives and take actions like this.”
Kylie Riha-Jones, a 52 year old health worker and mother of two from Melbourne, said, “I work in a hospital with elderly people, and my mother lives in a town which last summer had a 16 day heatwave. The health effects of climate change will take a massive toll on humans and other animals. The Australian Medical Association have declared a climate emergency, and yet Australia is opening up one of the world’s biggest coal reserves.”
Jasmyn Sheppard, a 33 year old First Nations community organiser based in Meanjin (Brisbane), said, “The Queensland government talking about sustainability and treaty while giving the green light to Adani’s mine is hypocritical. I’ve been part of community groups and of lobbying the political system but it’s not enough. To continue the pressure means going to the frontline and stopping destructive projects like Adani’s mine.”
Miriam Gambin, a 25 year old reforestation worker from Lismore, said, “I’m not an extremist. Our economy and jobs could grow from creating and embracing new sustainable practices. I believe Australia is in a key position to lead the world towards a renewable future. We have to take actions like this now so we can have a future where our children can thrive.”
Next week government, business and civil society leaders will converge in New York to address the global climate emergency. Scott Morrison has said he won’t attend, even though he will be in the US for diplomatic talks next week. People across Australia and the world will this Friday be leaving their workplaces as part of a global climate strike.

Comments

TRENDING

Planning failures? Mysuru’s traditional water networks decline as city expands

By Prajna Kumaraswamy, Mansee Bal Bhargava   The tropical land–water-scape of India shapes every settlement through lakes, ponds, wetlands, and rivers. Mysuru (Mysore) is a city profoundly shaped by both natural and humanly constructed water systems. For generations, it has carried a collective identity tied to the seasonal rhythms of the monsoon, the life-giving presence of the Cauvery and Kabini rivers , and the intricate network of lakes and ponds that dot the cityscape. Water transcends being merely a resource; it is part of collective memory, embedded in place names, agricultural heritage, and the very land beneath our feet. In an era of rapid urbanization and climate-induced land–water transformations, understanding this profound relationship with the land–water-scape is strategic for sustainability, resilience, and even survival.

Activists Akriti, Satyam Verma face NSA in Noida protest case: PUCL

By A Representative   Human rights activist Kavita Shrivastava has alleged that the Uttar Pradesh Police is invoking the National Security Act (NSA) against two activists associated with Mazdoor Bigul in connection with the Noida workers’ protest case, even as labour unrest continues to spread across industrial belts in several northern states.

Why was this BJP leader forced to call off marriage of his daughter with Muslim boy?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  A marriage of two individuals belonging to different faiths was ultimately postponed as the 'champions' of the social morality dominated the discourse and threatened the father of the girl who happened to be the chairman of Pauri city municipality. Yashpal Benam, a BJP leader, posted the invitation of his daughter's wedding with a Muslim boy from Uttar Pradesh. Both the boy and the girl became friend during their B Tech course and were in relationship. There were reports that they already got married in the court but we don't know the reality. Perhaps the family of the girl wanted to send a message of 'acceptability' and 'appreciation' of such a marriage by the society. Invitations were sent to all but soon after it went wide spread on the social media, the champion of Hindu dharma jumped into the fray and started threatening the father. There were hundreds of calls asking the father hundreds of questions about the marriage. What...