Two climate protesters were sentenced today in Brisbane and ordered to pay damages of over $3000 to Queensland Bulk Handling Corporation after a protest at the Brisbane coal port in October where they halted coal loading and had to be cut free of port infrastructure.
Marine and climate scientists have called for at least a 25% cut in carbon emissions from developed countries like Australia to save the Great Barrier Reef. A 25% cut in emissions would amount to peaking at less than 450ppm atmospheric CO2 and a 50/50 chance of staying below 2 degrees Centigrade. And by 2050, emissions would have to decline by up to 90 percent below 2000 levels. Even with this scenario tropical reefs may be substantially degraded.
By the Save the Mary Coordinating Group and Diet Simon
A 2007 report by the Institute for Sustainable Futures at the University of Technology, Sydney and Cardno Brisbane, found supply and demand options being implemented in Southeast Queensland sufficient to ensure adequate water supplies until about 2030 without the need for a Traveston dam.
Related: Gympie Times - Group wades in on debate
Media Release - Climate Institute
Wednesday, 04 November 2009
Up to a million new jobs could be created over the next 20 years if Australia's politicians and business leaders adopt strong policy action to combat climate change, a coalition of union, environment and social service groups told a public forum in Brisbane today.
** ***MEDIA RELEASE*** **
Monday 2nd November 2009
Church Service for the Mary River
Father Mark Franklin has been so moved by the social injustice that has occurred to the people of the Mary Valley over the proposed Traveston dam near Gympie that he has offered his church for an ecumenical prayer service dedicated to the Mary River and its communities.
“We will pray that our federal decision makers are guided by wisdom, and pray for those affected to date,” said Father Mark.
SAVE THE MARY RIVER COORDINATING GROUP AND GREATER MARY ASSOCIATION
*** ** JOINT MEDIA RELEASE*** ** 30 OCTOBER 2009
It is now official - the Coordinator General’s report clearly states that the proposed Traveston Crossing dam is “not intended to supply additional water allocations for irrigation locally or throughout the wider region."
SAVE THE MARY RIVER COORDINATING GROUP - MEDIA RELEASE, Thursday October 8th, 2009
Today, in what amounts to an admission that Traveston Crossing dam is not essential for Southeast Queensland's water security, Anna Bligh told reporters that without a successful fishway for lungfish, Traveston Crossing dam would not go ahead.
By Diet Simon
The people fighting the proposed construction of high voltage overhead power lines from Ridgewood to Eerwah Vale in the Sunshine Coast hinterland are appealing for signatures to an electronic petition they are submitting to the Queensland parliament.
The petition on the Queensland Government website is sponsored by Peter Wellington, an independent MP and member of the group Save Eumundi - People Advocating Green Energy. For your vote to count you have to be a Queensland resident, Queensland citizens or Queensland elector in a nominated electorate.
Many strong voices from Pacific, Melanesian, New Zealand and Australian civil society met in Cairns, North Queensland to raise concerns on climate change and human rights that are affected communities across the Pacific region.
The group is calling for immediate greenhouse gas emissions cuts to ensure that people across the Pacific can remain on their islands and ensuring ongoing cultural identity that is intimately tied to land.
