Carbon Capture and Storage World Conference Protest in Melbourne

A small group of determined protestors crashed the party of the Carbon Capture and Storage World Conference in Melbourne on June 22nd. In addition to protesting at the entrance to Crown Casino, protestors managed to briefly enter the building and a few managed to sneak into the conference itself to heckle the Minister for Energy/Pollution Peter Batchelor. Climate criminals from International Power, TRU energy and even from Canada’s tar sands villains had gathered at the $5000 a head conference to spruik the dirty lie that coal can be “cleaned”.

A large police presence outnumbering the protestors was assembled at Crown. The state is determined that coal executives be kept “safe” from even viewing those who oppose them. Although the numbers meant a blockade was not practical of the large Casino site, the demonstrators showed spirit and determination to make their presence felt. In addition to speeches out the front, the demonstration marched around Crown and actually were able to be let in rear stairway by a couple of people who had earlier infiltrated the Casino complex. The entire group of protestors managed to get up two flights of stairs before being confronted by a large contingent of police and security. A small group of activists were able however to slip past the guards of the seemingly impenetrable fortress of Crown Conference Centre. They pushed open the door to the conference room while Peter Batchelor was addressing the crowd and hurled the truth at participants, screaming 'You cant clean coal!' in unison, and, in a reference to the highly offensive conference brochure, they chanted 'coal is king!? off with their heads!'

Speakers to conference included Graeme York, CEO of International Power the British multi-national that owns Hazelwood, TRU energy executives, the head of “Sustainability” for Woodside Petroleum and even a speaker from Alberta Energy- one of the companies involved in the disastrous process of mining Canada’s Tar sands for oil.

Clean coal is a dirty lie. There is doubt the process will ever work, and even if it does its not predicted to be in large scale operation until 2030. In the meantime it is being used as a figleaf to justify business as usual for the fossil fuel lobby. For example, the Federal Government’s ETS papers stated that Australia’s emission were not going to fall until 2035, once “clean coal” is introduced. It is also being used to justify projects such as exporting Latrobe Valley brown coal to Vietnam and India and the proposed new coal plant in the Latrobe Valley by HRL, which are examples of “clean coal” because they make brown coal as “clean” as black coal!

Despite the protests small size, it managed to generate some media and also it lets the Government and the corporate climate criminals know that people will confront where ever and when ever they peddle the dirty lie that “clean coal” is part of the solution to climate change.