Facts versus Myths - Adani's Water Usage

There has been a lot of disinformation spread about the water that Adani will use for the Carmichael Coal Mine.

Most of this disinformation has been spread deliberately by anti coal activists whose aim is to discredit Adani's project anyway they can.

Below we will show the truth of the matter.

Facts Versus Myths 

Firstly, we have seen on social media and other media outlets that Adani is supposedly going to get unlimited FREE water? That he is going to drain the Great Artesian Basin? Poison the water!

The facts are - The government issued a ­licence for groundwater — underground water which is extracted as the mine is dug — and another restricted licence for the use of surface water, for which Adani will have to pay a premium price.

Now, before you all go off about the Ground Water, let's delve further and explain what that means. Firstly, by looking at the difference between Groundwater and Surface water!

What is groundwater?

Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in soil pore spaces and in the fractures of rock formations. A unit of rock or an unconsolidated deposit is called an aquifer when it can yield a usable quantity of water. The depth at which soil pore spaces or fractures and voids in rock become completely saturated with water is called the water table. Groundwater is recharged from, and eventually flows to, the surface naturally; natural discharge often occurs at springs and seeps, and can form oases or wetlands. Groundwater is also often withdrawn for agricultural, municipal, and industrial use by constructing and operating extraction wells. The study of the distribution and movement of groundwater is hydrogeology, also called groundwater hydrology.

What is surface water?

Surface water is water on the surface of the planet such as in a river, lake, wetland, or ocean. It can be contrasted with groundwater and atmospheric water. Non-saline surface water is replenished by precipitation and by recruitment from ground-water. It is lost through evaporation, seepage into the ground where it becomes ground-water, used by plants for transpiration, extracted by mankind for agriculture, living, industry etc. or discharged to the sea where it becomes saline.

Now that we know the difference between the two, let's go further to explain what and how much Adani will use.

With regards to the Surface Water -

The surface water licence allows the project to use 10,800 megalitres a year at $1866 per megalitre.

Farmers in the lower Burdekin catchment have access to 1.229 million megalitres and pay about $570 a megalitre.

Adani must pay $20 million dollars before he can draw any of the Surface Water.

Surface water, which Adani has to pay three times more for than the local farmers, is carefully monitored and regulated for all ­industry — for agriculture and for mining.

This needs to be put into perspective: in total, the licences provide the mine with access to less than 1 per cent of the volume of water that farmers are able to use in the Burdekin catchment now.

Ground Water

The government has issued a licence for groundwater — underground water which is extracted as the mine is dug.  

 

All underground mines in Queensland have a regulated right to remove groundwater to keep their operations safe.  And, there are quite a few sitting over top of the Artesian Basin!! Most of the water will also be re-used.

The Palaszczuk government defended the water licences it granted to Adani, saying the Carmichael mine was likely to draw the same amount of groundwater that a cane farm uses in a year.

Queensland’s State Development and Minister for Natural Resources and Mines Anthony Lynham said that modelling had shown the mine would extract only a fraction of groundwater used by local farmers.

Link to Water Licence : - Carmichael Coal Mine Water Licence

Now let's take a look at the Great Artesian Basin, just so that we can put it into perspective!!

Australia’s Great Artesian Basin (GAB) is one of the largest artesian groundwater basin complexes in the world. It lies beneath 22% of Australia and intersects four Australian State and Territory boundaries.

Fast Facts!

Total Area - 1 700 000 square kilometres

Total Stored Volume - Greater than 65 000 000 000ML

70% of the GAB is in Queensland!

The GAB is recharged mainly along the western slopes of the Great Dividing Range. Once water enters GAB aquifers, it moves slowly at a rate of one to five metres per year.

Discharge occurs in different ways including through springs, rivers, leakage between aquifers, evapotranspiration and through extraction.

Currently there are around 6500 licences and 21 permits in Queensland.

 Licenced water use in the Queensland GAB

For more information about the Great Artesian Basin - GAB Facts

 

So, as you can see, the basin is huge, and, constantly being renewed with water. Will Adani drain the basin?? Ofcourse not!! The basin is huge! Will the water table be poisoned by Adani's use of the Ground Water? Ofcourse not, many mines are already drawing water from the basin, with no damage at all.

If the activists who are against this mine are so concerned about the water that Adani may or may not use, maybe , they should worry more about the approx 160 uncapped bores that are still out there, spewing out water everyday, wasted!!

So, the next time someone says to you that Adani is going to get unlimited water for free and poison the Ground Water table, please share this information with them. 

Facts Matter!!

For more info on the Adani Carmichael Coal Mine and other mines ready to go in the Galilee Basin, please check out our Facts Pages and groups on Facebook. We are also on Twitter!

Bowen and Surrounds Need and Want the Abbot Point Expansion

Jobs4Qld Jobs4Aust We Support the Galilee Basin Coal Projects

Abbot Point Supporters Group

Abbot Point & Galilee Basin Projects Myths and Facts 

Abbot Point Expansion Facts Page 

War on Coal

Greenpeace Document Exposes Dirty Tactics Being Used to Destroy Coal Mining in Australia

 

A few years back a document was leaked to the media by Greenpeace. It was called - "Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom"

In this document it stated how the Coal Industry would be stopped in this country. 

Their dirty tactics and disinformation is what we are seeing today, everyday, everywhere!! On Facebook, Twitter, news articles, Television.

Adani's Carmichael Coal Mine Project was one of the mine projects they proposed to target first. And, as stated in their document - "Our strategy is essentially to 'Disrupt & Delay' key projects and infrastructure while gradually eroding public and political support for the industry and continually building the power of the movement to win MORE"

From delaying tactics with regards to ridiculous court cases, that they knew they could not win, Indigenous Land Rights, threats to the Great Barrier Reef , Land owners along the proposed rail line worried about impacts to their land, health reasons, black lung disease, coal dust impacts, coal prices, viability of the mine, scandals with regards to Adani, and so forth. 

 Does any of the above ring a bell?

Think about it for a moment..... Please read this document, it is all stated how they would "Change the Story of Coal", discredit an Industry that Australia relies on.....

What we came across was a ‘funding proposal’ to destroy coal mining in Australia.

Created in 2011, it is a very detailed guide into the dirty tactics that have been used over the last six years to discredit the coal industry and destroy the livelihoods of millions of Australians, which now makes sense as to why the hurdles seem so large for Adani's Carmichael Coal Mine Project.

Now that we know these attacks were all ‘part of the their plan’ to start with – it goes a long way to proving our point that the conversation around coal is unfair, incorrect, short-sighted and baseless – its dirty activism and will cause irreparable damage to Australia’s economy.

The origins of the ‘Anti-Coal Movement’.

The movement was started in earnest in 2011, and we uncovered the full strategy cooked up by several interested parties, which is aimed at investing in a number of different ways to completely destroy the coal industry.  The ‘research’ that funded the report’s creation, was supplied, very interestingly, by the Rockefeller Family Fund.

The leaked document was written by Bob Burton from CoalSwarm, Sam Hardy from the Graeme Wood Foundation and John Hepburn from Greenpeace Australia Pacific. It was titled “Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom”, and when the plan was leaked to business reporters, a political backlash was sparked and led by Treasurer Wayne Swan, who called the plan “completely destructive and irresponsible”.

A link to the document can be found here - Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom
 

At the time BHP Billiton announced that they were “both disturbed and surprised”, and said that plans to harm the coal industry would be having a “direct impact on the livelihoods of thousands of Australians”.

Rio Tinto also weighed in, calling it a “blue print for economic vandalism”, and saying that it would threaten jobs, investment, and growth.

Document gave detailed plans to bring the coal industry down.

The document is a funding proposal aimed at getting the anti-coal movement mobilised, due to Australia being on the verge of an “unprecedented” coal boom. The proposal is inflammatory, and goes on to say that if the industry continues to expand it will have “devastating consequences for the global climate,” employing generalist and highly loaded phrases like “global climate tipping points” yet the document is scant on supporting research or scientific back-up.

The 6 elements of the plan, that they were seeking investment and money from interested parties to deliver on were:

1. Disrupt and delay key infrastructure projects – challenge and delay ports, rail and mega-mines
2. Constrain the space for mining – leverage coal seam gas outrage and point at coal industry
3. Increase investor risk – create political uncertainty to make coal mines a bad investment
4. Increase costs – remove subsidies and bog down new mines in litigation
5. Withdraw the social license of the coal industry – change the story of coal from a backbone industry to a destructive industry in the media
6. Build a powerful movement – networks, alliances and social movements

These ‘objectives’ would be delivered through a range of media campaigns, litigation, social media, advertising and other tactical points including specified ‘messages’ that would be seeded out to the media. They provided this super-confusing flow chart on page 5 showing how all these tactics intertwine to achieve their unfathomably short-sighted and self-interested objectives.

Targeted Plans – The Battle of Galilee & Hunter Valley

The Galilee Basin was a key focus of their proposed ‘activity’, the group wanted to drive up the costs for the Galilee Basin, causing such extensive delays that the projects would fail. The activists also hoped that more landowners in the Hunter Valley would be “locking the gate” against coal.

The so-called “Battle of Galilee” was prioritized, as the rail line to the basin was seen as one of the most important pieces of infrastructure since it would “unlock coal from a series of mega-mines” in the area which is rich in high quality coal resources. The plan was to capitalise on the basin’s links to the Great Barrier Reef, launching a public campaign which would put it under the international spotlight.

Other plans included building the anti-coal movement and mobilising off the back of the 2011 community backlash to coal seam gas. Martin Ferguson, the Resources Minister at the time, said that the “elaborate strategies which were designed to destroy Australian jobs and industries were very disturbing.”

The document also outlined a pitch for funding of up to $5.92 million which was to be used for litigation aimed at stopping the expansions of coal ports, new mines, and major rail lines. Conservative estimates suggests that to-date, this campaign has cost investors closer to $50 million in advertising, agency fees, consulting, litigation and events.

How they proposed to spend the $5.8 million to destroy an industry.

 Turns out – rent-a-crowds are super expensive to organise and ‘manage’.

Litigation: $1.35 million
Battle of the Galilee: $925K
Enough is Enough – Hunter Valley: $614K
Activism in Victoria & WA:  $280K
Change the Story of Coal (Media costs): $665K
Investor Uncertainty: $220K
Exposing the ‘Health Impacts of Coal’: $100K
Staff Training, Admin, Management: $1.765 million

In order to ‘Change the Story of Coal’ one of the strategies proposed the hiring of staff who would be conducting “industry scandal research” so that instead of being seen as something which has created prosperity and jobs for Australia, coal would be seen as destructive, corrupt, and threatening to the global climate.

Movement Received Dodgy Funding.

In an article published by Australian Mining (and mainstream newspapers) in 2012, it was found that the anti-mining activists had received approximately $750,000 in funding from the federal government.

The Greenpeace proposal acknowledges Environment Victoria, The Conservation Council of Western Australia, and the Nature Conservation Council, who received government grants of $211,000, $319,420, and $213,215, respectively in 2011-2012.

Nikki Williams (Australian Coal Association CEO) said that the ACA was deeply concerned about anti-mining groups potentially “misusing public funds”.

John Hepburn, an author of the document in question, has admitted that he received $70,000 from the Rockefeller Family Fund, which is based in the US. Since this document was leaked, the Rockefeller family came out to the press in 2012 and distanced itself from the proposal and the campaign. That said, they were front-and-centre during the Four Corners ‘Coal is Dead’ not long ago!!.

Movement also has ties to the recent USA election

As was revealed by WikiLeaks during the recent US elections via the Podesta emails is that these Activists have ties to the US.

In one of the emails John Hepburn was praising the efforts of people such as Tim Buckley from the IEEFA (Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis) which we are sure is a front for the anti coal movement. Link to their website here - IEEFA

Also note that the IEEFA gets funding from the Rockefeller Family Fund , which also funded the Greenpeace document!!


Other groups mentioned in the emails were - 
Getup, Greenpeace, 350.org,  Australian Youth Climate Coalition, Mackay Conservation Group, Market Forces and the Sunrise Project.

All involved in one way or another with the Stopping the Australian Export Boom document.

Link to WikiLeaks email - Podesta Email

Stand up and Speak Up – and DO IT NOW.

Its time to speak up for your industry and your livelihood.

In the year 2015-2016, the Queensland Coal Industry contributed $32.7 billion Gross Regional Product and, also employed, directly and indirectly, 164482 people. Regardless of their personal environmental views, it defies belief that the anti-coal movement are so willing to drag down an entire industry – taking with it the employment prospects, livelihoods and economic security of almost 1 million people in Queensland alone (not to mention those employed, directly or indirectly by coal in NSW, WA and the rest of the country).

What we must realize, after researching this at length, is that we are but a very small voice in a David-and-Goliath battle against a movement that is well funded, well connected and essentially activating a well put together plan to achieve their objectives at ANY COST.

Extremism in any form is worrying, especially when it comes to the Australian economy. The Australian public should voice their disgust at the lengths the anti-coal movement is willing to go to in order to sabotage the coal industry, and in turn, all of the people who rely on the industry for their livelihoods.

If you work in Coal Mining – or supply to mining, infrastructure or any of the associated industries – you need to start making your voice heard. Consider this a rally-cry: so we come out booming just as loud to counter this nonsense before it, as intended, destroys our livelihoods.

The first thing you can do – is write personally to your local member of parliament. Voice your concerns to anyone you know.  Share this information so that everyone knows what is going on in Australia right now!!

Adani Abbot Point Coal Terminal - Bowen Nth Qld

Please check out our facebook group and facts pages, we also are on twitter. Links below -

Bowen and Surrounds need and want the Abbot Point Expansion

Jobs4Qld Jobs4Aust We Support the Galilee Basin Coal Projects

Abbot Point Expansion Facts

Abbot Point Supporters Group

Abbot Point Dredging Myths and Facts

Twitter

Ten things you need to know about the Adani Mine Project

Myths versus Facts

There is a lot of misinformation and disinformation spread worldwide about this project.  Mainly by Environmental groups and their followers.

Below is ten things that corrects some of the misinformation , disinformation spread about the project.

ISSUE 1 (Edit -  no longer an issue, as the loan has been vetoed!)

The Federal Government is going to pay for half of Adani’s $2 billion rail line despite assurances it would not fund the project.

FACT

An application involved the proposed rail line to Abbot point has been passed on to the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. The $5 billion fund is designed to develop Northern Australia by providing loans to projects that meet strict economic tests. Any money provided to kickstart the project would need to be financially viable Adani would be required to pay it back.
Source: NAIF website


ISSUE 2
Shipping the coal from North Queensland will put the reef in danger from spills and other forms of damage.

FACT
Every ship travelling through the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority area is under strict guidelines and must be operated by highly experienced Australian pilots. This was introduced in 1991 to significantly reduce the risk of collisions and groundings. This will be the same for any ships travelling on their way to India.
Source: GBRMPA


ISSUE 3
The government has bent over backwards and removed regulations to get this project over the line.

FACT
Adani has spent the past six years working to get the Carmichael mine project underway by meeting government regulations. It has already spent $3.3 billion to get to this stage and $100 million in court costs to date. Since the start of 2015, 22 key Commonwealth, State and local government approvals have been granted for Adani’s mine, rail and port facilities and there have been 29 key milestones reached.
Source. State Government.


ISSUE 4
Adani cannot be trusted with their environmental responsibilities

FACT
There are about 200 rigorous environmental controls imposed on this project as part of its approval process. Failure to meet these would mean immediate consequences from the State or Federal Government that would jeopardise the project.
Source: State Development Minister Dr Anthony Lynham


ISSUE 5
Jobs will not be created for Australians or regional Queenslanders.

FACT
Adani has given a written pledge that it will not use 457 Visa holders for any construction or operational jobs.
Source: Adani Group


ISSUE 6
The mine will drain from the water table damaging the environment and farmers.

FACT.
Adani is in currently applying for a water licence that will directly address this issue. Similar objections were raised in the Land Court and were cleared. Adani claim that not one directly affected land holder raised any objection in the Land Court.
Source: State Government/ Adani/ Land Court


ISSUE 7
The economic case does not stack up for the mine

FACT
Adani is an infrastructure company, owning and running the ports, power plants and even the wires which provide power to homes. Given the company knows its own demand requirements the Australian mine will fit into this vertical structure from the ground to the grid. It has also invested $3.3 billion into the project and fought multiple legal battles instead of pursuing similar projects in other countries.
Source: Adani


ISSUE 8
Dredged spoil will damage the Great Barrier Reef

FACT
Adani has reached an agreement with the State Government that spoil will be placed onshore in an area approved by environmental authorities. The company owns and operates the Abbot Point bulk coal loading facility and wants to expand this with a once-off dredging operation because the port is not affected by river run off and silting. This has been approved on stringent conditions the spoil will not touch the reef.
Source: State Government


ISSUE 9
This project will significantly worsen climate change by contributing to emissions levels around the world.

FACT
Both Australia and India are signatories to the Paris Agreement on climate change and thus have agreed they must meet their required targets for greenhouse gas production. Adani believes use of Queensland coal may in fact assist in this goal because Australian coal is 1.5 times more efficient than coal available in India or Indonesia.
Source: Paris Agreement/ Adani


ISSUE 10
Thousands of tourist jobs are in danger compared to the limited impact the struggling mining industry has on the local economy.

FACT
The Carmichael Mine must obey stringent environmental conditions, ships must be steered by an experienced pilot and India has agreed to reduce its greenhouse emissions in the Paris Agreement. The Great Barrier Reef is understood to support 70,000 jobs both direct and indirectly. The coal industry in Queensland alone is understood have directly supported 19,072 fulltime employees in 2015-16 with local spending supporting 164,482 indirect jobs.
Source: Queensland Resources Council, State Government

Originally posted in the Townsville Bulletin - Ten things you need to know about the Adani mine

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More information about the project

The Carmichael coal, railway and port project includes building Australia’s largest thermal coal mine in the north Galilee Basin approximately 160km north-west of Clermont in Central Queensland, linked by a new 388 km standard gauge rail line to a new terminal at Abbot Point Port near Bowen. The combined mine, rail and port operations will provide over 10,000 direct and indirect jobs and supply opportunities for local businesses. 

Over its 60 year life this major infrastructure will not only support Adani’s operations, but the 388 kilometre rail line and port facilities have the potential to assist the development of other proposed mines in the Galilee Basin. 

The project benefits will be felt locally, regionally and across Queensland providing much needed job opportunities and generating around $22 billion in mining taxes and royalties in just the first half of the project life. This will assist in providing much needed public funding to help deliver schools,hospitals, roads and other services and stimulating activity throughout the economy. 

Mine Location

The proposed Carmichael Mine is mostly located on the Moray Downs cattle station within the jurisdiction of Isaac Regional Council, about 160km north-west of Clermont.

The site is accessed by the Gregory Developmental Road, which runs from Clermont to Charters Towers, and then the property access road via Moray Carmichael Access Road

Source Adani - Adani Australia

Coal, Wind or Solar??

Which is best for the environment?? Coal or Wind and Solar!!

A Scarcity of Rare Earth Minerals Is Hindering Green Technologies!!

Let's talk about where Wind and Solar come from and indeed most of our electronic everyday appliances.  Wind and Solar are not clean or green or renewable. They are toxic to our environment.

We bet the anti coal lobbyists have not thought about this?? What will they do when the Rare Earth Minerals run out??  And, it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out!! They will run out!! More reason to keep coal as our major energy source for now and well into the future!!

A shortage of "rare earth" minerals, used in everything from electric car batteries to solar panels to wind turbines, is hampering the growth of renewable energy technologies.

With the global push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it’s ironic that several energy- or resource-saving technologies aren’t being used to the fullest simply because we don’t have enough raw materials to make them.

For example, says Alex King, director of the new Critical Materials Institute, every wind farm has a few turbines standing idle because their fragile gearboxes have broken down. They can be fixed, of course, but that takes time – and meanwhile wind power isn’t being gathered. Now you can make a more reliable wind turbine that doesn’t need a gearbox at all, King points out, but you need a truckload of so-called "rare earth" metals to do it, and there simply isn't the supply.

The move toward new and better technologies — from smart phones to electric cars — means an ever-increasing demand for exotic metals that are scarce thanks to both geology and politics. Thin, cheap solar panels need tellurium, which makes up a scant 0.0000001 percent of the earth’s crust, making it three times rarer than gold. High-performance batteries need lithium, which is only easily extracted from briny pools in the Andes. In 2011, the average price of 'rare earth' metals shot up by as much as 750 percent. Platinum, needed as a catalyst in fuel cells that turn hydrogen into energy, comes almost exclusively from South Africa.

Read More here:  Scarcity of Rare Earth Minerals

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Rare earth metals are quite often toxic to the environment too!!  It is such a shame that people who back wind and solar in this country are somehow blinded by that fact.  They have the hide to run down the coal industry and call it toxic.  Wind and Solar far outweigh coal in toxicity to the environment.  Remember, COAL is just plants turned to carbon over millions of years being compacted under the ground.  The Co2 that is released from coal is Co2 that was in the atmosphere millions of years ago.  Millions of years ago Co2 was much higher in the atmosphere then it is today. Did all life on Earth die off because of this??  No, life actually flourished, otherwise we would not be here today. So, when an anti coal arlarmist says that Co2 is catastrophically warming the Earth, they are lying. Just look back in time and the FACTS will tell the truth. Such a shame that so many scientists and politicians have been caught up in this climate hoax.  We think maybe the all important funding dollar is what drives scientists to fudge the truth and, well, politicians , who trusts them to tell the truth. They only care about taxing the pants off us.

Climate and the Carboniferous Period

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Some interesting articles below about Rare Earth minerals which are required for most of our electronic appliances, wind turbines and solar panels. How hypocritical are the anti coal lobbyists to demonize coal , when the very products they rely on everyday are so much more toxic to the environment.

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'Clean', 'green' solar & wind components rely on Rare Earth minerals from China who supply 96% of supply?

Here is the green future!

Such an intensive mining operation has a definite impact on the surrounding environment. According to the Chinese Society of Rare Earths, 9,600 to 12,000 cubic meters (340,000 to 420,000 cubic feet) of waste gas—containing dust concentrate, hydrofluoric acid, sulfur dioxide, and sulfuric acid—are released with every ton of rare metals that are mined. Approximately 75 cubic meters (2,600 cubic feet) of acidic wastewater, plus about a ton of radioactive waste residue are also produced.

Source: Nasa

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Wind energy is not nearly as “clean” and “good for the environment” as the wind lobbyists want you to believe. The wind industry is dependent on rare earth minerals imported from China, the procurement of which results in staggering environmental damages. As one environmentalist told the Daily Mail, “There’s not one step of the rare earth mining process that is not disastrous for the environment.” That the destruction is mostly unseen and far-flung does not make it any less damaging.

Source: Canada Free Press

     The lake of toxic waste at Baotou, China, which has been dumped by the rare earth processing plants in the background



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In China , the true cost of the Green Wind power experiment.

Pollution on a disastrous scale.

The toxic lake poisons Chinese farmers, their children and their land. It is what's left behind after making the magnets for the latest wind turbines... and, as a special Live investigation reveals, is merely one of a multitude of environmental sins committed in the name of our new green Jerusalem.

Source: Ninemsn

    Villagers Su Bairen, 69, and Yan Man Jia Hong, 74, stand on the edge of the toxic lake in Baotou, China that has devastated their farmland and ruined the health of the people in their community

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Boom in Mining Rare Earths Poses Mounting Toxic Risks

The mining of rare earth metals, used in everything from smart phones to wind turbines, has long been dominated by China. But as mining of these key elements spreads to countries like Malaysia and Brazil, scientists warn of the dangers of the toxic and radioactive waste generated by the mines and processing plants.

Independent studies chart the industry’s global ecological fallout. But no country has as many rare earths processing plants, and their attendant environmental problems, as China. Last year, China’s State Council A half-century of rare earths mining in China has caused serious environmental problems. reported that the country’s rare earths operations are causing “increasingly significant” environmental problems. A half century of rare earths mining and processing has “severely damaged surface vegetation, caused soil erosion, pollution, and acidification, and reduced or even eliminated food crop output,” the council reported, adding that Chinese rare earths plants typically produce wastewater with a “high concentration” of radioactive residues.

Source: Yale University

The Lynas plant in Malaysia is set to become the world's largest processing facility of rare earths.


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It is also interesting to note, that to make solar panels and wind turbines you need coal. Coal is also not just used for energy production, there are a variety of uses of coal that a lot of people would not know about. So, to demonize coal and to say it should stay in the ground is ridiculous. We rely on coal for our everyday life. There is no substitute for it. Think about that !!!

WHAT IS COAL USED FOR?

Coal has many important uses worldwide. The most significant uses of coal are in electricity generation, steel production, cement manufacturing and as a liquid fuel. Around 6.6 billion tonnes of hard coal were used worldwide last year and 1 billion tonnes of brown coal.

Different types of coal have different uses. Steam coal - also known as thermal coal - is mainly used in power generation. Coking coal - also known as metallurgical coal - is mainly used in steel production.

Other important users of coal include alumina refineries, paper manufacturers, and the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Several chemical products can be produced from the by-products of coal. Refined coal tar is used in the manufacture of chemicals, such as creosote oil, naphthalene, phenol, and benzene.

Ammonia gas recovered from coke ovens is used to manufacture ammonia salts, nitric acid and agricultural fertilisers. Thousands of different products have coal or coal by-products as components: soap, aspirins, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, such as rayon and nylon. Coal is also an essential ingredient in the production of specialist products:

Activated carbon - used in filters for water and air purification and in kidney dialysis machines.

Carbon fibre - an extremely strong but light weight reinforcement material used in construction, mountain bikes and tennis rackets.

Silicon metal - used to produce silicones and silanes, which are in turn used to make lubricants, water repellents, resins, cosmetics, hair shampoos and toothpastes.

Source:  World Coal Association

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So, the next time you hear someone running down the coal industry - Ask them if they use cosmetics?? Do they use shampoo and toothpaste?? Do they drive a car or ride a bike?? Do they take aspirin or use plastics and soap.  If they say Yes. Then tell them that we will still need coal for a long time into the future.  Until we can find a viable alternative to coal, at this very moment in time, there simply is not one!!

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This is where WIND and SOLAR come from: Think about that next time you think of clean green renewable energy!!

Shipping and the Great Barrier Reef

In the news recently a Chinese coal ship captain was arrested for sailing through part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park without a pilot.  

News article; http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/chinese-coal-ship-captain-arrested-sailing-through-reef-no-pilot/6115514

Ofcourse, the usual anti coal activist organizations were quick to jump on this with their scaremongering of supposedly hundreds more coal ships going through the reef. An example below from the Greenpeace Australia Facebook page.

 

What, they don't bother to tell their followers , is that many ships use the waters of the Marine Park , not just coal ships.  How do these people think that their goods like fuel, food and clothing get delivered to Queensland. Many cargo ships come into the country via the Great Barrier Reef bringing all sorts of goods.  There are also Cruise ships going up and down the coastline on a regular basis. Fuel ships, live cattle ships, naval ships and fishing vessels to name a few.

And, as the population grows , more ships will use the waters to travel through.

Interesting Facts.

Much of the prosperity of the communities in central and north Queensland, as well as the Australian economy, is based on the mining and agriculture industry, whose products by necessity must travel through Queensland’s ports.

Access to Queensland ports requires ships to travel through environmentally sensitive areas such as the Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and the Coral Sea. As such, it is essential for the survival of regional communities and the Australian economy that these shipping routes remain open and available to shipping on an equitable and sustainable basis.

Commodities shipped through the Great Barrier Reef region include metal ores, coal, bauxite, liquefied natural gas, sugar, timber, oil, chemicals, live cattle and general cargo.

Source: AMSA

http://amsa.gov.au/

What the anti coal activist organizations also forget to mention is that there is a very good monitoring system in place to keep an eye on all shipping activities within the Reef waters.

REEFVTS is like air traffic control but for the waters. If it was not for this service the coal ship mentioned in the article above could very well have run aground on the reef. This is proof that the monitoring system is working well.  

Ship groundings have substantially decreased since REEFVTS has been in operation,

Everyone probably remembers that in 2010 the Shen Neng 1 ran aground in an area that was not covered by the REEFVTS.  After that incident the tracking area was increased to cover the whole of the Great Barrier Reef marine waters. The map below shows the area now covered by REEFVTS.

For more information about REEFVTS please check out the links below:

Qld Government

AMSA

AN OPEN LETTER TO ALL CONCERNED

HELP SUPPORT INDUSTRY AND FUTURE JOB PROSPECTS

We are asking for all Australian residents who are concerned for their future job prospects and the future of our economy to please take the time to look and see what is happening in our area right now!!

THE BATTLE OF GALILEE 

By building a high profile public campaign to disrupt and delay the Galilee Basin coal mines, anti coal activists are trying to significantly increase investor uncertainty while undermining political support. 

This in turn may result in less Government subsidies for the projects, and/or stricter approval conditions, by further driving up costs and increasing risks. Extensive delays may also make the projects run foul of a changing global coal investment environment.

If you have not seen this document before, please take the time to read it.

Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom - Funding proposal for the Australian anti-coal movement.

Stopping the Australian Coal Export Boom

The coal port at Abbot Point is located not far from the World Heritage listed Great Barrier Reef, the anti coal activists have used this opportunity for alliance building with scientists and the tourism and fishing industries. These groups have been used to show their concern for the dredging project.

They have also used the reef as an emotional lever with the general public by making claims of ‘dredging on the reef’ and ‘dumping on the reef’. Which ofcourse is not true!!  The reef is nowhere near  where the dredging will take place.

In September, 2014 the then Queensland Government delivered a new proposal that included onshore disposal of dredged spoil.  Due to the close proximity of the Caley Valley Wetlands to the port land.  The new catch cry was "don't dump on the wetlands".

Unfortunately, beautiful photos of either the Nulla Creek approximately 5kms from the disposal site or aerial views of Stewarts Creek which is in the opposite direction have been splashed all over social media. Neither of these places would have had dredge spoil “dumped” there.

Instead, dredged spoil would have been pumped into carefully constructed ponds which would have been built on less than 3% of the wetlands area. The wetlands would have been protected from future development by way of legislation known as the Nature Conservation Act. 

We were hoping that the new incoming Labor Government would continue to support the port and wetlands proposal as well.  Unfortunately, they decided against the LNP plan and have now gone with a new disposal site within the port limits. We are still waiting on approval for this site.

If you support these projects please join the residents of North Queensland by fighting back against this anti coal campaign.

If you would like to help us, please join the facebook group, Bowen and Surrounds Needs and Wants the Abbot Point Expansion.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/AbbotPointExpansionSupporters/      

For more information regarding the Abbot Point Expansion and associated rail and mine infrastructure please check out our facts pages.
https://www.facebook.com/AbbotPointDredgingMythsandFacts

https://www.facebook.com/AbbotPointExpansionFactsPage
https://www.facebook.com/AbbotPointAction

Regards,

Members of The Abbot Point Expansion Supporters Group

Whether you love coal or hate it, the fact is, it will be around for along time yet.  Until, a better , cleaner , cheaper form of energy is found to compete with coal, we will continue to use it to give energy to countries who are crying out just to be able to flick a switch!!

It is also vital that we keep coal going in this country as it is one of our biggest export earners. Without it, Australia would be in dire straights!!  

We don't have another export earner that could replace coal, not now or in the future.  Just think about this - the anti coal activist organizations want to kill the coal industry and keep all coal in the ground so we would have to go to so-called renewable energy.  We don't export wind or solar out of the country, so, how can that industry carry on from coal with export earnings??  There would be millions of export dollars lost and thousands and thousands of jobs lost.

Don't let the anti coal activist organizations win with their deceitful lies.  They have no answers for the future.