Protesters stopping work at the new NCIG Kooragang coal loader

Image gallery is here.

Here is an account of the Fossil Fools Day activity carried out by Rising Tide Newcastle on the morning of April 1st. For information about everything else that happened around the world visit the global Fossil Fools Day website.

Fossil Fools swap coal for consumer products

Rising Tide Newcastle is calling for an immediate response from the Federal Government after one of the world's foremost climate scientists wrote an open letter to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd calling on him to halt plans for more coal mining and exporting, and put a ban on new coal fired power stations.

The letter's author, Dr. James Hansen, is director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies, Adjunct Professor at the Columbia University Earth Institute, and member of the US National Academy of Sciences. His letter states that:

The community group responsible for erecting signs around Newcastle Harbour warning the public not to fish or swim in the water has denied that the signs are a “hoax".

Rising Tide Newcastle spokesperson Steve Phillips said: “There is nothing on those signs that is not true. Newcastle Harbour is being dredged, and highly toxic materials are known to be present in the sediment. There is a real risk that contaminants may be present in the water, and the public has a right to know that.”

Cheap imports fuel coal exports...

Have you every wondered why we are so dependent on export coal? We’ve heard lots of arguments for buying products that are made in Australia, but did you know that buying overseas-produced products is also fuelling climate change? Cheap imported consumer products are driving up greenhouse gases, and you can help stop global warming by buying less.

How does buying stuff fuel climate change?

In two key ways:

As the community campaign against NSW electricity privitisation grows stronger, grassroots climate action group Rising Tide Newcastle has added its voice to the chorus of opposition to the proposal.

150 - 200 people protested at Newcastle today against the expansion of the world's biggest coal port. The protest was part of an international day of action demanding urgent action against climate change from the UN climate talks taking place in Bali.

- Here is an image gallery of images from the blockade.

- Here is a video of the train after it was stopped, here is a video with a member of Rising Tide speaking at the blockade, and here is a video of another Rising Tide person being cut-off the train by Police Rescue officers.

- Here is a slideshow of the image gallery (it's a bit erratic, you may have to bear with it).

Media Release

19th November, 2007

Coal Train Blockaded

Grassroots climate change action group Rising Tide has blockaded a coal train on its way into the world’s biggest coal export port, at Kooragang Island in Newcastle Harbour. No trains are able to enter Kooragang Coal Terminal because of the blockade.

Thankyou to everyone who took part in Saturday's Peoples' Blockade of the World's Biggest Coal Port!

Here are some photos from the day. Here is a slideshow. You might also like to see these, these, these... and these new ones.

Here are a few more photos and some words from one of the blockade particpants.

The protest was a fantastic show of community determination to take action against Australia's biggest contribution to climate change, despite resistance from government and industry. As well as being a powerful and symbolic action, the protest succeeded in disrupting coal exports from Newcastle Harbour.