Rising Tide Australia

Inaction by State and Federal Governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and relieve the community of economic dependence on coal is driving a growing movement of people to take non-violent “direct action” to stop the expansion of the coal industry themselves, according to Newcastle climate action group, Rising Tide.

Rising Tide maintains a website where members of the community can pledge to take non-violent direct action – meaning bodily intervention like pickets, sit-ins and blockades – to prevent the construction of the third coal terminal on Kooragang Island.

This week the number of pledgers has risen to 300, including people from as far away as Brisbane and Hobart, and more than half are from the Hunter Region.

Rising Tide spokesperson Steve Phillips said, “There is a growing feeling that our Governments aren’t treating climate change with the urgency it deserves. We really need to immediately reduce the massive volumes of greenhouse pollution that we produce from our coal industry.”

Rising Tide says it will write to each of the pledgers this week and invite them to participate in a “Camp for Climate Action,” to be held in Newcastle in July, which is expected to attract hundreds of people for peaceful direct actions against the coal loader.

The Camp is being organised by individuals from Newcastle, Sydney and interstate and will see large-scale non-violent direct action taken to stop coal export expansion.

Steve Phillips said, “There is just so much frustration out there that Australian Governments are avoiding this issue. That so many people are willing to put themselves on the line and stand up for the future is testament to the commitment and courage of our community.

“We just hope that our Governments take notice of the people, the science and the international community, and give the Hunter some hope of a future beyond coal.”