Friday on my mind 12.09.2019

This week the effects of climate change became all too real for many people living in
southern Queensland. Unprecedented fires continue to burn through prime agricultural
areas near Stanthorpe and Applethorpe after a hell week for residents and firefighters.
Sadly, the iconic Binnaburra Lodge was burnt down as uncontrolled fires swept through
the Gold Coast hinterland. News has been slow to filter through about the fire’s impact
on some of the largest subtropical rainforests in the world that make the Gold Coast
hinterland an international biodiversity and tourist hotspot.
Reinforcing the dire and unprecedented nature of these events, the Queensland and
Fire Emergency Services predictive services inspector, Andrew Sturgess warned us
that that fire danger has never been as severe so early in spring.

School strikers around the globe are calling on EVERYONE to join them for the SEP 20 - Global Climate Strike!

Mackay high-school students, School Strike 4 Climate and Mackay Conservation Group have been working hard to make this the biggest and loudest school strike yet!

WHERE: Jubilee Park, Mackay (corner of Wellington St and Alfred St)

WHEN: Friday, September 20th 2019

TIME: 12pm - 1:30pm

BRING: Banners, signs, instruments and voices!

Click here to RSVP and for more information

Media Release

2 September 2019

Mackay locals concerned about Adani’s financial situation.

 New reports analysing Adani Mining’s financial situation have some Mackay locals concerned.

“Adani has shown it can’t be trusted with the environment. Now Mackay locals are also very concerned that Adani may not be able to pay their bills to contractors.” Said Sunny Hungerford , a spokesperson from Mackay Conservation Group

 “The new Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) reports outline Adani’s perilous financial situation and notes that Adani Mining already appears insolvent. We are worried that Adani will cause a lot of damage to our environment in the process of building a project which may collapse. The Adani Carmichael coal mine looks like it will be  leaving financial and environmental chaos in its wake.” 

 One concerned member of the Mackay community, Stephen Bulloch, who has now retired from the coal industry, commented on the subject.  “Adani’s financial situation doesn’t look good, I personally would not take the gamble of working with Adani, it’d be backing the wrong horse”

Photo credit: CSIRO

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the most diverse and important ecosystems on the planet, and yet it is being suffocated by chemical and sediment run-off from the terrestrial environment.  This isn’t normal.  This isn’t natural.  It’s because of us.  Humans.  How can we be doing this when we are so dependent on it?  And why isn’t more being done to help?

The reef provides 64 000 jobs and $6.4 billion directly to the Australian economy every year.  But even more than this, the reef is critical in carbon sequestration and the health of the planet.  It is nicknamed ‘the rainforest of the ocean’ for a reason and this is because it provides us with the oxygen we all breathe day in day out. 

The Great Barrier Reef is a farmer – it provides millions of people with fresh food every day, and to many, this is their main source of protein.  The Reef is a chemist – it is full of bioprospecting properties, many yet to be discovered, but is the source to some of our leading anti-cancer drugs.  The Reef is an artist – it is one of the most beautiful and unique structures on the planet and attracts over 2 million tourists every year.  This is the foundation of the tourism industry in Queensland, which produces billions of dollars for the economy.  And it doesn’t stop there.  The Great Barrier Reef is also a guard.  It protects Queensland’s precious coastlines from extreme storms and flooding.  This is especially important in a time of increasing threats from climate change and the severe consequence of rising sea levels.

We respect our human farmers, chemists, artists, and guards.  So why don’t we respect our Reef when it is doing all these things and more?

Photo credit: The Ocean Agency / XL Catlin Seaview Survey / Richard Vevers. 

A decline in water quality is one of the leading threats to the Great Barrier Reef, and is preventing the Reef from building resilience to other threats such as climate change.  

The Reef is being smothered in chemicals and sediment from the surrounding polluted water, caused by industrial, agricultural and urban development.  This is leading to a severe decline in Reef health and resilience. 

Reports have concluded that an investment of $8.2 bn is needed over the next decade to fix the water quality issues.  Yet, over the course of 5 years, the Australian and Queensland Governments are jointly investing only about $120 million a year in Reef water quality improvements.

We are therefore asking the Governments to invest $1bn for projects throughout Great Barrier Reef catchments to help improve the quality of water.  This seems like a big ask, but it’s an important investment in protecting the more than A$5 billion that the Reef generates for the Australian economy every year, alongside the other crucial roles the Reef plays in the environment, both locally and globally.

Please sign this petition asking the State and Federal Governments to allocate funds for much needed water quality projects.

https://mackayconservationgroup.good.do/reefwaterqualitycampaign/reefwaterqualitycampaign/

The Daily Mercury 27.07.19 showed a front page headline decrying the
peaceful protest being organised against businesses that support the Adani mine.
The Mackay Conservation Group makes no apology for legitimately opposing
this mine, because of the impact it will have on our underground water, our
climate, our native species and the Great Barrier Reef.

Humans are capable of amazing things. Our ingenuity is limitless.

This month marks 50 years since humans first set foot on the moon. In 1969, only 8 years after President J F. Kennedy announced a national goal of landing on the moon

Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their “giant leap for mankind”. This amazing feat was accomplished with only a fraction of the technology that we have access to today.

 It is incredible how fast technology has evolved since then, and it’s amazing what we can achieve once we set our minds on a goal.

 Imagine the amazing things that humanity could accomplish in the future. 

Now consider the huge threat our own behaviour is having on our very existence. Is our love of coal and burning fossil fuels worth limiting our potential and worth limiting the time that earth is even habitable? 

The great thing is that we don’t have to cook the planet in order to have our modern conveniences. We have the technology we need to move on from burning coal and other fossil fuels. We now have this amazing opportunity to take advantage of the exciting possibilities that using renewable energy technologies can open up. Renewable energy can run all the electrical things that coal fired power can. With good renewable energy systems, we can actually have more power for less money, which will improve the profitability and productivity of most businesses. 

Hello,

My name is Imogen and I have just started working at the Mackay Conservation Group as a ‘Reef Campaigner’.  I am from London and upon graduating from University in England last year, I have moved to Australia to pursue a career in marine conservation.

I learnt many things during my time at university, but one thing that completely resonated with me was the importance and beauty of the coral reefs, and how they provide such crucial habitats for a variety of marine organisms, as well as providing us with bioprospecting properties and a large economic input via tourism.  The reef is valued at $56bn, provides 64 000 jobs and over $6 bn directly to the Australian economy.  However, unfortunately the Great Barrier Reef is being destroyed, largely due to climate change and water pollution from excess sediments, nutrients and pesticides entering the waterways.

Media Release
16 July 2019

Adani demands CSIRO scientists’ names: Mackay Conservation Group raises concerns

The Mackay Conservation Group says Adani should be investigated following revelations that the company requested the identities of CSIRO scientists involved in assessing the mining giant’s groundwater management plan (ABC today, Adani demands names of CSIRO scientists reviewing groundwater plans).

Mackay Conservation Group spokesperson, Michael Kane, says “Adani’s actions are clearly designed to intimidate people who work for some of Australia’s most trusted institutions and organisations, including the CSIRO and Geocsience Australia.

“All Australians should be concerned about international corporations applying undue pressure on our independent regulators, regardless of whether they support Adani’s Carmichael project or not.

“If there was a federal anti-corruption body this would be exactly the kind of conduct it would be responsible for examining.