FSP-Microcosm News-Global Community Report: Queensland

Showing posts with label Queensland. Show all posts

Saturday, October 17, 2015

Australia Approves Massive Coal Mine—Again

By Taylor Hill | Takepart.com 2 hours ago TakePart.com

Australia Approves Massive Coal Mine—Again

Just two months after an Australian federal court threw out the government’s approval of one of the world’s largest coal mines because of its expected impact on an endangered snake and lizard, the country’s environment minister has green-lighted the project again.

That means the Indian-owned Carmichael mine in the state of Queensland is back on track to produce an amount of coal that, when burned, would exceed the annual greenhouse gas emissions of 52 countries. Over its 60-year lifetime, it could emit 128 million tons of heat-trapping greenhouse gases, according to a Greenpeace report. Environmentalists also fear the project will damage the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

“Minister [Greg] Hunt’s reapproval risks threatened species, precious groundwater, the global climate, and taxpayers’ money,” said Peter McCallum, spokesperson for the Mackay Conservation Group, which brought the challenge of the mine to the federal court.

RELATED: Why the World Needs to Shut Down Coal-Fired Power Plants Faster Than Ever

In August, a federal court ruled that then Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s conservative government had illegally ignored evidence showing the mine would damage prime habitat of two endangered critters: the yakka skink—a type of lizard—and the ornamental snake.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Whale carcass may be towed out to sea to save pod of up to eight killer whales

Up to eight whales remain near Fraser Island, Queensland after mother and calf died and there are fears pod may be stranded

Australian Associated Press
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 4 July 2013 04.20 EDT

Killer whales stranded near Queensland's Fraser Island. Photograph: Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing/PR IMAGE

Marine experts are contemplating towing the carcass of a killer whale out to sea to encourage members of its pod to move into deeper waters off Queensland's coast.
Up to eight whales remain near Fraser Island where two whales, a mother and her calf, died after becoming stranded on Wednesday morning.
Rescuers fear the pod could become stranded again.
A Queensland Parks and Wildlife Services spokesman, Peter Wright, says if the whales don't move on they'll look at ways to coax them out to the open ocean.
"The ideal thing to do would be to let them do it themselves," he told reporters in Hervey Bay on Thursday.

Read More Here

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Qld whale rescue 'successful'

Thursday, July 04, 2013 » 11:47am

Authorities may herd a pod of killer whales, which remains off Queensland's Fraser Island, out to open sea as they fear the whales could strand again.
Two of the whales died, reportedly a mother and her calf, around 9am (AEST) on Wednesday.
It was hoped the surviving five would swim out to sea after being freed later that day but they remain in the area.
Sea World's marine expert Trevor Long says the whales may not have moved on because they're mourning the loss of the other whales.
'This is a family unit and the loss of those two whales out of that family unit is extremely strong,' he told AAP.
'That's why they haven't left straight away but that's not to say they're not going to go.'

Read More and Watch Video Here

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