Adani mining’s ambitious $16 billion Carmichael coal mine project in Queensland — Australia’s biggest coal mine expected to provide electricity to 100 million Indians — has evoked vociferous protests in the country, including one by a popular Australian model who has spoken out against the project in a most curious manner.
Robyn Lawley — a plus size model famous in Australia for her independent body image — posted a nude selfie on Instagram with the words “Stop Coal Mining” inscribed on her midriff with a red lipstick, in protest against the Indian mining giant’s project, measuring 28000 hectares.
On Monday, the Australian government had given environmental approval to Adani Mining’s $16.5 billion Carmichael Coal Mine and Rail Infrastructure project in Queensland’s Galilee basin.
While Adani mining had welcomed the move, several environmentalists led by international group Greenpeace, criticized the approval to the project for its potentially damaging impact on the famous Great Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
“Woke up this morning to find out that our Environmental minister and the (Tony) Abbott government have approved what will be the biggest mine of Australia…The only way to get coal out of Carmichael mine is via the Great Barrier Reef. Millions of tonnes of seabed will have to be dredged and dumped in the World Heritage Area to make way for port expansions to service this mega-mine,” Ms. Lawley said in her post on Instagram.
“Instead of joining countries such as Germany and introducing more renewable energy to protect our great land for us and future generations, we continue to go backwards…I'm shocked and feel powerless so I decided to get people to read this one way or another, we have to stop them.....before it’s too late,” she wrote.
The Australian government, however, defended its decision by saying the project had been approved with 36 conditions, which were “some of the strictest environment conditions in Australian history”.
“The absolute strictest of conditions have been imposed to ensure the protection of the environment…these 36 conditions complement the conditions imposed by the Queensland Government, and will ensure the proponent meets the highest environmental standards and that all impacts, including cumulative impacts, are avoided, mitigated or offset,” Australian environment minister Greg hunt had said while granting approval to the project.
The mine is expected to yield 60 million tonnes of coal, which will be transported to the Adani-operated Abbot Point coal port along Australia’s Eastern coast by rail and then shipped to India.
According to Greenpeace, the project will require clearing of endangered Brigalow woodlands; consume enormous amounts (12 gigalitres a year) of water; threaten the endangered black throated finch and other marine life with extinction; spike fossil fuel emissions; and dredge “three million cubic metres of sea-bed from inside the World Heritage Area” and dump it in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Mr. Hunt has rubbished Greenpeace’s claims as politically motivated. “"It is casual, uninformed and it is false and untrue," he told ABC’s Radio National.