All that just to produce 60 million metric tons of coal a year…
WHAT IS THE MINING PROJECT ABOUT?
The mining project is led by the Indian conglomerate Adani, which generates electricity, primarily from coal. Adani is the largest port developer and operator in’India, and is therefore committed to exploiting Australian resources as part of its operations. Once produced, the oil will be shipped through a port near the Great Barrier Reef, and then will travel to India.
The project is valued at 20 billion Australian dollars, or 12 billion euros—an astronomical sum. But despite its economic significance, it has faced numerous legal and regulatory challenges and has consequently fallen several years behind schedule. However, a step forward has just been taken, as the Minister of the Environment, Melissa Price, announced that the government had approved the project. «This project has undergone the most rigorous approval process ever conducted for a mining project in Australia.», ", she added.
Lucas Dow, the director of Adani's subsidiary in Australia, welcomed the news, assuring everyone that the project was indeed «environmentally sustainable.». All that's missing now is the approval of the’State of Queensland, as well as local authorities.
WHAT ARE THE REACTIONS IN AUSTRALIA?
The mining project has therefore just been approved by the conservative Australian government. However, even within the party itself, not all politicians were in agreement. The Australian public also remains deeply divided, as the project could bring almost as many benefits as it could disastrous consequences.
Indeed, the project—which is worth several billion euros—will have unprecedented economic benefits and will create many jobs. However, the price to pay for a thriving economy is the deterioration of the Great Barrier Reef, a place that captivates with both its beauty and its diversity. But, like many natural landscapes, the Great Barrier Reef is now being damaged by numerous threats: agricultural runoff, mudslides, the proliferation of coral-eating starfish, and global warming.
If there's one thing that's certain in Australia Among those opposed to climate change and the project are environmental activists. They remain firmly opposed to the mine, which will extract 60 million metric tons of coal each year and generate more than 130 million metric tons of greenhouse gases. Christian Slattery, spoke on this issue in a press release from the Australian Conservation Coalition: «Coalition lawmakers who are fond of coal appear to have pressured the environment minister into granting Asani access to Queensland's precious groundwater reserves on the eve of the election.».
Indeed, as environmentalists point out, the government’s announcement comes just one month before the elections. According to polls and projections, the current conservative government is expected to be ousted by the Labor opposition, which is projected to win. Will the left-wing party challenge the current government’s decision? Nothing is less certain, because once again, opinions are divided between the creation of hundreds or even thousands of jobs and the potentially disastrous environmental consequences for the Great Barrier Reef. So even if the government changes next month, the Adani mining project could still go ahead.
source: dailygeekshow.com/
