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Take the challengeEnvironment minister Greg Hunt may be required to reconsider his approval of the Carmichael coal mine...
The Guardian reported on Wednesday "the federal court is being asked to overturn the environment minister, Greg Hunt's approval of Indian company Adani's $16.5bn Queensland coalmine because he did not take into account the impact on the Great Barrier Reef of the greenhouse gases emitted when the coal is burned."
Normally, as the Guardian highlighted , environment ministers only consider the CO2 emissions produced during the mining process, not the emissions produced when the coal is burned.
In their environmental impact statement for the project approved by Mr Hunt, Adani was not required to consider emissions from the burning of the coal mined, which will be huge.
The NSW Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) have launched a test case on behalf of the Mackay Conservation Group, arguing that the emissions from burning the estimated 60m tonnes a year of coal to be exported from Adani's Carmichael mine are big enough to have an impact on global warming and therefore on the Great Barrier Reef.
Climate change caused by global warming is one of the biggest threats to the Great Barrier Reef, and burning the 60m tonnes of coal exported from the mine each year would create 130m tonnes of carbon dioxide every year, equivalent to about one quarter of Australia's total emissions.
Basically, that's a lot of CO2 pollution coming from a single mine, and imagine that on top of Australia's current yearly emissions, which lets face it, are already comparatively at the higher end of the scale.
“We will argue that the minister failed to consider the greenhouse gas emissions arising from the burning of coal mined from the project and the impact of those emissions on nationally protected matters, such as the Great Barrier Reef," EDO NSW said.
It could be several months before there is a decision in the case, however, if the court found in favour of the Mackay Conservation Group Mr Hunt may be required to reconsider his approval of the project.
In June of this year, the UNESCO World Heritage committee will also meet in Bonn, Germany to decide if our precious Great Barrier Reef should be put on the 'World Heritage in Danger' list.
Since being listed as World Heritage in 1981 for its 'outstanding universal value' an estimated half of the reef's coral mass has already been lost. If the World Heritage Committee were to officially declare the Reef in danger, this formal listing will expose the reckless development around the Reef and put immense pressure on our government to ensure its protection for generations to come.
Support our campaign urging the world heritage committee to declare the reef in danger here.
It should be said, the Labor opposition also supports coal mining, but not the taxpayer subsidies being offered by the Coalition government.
This new case, the third lodged by environmental and community groups against the Carmichael mine, and the UNESCO ruling in June, are two developments with the protection of the Great Barrier Reef we will follow and keep you updated on.