The "clean coal" agenda of the 2020 summit was jeapordised yesterday when about 50 people put themselves at risk of arrest by walking into the construction site of the No. 3 coal loader on Kooragang Island, in Newcastle.
Sixteen people of all ages were arrested and charged with trespass, and have been bailed to appear in Newcastle Local Court on 13 May.
The construction of the loader is planned to result in the doubling of Newcastle's coal export capacity, already the largest in the world.
Georgina Woods, spokesperson for Rising Tide Newcastle said that she was very proud of what the community had done. "We are willing to put ourselves at risk of arrest, if it will help convince the Governments of Australia that expanding the export coal industry is putting everyone’s future in jeopardy. We may not get another chance."
The group entered the site at 8am, halting all work on the site and remaining there until 9:15am. According to NSW Police, the walk-in cost the construction company $50-60 000.
"The people arrested today are courageous," said NSW Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon. "Future generations will thank them for taking a stand and alerting Australians and indeed the world to the irresponsible actions of coal companies and sympathetic governments."
Solar researcher David Mills' application for the 2020 summit was knocked back. Mills emigrated to the United States early last year, frustrated at the lack of funding for solar thermal power. The work which Mills has since done in the United States would be able to supply over 90% of Australia's baseload power.
Meanwhile, former Xstrata CEO Peter Coates, who was invited, told the summit that Australia's 2020 renewable energy target should be scrapped and replaced with a "clean coal" target.
Yesterday's protesters were reasonably well treated by police, although several protesters were allegedly denied food because they were vegetarian.
The non-violent campaign against the port expansion will continue with Climate Camp, to take place in Newcastle on July 10-15.
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The NSW Government received over 750 submissions against the proposal to construct a third Coal Loader. The fact that it was ratified by one man, Minister Sartor, adequately displays the fossil fuel dictatorship we are currently living under.
==Esperanto==
La agendo de "pura karbo" de la 2020a konferenco hieraux estis kompromita kiam cx. 50 homoj akceptis la riskon de aresto kaj eniris la konstruejon de la N-ro 3 karbosxargxejo sur la Kuraganga Insulo, en Novkastelo.
Dek ses homoj cxiuagxaj arestigxis kaj akuzigxis de kontrauxlegxa eniro. La polico liberigis ilin gxis la 13a de Majo, kiam ili devas sin prezenti cxe la Novkastela Loka Kortumo.
La sxargxejo konstruatas kun la intenco duobligi la karba elhaveniga potenco de la Novkastela haveno, kiu jam elhavenigas pli da karbo ol iu ajn haveno en la mondo.
Georgina Woods, parolulino por Rising Tide Newcastle, diris ke sxi multe fieras pri la agoj de la komunumo. "Ni akceptas la riskon pri aresto, se tio helpos konvinki la Registarojn de Auxstralio ke plilargxigi la elhavenigan karbindustrion kompromitus cxies estontecon. Eble ni ne havos pluan sxancon."
La grupo iris en la konstruejon je la 8a horo a.t.m, kaj cxian laboron cxe la ejo haltigxis gxis la grupo foriris je la 9:15 a.t.m. Laux la NSKa Polico, la eniro kostis al la korporacio AU$50-60 000 (€30 000-35 000).
"La homoj kiuj arestigxis cxi tie hodiaux estas kuragxaj," diris Lee Rhiannon, Verdula parlamentano en NSK. "Venontaj generacioj dankos ilin cxar ili kontrauxstaris kaj avertis Auxstralion kaj ecx la mondon pri la malrespondecaj agoj de la karbindustrio kaj de amikaj registraroj."
David Mills, prisercxisto pri sunenergio, aligxis al la 2020a konferenco sed oni ne invitis lin. Mills elmigris al Usono frue en 2007, frustrigxinte pri la manko de registara subvencio por sunakva energio (angle: solar thermal). La laboro kiun Mills jam faris en Usono povus provizi pli ol 90% de la longdauxra energio de Auxstralio.
Intertempe, la ekscxefo de Xstrata, Peter Coates, kiun oni jam invitis, informis la konferencon ke oni devus forgesi la 2020an celon pri renovigebla energio en Auxstralio kaj anstatauxigi gxin per celo pri "pura karbo".
La manifestaciantoj hieraux estis gxentile traktita de la polico, kvankam oni rifuzis nutri plurajn manifestaciantojn cxar ili estas vegetaranoj.
La neviolenta kampanjo kontraux la havenplilargxigo dauxros kun KlimatKampo, kiu okazos en Novkastelo de la 10a gxis la 15a de Julio.
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