Opposition to Coal Mining and Coal Seam Gas
Climate activist Peter Gardner is completely opposed to any development of coal seam gas (CSG), tight gas, shale gas or any new coal mines in Victoria. He is standing in the seat of Gippsland East in the forthcoming State election as an independent.
Gardner stated that: “All these projects are putting more greenhouse gases in the air when we should be working to avoid them completely. To avoid worst case climate scenarios such as low level runaway global warming we first need to stabilise these emissions and then to quickly reduce them.”
“We have to wean ourselves off dirty coal and any other developments that increase our greenhouse gas output. Escaping methane from gas wells is a far more potent greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide and CSG as an energy source may be no better than dirty coal.”
Gardner’s opposition to coal and CSG is primarily motivated by climate change but he recognises that there are many other objections to this form of mining including the process of fracking, the threat to groundwater, air and water pollution, and the loss of good farming land and Gippsland’s image as clean food producer.
Whilst Gardner’s opposition to CSG and coal mining is obvious his objection to other mining projects is also based on climate change. He states: “All mining projects should be subsidy free and carbon neutral. In particular the large number of vehicles trucking ore concentrates from Benambra to Geelong or from Nowa Nowa to Eden should be taken into account before these operations are allowed to proceed. This includes the proposed mineral sands projects at Mossiface and Glenaladale.” He noted that these projects have many of the same faults as CSG and coal mining.
“I have an unnegotiable position of complete opposition to all CSG, unconventional gas and coal projects. The electors of East Gippsland can send a strong message to Spring St. (and also to Canberra) by giving me your vote before casting your second preference to the party of your choice.”
Gardner is offering a range of policies that he hopes will reinvigorate small country towns as well as starting to reduce emissions and adapt to the warming that is already ‘in the pipeline’.