Issue #135 April 2019 chain RRP $5.50 reacti n The National Magazine of Friends of the Earth www.foe.org.au

Students strike for climate action!

Gender justice and dismantling patriarchy ; in Christchurch Australian miners linked to death and destruction abroad Gene editing experts call for a moratorium Adani law firm’s ‘attack dog’ strategy Aboriginal voices missing from Murray-Darling crisis Why waste-carbon injection is dangerous War, blood lust and the Avalon Airshow How privatisation and economic reform backfired Friends of the Earth Australia contacts www.foe.org.au | www.facebook.com/FoEAustralia National Liaison Officers: Local Groups Phil Evans, [email protected] FoE FoE Quit Coal: Zianna Fuad, [email protected] Claire Anderson, 0455 958 270, c/- CCSA, 111 Franklin St. PO Box 222, Fitzroy, 3065. Kate Wattchow, [email protected] [email protected], Adelaide SA 5000. Street address – 312 Smith St, Collingwood Catherine Hearse, [email protected] David Faber (Adelaide) David Faber, [email protected] (03) 9419 8700, 1300 852081 (Freecall) www.quitcoal.org.au Robin Taubenfeld , 0411 118 737 www.adelaide.foe.org.au [email protected] [email protected], www.melbourne.foe.org.au www.facebook.com/quitcoalvic Bridgetown Greenbushes Anisa Rogers (Melb) [email protected] www.facebook.com/foemelbourne [email protected], @JustEnergyVic Friends of the Forest Ed Mortimer () www.instagram.com/foemelbourne River Country Campaign: REGULAR ITEMS Cam Villani (Melb) PO Box 461, Bridgetown, WA, 6255. Membership and fundraising coordinator Megan Williams, 0452 366 605 Zianna Fuad (Melb), [email protected], FoE Australia Contacts inside front cover Jemila Rushton, [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.bgff.org.au, Join Friends of the Earth 4 (03) 9419 8700, 0426 962 506 www.melbournefoe.org.au/river_country Richard Wittenoom 0427 611 511 Friends of the Earth Australia News 5 International Act on Climate: Sustainable Cities Campaign: FoE CONTENTS Liaison Officers Leigh Ewbank, 0406 316 176 Rachel Lynskey, 0481 288 211 Subscribe to Chain Reaction 9 20 Burke St, Woolloongabba [email protected], [email protected], Chloe Aldenhoven (Melb), 0432 328 107 (above Reverse Garbage Qld). www.actonclimate.org.au @WeSustainCities [email protected], PO Box 8227 Woolloongabba, Qld, 4102 STUDENTS STRIKE FOR CLIMATE ACTION Waste & Consumption campaign Emma Harvey (Melb), ph (07) 3171 2255, ACE Nuclear Free Collective: 150,000 students strike for climate action around Australia 10 [email protected] [email protected], Jim Green, 0417 318 368 Anine Cummins, [email protected] Edition #135 − April 2019 Franklin Bruinstroop (Bris), 0466 319 323 https://brisbane.foe.org.au [email protected], Yes 2 Renewables: Why these Australian students will strike for climate change action 11 [email protected], Jessica Lawson [email protected] Pat Simons, 0415 789 961 Publisher - Friends of the Earth, Australia Peace, anti-nuclear and clean The climate change strike: from a student who was there – Aceda Rose 12 Pat Simons (Melb), 0415 789 961 [email protected] Chain Reaction ABN 81600610421 energy (PACE) campaign: Coal & Gas Free : [email protected], www.yes2renewables.org FoE Australia ABN 18110769501 Climate change is sexist: why I’m striking to support girls around the globe – Lauren Lancaster 13 Robin Taubenfeld, 0411 118 737 Ursula Alquier, [email protected] Sam Cossar-Gilbert, @yes2renewables www.foe.org.au [email protected] @PACECollective Dirt Radio: FoE youtube.com/user/FriendsOfTheEarthAUS June Norman (Bris), 0438 169 414 [email protected] www.3cr.org.au/dirtradio, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY Mondays 10:30am and [email protected], twitter.com/FoEPerth twitter.com/FoEAustralia [email protected], Pacific & Torres Strait Islands Solidarity: International Women’s Day needs to return to its 14 Tuesdays 9:30am on 3CR, www.facebook.com/FriendsofthePEarth/ Wendy Flannery, 0439 771 692 www.facebook.com/FoEAustralia radical roots – Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and Ana Ines Abelenda Financial contributions [email protected], www.facebook.com/DirtRadio Local contact: Karun Cowper flickr.com/photos/foeaustralia Tara Stevenson, [email protected] 0420 714 427 [email protected] Gender justice and dismantling patriarchy 15 FoE Far North Economic Justice Collective: (03) 9419 8700, 1300 852 081(Freecall) www.melbourne.foe.org.au/economic_ FoE Southwest WA PO Box 795, Kuranda, Qld, 4881. Chain Reaction website International Women’s Day 2019 16 justice, [email protected] Membership issues Ph John Glue 0477 771 384 Joan Jenkins (South Bunbury), 0428 389 087, [email protected] www.foe.org.au/chain-reaction Melbourne: (03) 9419 8700, 0426 962 506 email [email protected] or [email protected] Food co-op: RACISM IN AUSTRALIA; TERRORISM IN CHRISTCHURCH www.foefnq.org.au, [email protected], ph (03) 9417 4382 Jemila Rushton, [email protected] FoE Sydney Chain Reaction contact details Other states − see Local Group contacts. www.facebook.com/FriendsoftheEarthFNQ Jason Ray, [email protected] Calling out those who created a toxic environment for Muslims – Susie Latham 33 Forest Collective: PO Box 222,Fitzroy, Victoria, 3065. www.foe.org.au/Sydney [email protected], email: [email protected] Tears for Christchurch: Australia first imported hate in 1788. 34 www.facebook.com/foesydney www.melbournefoe.org.au/forests phone: (03) 9419 8700 Now we’re in the export business. – Chris Graham National campaigns, projects and spokespeople twitter.com/FOESydney

Anti-Nuclear and Clean Energy (ACE): Latin America Indigenous Chain Reaction team Jim Green (Melb), 0417 318 368 communities solidarity: OTHER ARTICLES Affiliate members Jim Green, Tessa Sellar [email protected], Marisol Salinas, [email protected] Australian Student Dirty deeds: how to stop Australian miners abroad being linked to death and destruction – Julia Dehm 18 Robin Taubenfeld (Bris), 0411 118 737 The Hub Foundation, Castlemaine Murray-Darling Basin Plan: Environment Network (ASEN) Layout & Design [email protected], http://mash.org.au/about-the-hub-foundation Gina and Twiggy’s South American adventure – Anthony Amis 20 Megan Williams, 0452 366 605 [email protected], www.asen.org.au, Claire Anderson (Perth), 0455 958 270 [email protected], 0455 589 065 Tessa Sellar Leading gene editing experts call for a moratorium on its use in humans – Louise Sales 22 [email protected] www.facebook.com/asen.org.au, [email protected], In Our Nature Climate Frontlines (Pacific & Torres Anisa 0434 623 164, Lily 0432 023 705, Printing Adani’s new law firm put forward ‘trained attack dog’ strategy for waging legal ‘war’– Josh Robertson 23 Climate Justice: Kitobo Colobus Project in Kenya. Strait Islands Climate Justice) Ruby 0472 525 719. Arena Printing and Publishing, Melbourne Aboriginal voices are missing from the Murray-Darling 24 Leigh Ewbank, 0406 316 176 Julian Brown, [email protected] Wendy Flannery (Bris), 0439 771 692 Community Foods Cairns Printed on recycled paper Basin crisis – Bradley J. Moggridge and Ross M. Thompson [email protected], Market Forces [email protected] Patricia Gates and Peter Reay, Cam Walker, 0419 338 047 Julien Vincent, [email protected] Policy and politicians are failing our environment and our future – Bennett 25 ph (07) 4041 5335, [email protected], Pesticides & Drinking Water: www.marketforces.org.au, Subscriptions [email protected], The major parties really don’t care that much about the environment – Henry Boer 27 Anthony Amis (Melb), [email protected] @market_forces, Six issues (two years) A$33 Climate and Health: www.comfoods.org.au, Why waste-carbon injection is a dangerous distraction 28 Harry Jennens, 0417 418 225 Renewable Energy: www.facebook.com/MarketForces Twelve issues (four years) A$60 www.facebook.com/communityfoodscairns/ See subscription ad in this issue of Chain Reaction from climate action – Catherine Hearse, Zianna Fuad and Kate Wattchow [email protected], Pat Simons, 0415 789 961 Reverse Garbage Queensland Co-op Ltd Earthworker Cooperative (or see website and contact details above). [email protected] 20 Burke Street, Woolloongabba, 4102 Hinchinbrook Island open for business – Ingrid Marker 30 Coal and Energy Justice: Dan Musil, 0432 485 869 Ph 3891 9744 Chain Reaction is published three times a year Chloe Aldenhoven, 0432 328 107 Save the Reef: [email protected] Electric cars are OK, but public transport is better – Rachel Lynskey 31 [email protected] [email protected] June Norman (Bris), 0438 169 414 www.earthworkercooperative.com.au www.reversegarbageqld.com.au ISSN 2208-584X War, what is it good for ... besides blood lust and the Avalon Airshow? – Dave Sweeney 32 Charlie , [email protected] [email protected], www.facebook.com/Earthworkercoop www.facebook.com/reversegarbageqld Moira Williams Sustainable Cities & Public Transport: @Earthworkercoop WWF benefiting from histories of human rights abuse– Lian Sinclair 38 @ReverseGarbageQ Copyright: Community Energy: Rachel Lynskey, 0481 288 211 GM Free Australia Alliance Protecting grassy plains west of Melbourne – Ben Courtice 41 Sustainable Energy Now (WA) Written material in Chain Reaction is free of Em Gayfer, [email protected] [email protected] Alex Mijatovic, 0449 872 327, The saga of Lynas Corporation and its massive piles of toxic wastes in Malaysia – Lee Tan and K.K. Tan 42 PO Box 341, West Perth WA 6872. copyright unless otherwise indicated or where @WeSustainCities [email protected], Finance, Divestment & Banks www.sen.asn.au, [email protected] material has been reprinted from another source. Tipping Point (climate action) www.gmfreeaustralia.org.au Julien Vincent, [email protected] ph Steve Gates 0400 870 887 Please acknowledge Chain Reaction when reprinting. REVIEWS Militarism: Robin Taubenfeld, www.tippingpoint.org.au, Food Irradiation Watch Tulele Peisa (PNG) − The opinions expressed in Chain Reaction are not [email protected], [email protected] PO Box 5829, West End, Qld, 4101. Wrong Way: How Privatisation and Economic Reform Backfired 44 ‘Sailing the waves on our own’ necessarily those of the publishers or any Friends 0411 118 737 Trade & Economic Justice: [email protected] www.tulele-peisa.org of the Earth group. Not that bad: Dispatches from rape culture 45 Sam Castro, [email protected], Sam Cossar-Gilbert (Melb), www.foodirradiationwatch.org, @FIWatch Director: Ursula Rakova, 0439 569 289 [email protected] ph Robin Taubenfeld 0411 118 737 Adani and the War Over Coal 46 [email protected], Food and Emerging Tech: Unconventional Gas: Goongerah Environment Centre ph 0011 675 7399 4806 The food sharing revolution 47 Louise Sales (Tas) 0435 589 579 Zianna Fuad, [email protected] www.geco.org.au, @eastgippyforest West Mallee Protection (SA) The story of a weed killer, cancer and the corruption of science 48 [email protected], www.facebook.com/GECOEastGippsland War and the Environment: [email protected] The Women’s Atlas 48 www.emergingtech.foe.org.au [email protected], [email protected], Margaret Pestorius, [email protected] www.facebook.com/ ph Ed Hill 0414 199 645 or (03) 5154 0174 Wildlife of the Central Highlands The Mess We’re In – Bernard Keane 49 Robin Taubenfeld, 0411 118 737 FoEEmergingTechProject (WOTCH): [email protected] Healthy Futures Yes Yes Yes: Australia’s journey to marriage equality 49 Maggie Riddington (Vic) Forests: www.healthyfutures.net.au, Wet Tropics: [email protected] , Vandana Shiva: Shattering Illusions, Seeding Freedom 50 Sarah Day, 0474 735 678 [email protected], Ingrid Marker (Qld), www.wotch.org.au, [email protected] Harry 0417 418 225, Kate 0438 347 755 Hoodwinked: How fooled a nation 50 [email protected] www.facebook.com/VICWOTCH Ed Hill, 0414 199 645, [email protected] facebook: Healthy Futures Governing shale gas in the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe 50 0438 688 229 Become a #FriendOfFoE today!! 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2 His murder was perpetrated on the night the indigenous communities and the of Monday 18th March in Sergio’s home in extended family of Sergio Rojas. Active Friends Monthly Donations the community of Yeri, where the defender We also call on the government of Costa of territorial rights was shot 15 times. I’d like to make a monthly donation of: ❏ $20 ❏ $30 ❏ $50 ❏ other $ ($10 min) Rica and the competent authorities and Hours before his assassination, together institutions to expedite the investigations The donation will be by (please fill out appropriate card details below): with other members of the indigenous to find the intellectual and material community, he filed complaints with the perpetrators of this grim crime. We claim ❏ Direct Debit from my bank account (the least admin fees!) ❏ Credit card Public Prosecutor’s Office regarding the it is critical that clear explanations be usurpation of land by non-indigenous Which is your closest local group? given as to why indigenous peoples and persons in their territories, and the their representatives, as in the case of ❏ Australia ❏ Adelaide ❏ Bridgetown (WA) ❏ Brisbane ❏ Far North Queensland constant threats they have suffered Sergio, who are exposed to permanent ❏ Melbourne ❏ Perth ❏ South West WA ❏ Sydney for several years without any effective violence due to their struggle for justice FOE AUSTRALIA NEWS response from the Costa Rican authorities. and the defense of their rights, do not This horrible crime took place despite have the special protection they are Donations the precautionary measures issued by entitled to have, which is also granted Make a one-off donation (over $2.00 is tax-deductible): Donation $ (thank you!) Assassination of the Inter-American Commission on to them by the precautionary measures Human Rights (IACHR) for Salitre, issued by the IACHR. Sergio Rojas in Costa Rica a fact that has shocked the indigenous We believe the only way to prevent the Friends of the Earth Latin America and peoples and social movements in the repetition of cases such as Sergio’s and the Caribbean (ATALC) denounces and Mesoamerican country and the entire the continued actions of extermination 3 condemns the assassination Sergio Rojas, Latin American region. against peoples and their rights to self- Direct Debit a Costa Rican indigenous defender of As an environmental organization determination and their territories is indigenous peoples’ rights and defender of committed to the pursuit of combating impunity and enforcing strict I/We the Bribri del Salitre territory in the south of environmental, social, economic and compliance with the rights to autonomy (Given name) (Family name) Costa Rica who was throughout his lifetime gender justice, working for peoples’ of indigenous peoples in Costa Rica, Request you, until further notice in writing, to debit my/our account described in the schedule below, any amounts which Friends of the Earth Inc may debit or change me/us through our direct debit an unyielding fighter for indigenous peoples’ rights and the rights of defenders based on the effective action of the State. system. I/We understand that 1) the bank/financial institution may in its absolute discretion determine the order of priority of payment by it of any moneys pursuant to this request or any other authority or mandate. 2) The bank/financial institution may in its discretion at any time by notice in writing to me/us terminate the request as to future debits. Bendigo Bank Direct Debit User ID no: 342785 autonomy and self-determination who stood of territories, ATALC expresses our www.foei.org/features/condemnation- up to confront the land-grabbers. solidarity with the Costa Rican people, assassination-sergio-rojas-costa-rica Financial Institution: Branch address:

BSB#: Account#: FoE Melbourne’s Radical Renovation is underway! Name on Account: Signature: For 45 years, Friends of the Earth the budget. No work has been done on has won us a Victorian Renewable Melbourne has been a hub for creative the space for nearly two decades, so Energy Target, banned fracking in Credit Card action planning, workshops, campaign costs for the first stage of the project Victoria, protected the Strzelecki forests ❏ Visa ❏ Mastercard Name on card: info nights and meetings of activist have exceeded all our expectations. and much, much more! All with people collectives fighting for social and With 13 collectives and many volunteers power! Please help us get back to the Card no:______/______/______/______Expiry Date:__ __/__ __ CCV no:______(last 3 digits on back of card) environmental justice. With more relying on the space to use daily, we work we are great at! people than ever getting involved in need your help to get this project The renovations are underway, but with Cardholder’s signature: environmental issues, we have started finished, so that we can get back to increasing costs, every penny we spend to rock the foundations of our humble the job of campaigning for social and over budget will detract from spending home on Smith Street! The space is environmental justice. Cheques on the really important stuff – like literally starting to fall apart around us. There’s a reason we haven’t spent money shutting down the fossil fuel industry, Payable to ‘Friends of the Earth’ In 2018, we secured a grant to help on the space until now. As a grassroots and protecting the last of Victoria’s ❏ Find out more about our Friends Forever bequest program us renovate and work started over the group without a huge cash flow, we precious old growth forests. summer break with essential safety put as many resources as possible into Please make a tax-deductible donation to upgrades (repairing floors, wiring, supporting community activism for help us finish our Radical Renovation at Please return to Friends of the Earth, PO Box 222 Fitzroy, VIC, 3065 and getting to work on the kitchen). climate action. And with good reason. www.chuffed.org/project/radical-reno Ph: 03 9419 8700 Fax: 03 9416 2081 Email: [email protected] There’s just one problem ... we blew Investing in community and volunteers or www.melbourne.foe.org.au/donate Walk this Way Website:foe.org.au ABN: 18 110 769 501 4 4 Chain Chain Reaction Reaction #134 #128 December November 2018 2016 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 5 Australian drinking Good news from FoE Malaysia Use your shares for action on climate change water quality hotspots 14 Feb. 2019 statement Rachel Deans, Shareholder Campaigner Bank, Santos and Oil Search. Many of Anthony Amis: from FoE Malaysia (SAM) at FoE affiliate Market Forces: these resolutions have been successful Since November 2017, I have been We would like to share the victory of a If you have shares in a company, in influencing companies to take climate community that SAM has been working risk into account in their business working on adding data to the Damning logging report finds you have power to influence how that Australian drinking water map, online with for years. This is the Bukit Koman company operates. As a shareholder, operations. But we know this is just a first at https://water.australianmap.net community who live very close to a Victorian department neither you own a piece of the company – step so we’re ramping up the heat and gold mining facility in Raub, Pahang asking 10 companies to operate in line The idea of the map was quite ambitious. ‘effective nor respected’ so you can demand that the company who have been fighting for years to with 1.5°C. They include AGL, ANZ, BHP, It was an attempt to try and identify adopts better policies to protect human shut down the mine. reported Commonwealth Bank, Macquarie, NAB, what are the most common substances rights and the environment. on 25 March 2019: Origin, QBE, Rio Tinto and Westpac. breaching Drinking Water The Vice Chairperson of Bukit Koman The executive board member of the Victoria’s environment department has Guidelines and which communities are Anti Cyanide Committee, Sherly Hue, Australian Prudential Regulation Superannuation funds: Resolutions been so ineffective at regulating logging most impacted. The information so far was sued by Raub Australian Gold Authority (APRA), Geoff Summerhayes, put forward by Market Forces push in state forests that the government- provided is the tip of the iceberg with Mining company for defamation along has said ‘the weight of money, pushed companies to adopt better climate owned forestry enterprise VicForests a mountain of water quality information with two other residents in separate by commercial imperatives such as policies, and they also help to determine has effectively been left to self-regulate, that could be added to the site, when suits. This was for statements she made investment, innovation and reputational the extent to which individual according to an independent review. time allows. Over 1,300 locations have during a press conference announcing factors, is increasingly driving that superannuation funds are supporting The report finds that the Department of now been included in the map. the results for surveys conducted by the shift (to action on climate), rather than action on climate change, versus just communities who were ill as a result Environment, Land, Water and Planning paying it lip service. Super funds manage The information used for the website scientists or policymakers.’ This implies of the mining company’s activities in is “neither an effective nor respected billions of dollars of retirement savings, Cyclone Idai approaching Mozambique is almost all exclusively from published that the mechanisms of capitalism might the vicinity of their village. Yesterday, regulator” and the state’s logging regime using it to invest in companies from just after peak intensity on March 14. water authority water quality monitoring actually be more effective at bringing the Federal Court (the highest court) is “dated, complex, convoluted – indeed the Australian Stock Exchange. Because data. The quality of the data varies about action on climate change than dismissed the appeal of the mining labyrinthine – and difficult to use”. they have a lot of money to invest, they Cyclone devastates Mozambique from state to state and some of the governmental policy – and as customers company and reiterated the decisions of Ed Hill, a forest campaigner with the often have significant shareholdings in information has also necessitated and shareholders, we can really make Tropical Cyclone Idai is regarded as the Court of Appeal and the High Court. Goongerah Environment Centre and individual companies, meaning their Freedom of Information requests. our voices heard. one of the worst tropical cyclones on FoE Melbourne, said the report “shows vote has a lot of weight. They can use What was important from yesterday’s Shareholder resolutions: One of the record to affect Africa and the Southern and to a lesser extent the large number of votes they have to decision was that the court recognised the department aren’t regulating at all”. ways shareholders can maximise their Hemisphere as a whole. The storm Queensland, have been the most send a really strong signal about what the rights of activists to bring to the He welcomed the findings but said the influence on a company is by signing caused catastrophic damage in multiple difficult in terms of getting information. shareholders want the company to do. attention of the authorities when there review did not offer a solution “to the onto a shareholder resolution – a non- nations, leaving more than 400 people Almost all rural water supplies in these Disappointingly, we have seen many were issues affecting communities. ongoing environmental crisis in our binding recommendation put forward dead and hundreds more missing. states are supplied by local governments super funds, who otherwise claim to The Court of Appeal said: “We must not forests caused by unsustainable logging”. to the company board. In Australia if 100 and some testing is infrequent and support climate change action, voting Justica Ambiental (Environmental lose sight of the fact that the existence “The absence of policy certainty for shareholders sign onto a resolution and limited due to the costs involved. against even the most basic resolutions justice) Mozambique – the Friends of activists group is very much part of industry and conservation must be it is lodged, it has to be discussed at the In past issues of Chain Reaction I have such as disclosure of the companies’ of the Earth member group in that today’s society, so much so that it is resolved before any more effort is company’s annual general meeting and discussed what substances are the climate risks. That’s why Market Forces country – said in response to the undeniable that they have contributed directed to working out how to better all shareholders must vote for or against most frequently detected, but have not is also working with people to influence devastating impacts of the cyclone: much to the general well-being of the regulate an industry that is already on a (one vote per share). “We in Mozambique didn’t create the discussed which communities could society at large.” pathway to inevitable change,” Hill said. their superannuation fund and guide be the most impacted. By using Google In the past two years, Market Forces them to take action on climate change. climate crisis but our people are dying The gold mining company is no longer www.theguardian.com/australia- Analytics it is possible to determine have coordinated several company due to more intense weather events like in operation and is under liquidation news/2019/mar/25/damning-logging- There are a number of ways that you can which pages on the website have been resolutions pushing for disclosure of Cyclone Idai, which hit Mozambique but we continue to fight because the report-finds-victorian-department- help to bring about much-needed change” receiving the most attention. From these companies’ climate change risk. Some of and neighbouring countries, and causing mine now needs to be closed and neither-effective-nor-respected • If you own shares, let us know which searches it is also possible to determine the companies targeted include insurer utter devastation and suffering. rehabilitated. The question remains companies you’re a shareholder of. which communities have received the QBE, Origin Energy, Commonwealth The people of central Mozambique as to who will pay for the rehabilitation Hermitage Creek in Toolangi. Go to www.marketforces.org.au/get- most traffic. Most of the communities need emergency relief from the floods. cost. We have taken this issue up with involved/use-your-shares/ and fill out frequently listed are small communities We need solidarity. the government and we are waiting to our form so we can get in touch. “We also need the whole world with populations <15,000 people. The top see what they intend to do. 10 are Roma (Queensland), Queenstown • If you have shares in AGL, ANZ, BHP, especially rich countries to stop dirty Both SAM and the Bukit Koman Commonwealth bank, Macquarie, energy now, and stop funding fossil fuel (), Kingaroy (Qld), Katherine (NT), Port Augusta (SA), Healesville community would like to record our NAB, Origin, QBE, Rio Tinto or extraction and dams in our countries! sincere thanks and appreciation to Westpac you can ask them to We need Climate Justice!” (Victoria), Oakey (Qld), Griffith (NSW), Zeehan (Tas), and Cobram (Vic). Friends of the Earth International and operate within 1.5°C by signing Justica Ambiental: to friends who have supported this on at www.marketforces.org.au/get- Governments will spend the most https://ja4change.wordpress.com, community one way or another. involved/2019-shareholder-resolutions/ money in terms of water supply www.facebook.com/ja4change Theirs is a sweet victory after years of • If your retirement savings are being protection in major cities where the fighting against this mining company. bulk of the population live. It is often managed by a super fund, go to smaller, sometimes isolated communities Interview with legal counsel Gurdial superswitch.org.au/funds and see if that bare the brunt of poorer water Singh Nijar: www.youtube.com/ your money is being invested in fossil quality as infrastructure costs are not so watch?v=WdcFTvN0Acs fuels. You can then fill out a form to easily met. These smaller communities www.foe-malaysia.org either thank your super fund for doing the right thing, or ask them to do more also are possibly more aware of drinking www.facebook.com/ to take action on climate change. water issues than cities, where the FriendsoftheEarthMalaysia quality is generally better, so perhaps For more information on Market Forces the statistics which communities and to support our work, visit are most concerned about what they www.marketforces.org.au are drinking and bathing in.

6 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 7 Act on Climate update: The push Federal ALP Policy Platform Made in Morwell – Dignified for bold climate action in 2019 green jobs in coal country Robyn Wood, FoE Adelaide FoE Melbourne’s Act on Climate The ALP met for three days in late is no longer any credible or serious FoE Australia affiliate collective is rested, recharged, and December in Adelaide to finalise their scientific doubt that human-induced Earthworker reports: ready for another big year. Before we national policy platform for the next climate change represents a massive Production has started at the fill you in on our priorities in 2019, three years. There were wins for the risk to Australia and the world. The Earthworker Energy Manufacturing it’s worth noting our impact during environment with the party promising recent IPCC report indicates that we Cooperative (EEMC), a worker-run solar the Victorian state election year. Our to set up a new Federal Environment are experiencing a climate emergency, hot water factory in Morwell, in the sustained campaign to hold the Liberal Protection Agency and new and as a result, meaningful action on heart of Victoria’s coal region. EEMC Party to account for a head-in-the sand environmental laws in their first term climate change is urgent, at home and is a part of the broader Earthworker approach to climate change had a of government. This was achieved by internationally. Labor will take strong ecosystem, which includes the Redgum huge impact. The absence of a climate a grassroots campaign within the party action on climate change to mitigate Cleaning Cooperative (redgumcleaning. policy is considered a key reason why by rank-and-file members engaged by the risks and impacts of climate change coop), and several other emerging the haemorrhaged votes in internal volunteer lobby group the Labor on Australian society and economy, and worker-cooperatives. the November election. In his first Environment Action Network. to take advantage of the opportunities press conference, new opposition As a worker-cooperative where each The important work of environmental transitioning to a low pollution economy leader Michael O’Brien noted the need member has an equal say, EEMC is a organisations was acknowledged: represent for workers, businesses and to engage with climate policy and model of economic democracy. It is also “Labor shares the passion of local Australia more broadly.” has appointed David Morris as the a practical example of the green jobs we environment conservation and health The policy on national nuclear waste has Coalition’s first Shadow Minister for need to ensure regional communities groups. Their contribution to protecting been updated to: “Labor acknowledges Climate Change. are not left behind as fossil fuels are and preserving Australia’s environment that radioactive waste management is a inevitably phased out. Importantly, In an acknowledgment that our call for and the wellbeing of all Australians complex policy challenge that requires EEMC is a rebuke to the argument that investment in climate action is being by climate change, amplifying their Climate Budget. The government is invaluable. These groups play an the highest levels of transparency we must always choose between jobs heard by Labor, Minister for Climate voices, and getting them organised must ramp up investment if it’s to important role in mobilising government and evidence, while balancing the and a healthy ecology. Change Lily D’Ambrosio recently action on local environmental issues need of the community to benefit and on the radar of politicians. deliver emissions cuts and protect EEMC is now able to fulfill orders announced a $1 million grant scheme for and are critical, active participants in from treatments for diseases like 2. Bold and ambitious climate targets communities from impacts. The for solar hot water systems – made regions to investigate change impacts. Yet broader national conversations on issues cancer. Accordingly, Labor will act in in Victoria. Almost a decade ago, investment in public transport, in Morwell – including a new high a greater level of investment is needed. such as climate change.” accordance with scientific evidence, climate campaigners secured the renewable energy, and infrastructure performing CO2 heat pump and Now the dust has settled from the state and with full transparency, broad public passage of the Victorian Climate upgrades a Climate Budget would Specific mention is made in the platform evacuated tube solar hot water systems. election we’re returning our focus input and best practice technical and Change Act. In 2017 the act was deliver will create thousands of jobs, that “Labor will ensure the knowledge The Victorian Government is currently securing bold and ambitious climate consultative standards, taking into strengthened, legislating a target and draws parallels to the ‘Green New and rights of Aboriginal and Torres offering Solar Hot Water Rebates that action in Victoria. account the views of traditional owners, of zero-net emissions by 2050 and Deal’ gathering momentum in the Strait Islander peoples are central can be used with EEMC systems. Getting to progress responsible radioactive Our priorities in 2019: requirement to set interim Emissions . in environment protection laws, an energy saving solar hot water product waste management.” 1. Finding the front lines of climate Reduction Targets every five years. The community members that drive programs and policies”. for your home, school, business or change impacts. The communities Today’s climate campaigners have a the Act on Climate campaign meet Climate change and environmental It will be up to us to evaluate Labor’s community group is a powerful way affected by coal power generation, responsibility to engage in the process every Monday night to plan actions and protections are addressed in Chapter election promises they make in to support the growth of a strong, those resisting new fossil fuel and push for bold and ambitious make things happen. You’re welcome 4: “Tackling climate change, securing reference to the policy platform during democratic social sector of the economy projects, and those benefitting Emissions Reduction Targets. The to join us at Friends of the Earth in our energy future & addressing our the upcoming federal election campaign. – and help foster a ‘just transition’ for from the transition to renewable state government will soon resume Collingwood for an action group environmental challenges”. On climate The 309-page ALP national policy the Latrobe Valley. energy are well known. But a voice the process of setting Victoria’s first meeting. They kick off at 6pm. change the platform says: “There platform is posted at EEMC: https://earthworkerenergy.coop missing from the debate are the climate targets for 2025 and 2030. www.alp.org.au/about/national-platform Contact: [email protected], Earthworker Cooperative: communities already facing climate 3. Building momentum for a Climate or 0406 316 176 https://earthworkercooperative.com.au impacts. In 2019, Act on Climate Budget. We will continue our long- www.actonclimate.org.au will be undertaking detective work term campaign for Victoria’s first to unearth communities impacted

Cleaning up corporate Australia

Julien Vincent from FoE affiliate Market greenhouse gas emissions. That would at least some of the time. We consume Forces reported on 8 March 2019: limit the risk faced by the company, but food that contains embedded emissions. One way to tell we’re on the right also the planet’s risk of hitting runaway That doesn’t make you, or me, or anyone track is when Resources Minister climate change. in this movement hypocrites. It just Matthew Canavan attacks us. Well, And then in stumbled Canavan, ranting means we need to change the system today, he went “full online troll” on that people who had steel products were we live in. And that’s what we’re doing. us, calling Market Forces “the greatest hypocritical for wanting to do something The resolution we filed with Rio Tinto hypocrite on Earth” for living in homes about climate change, and it should be is one of ten we have begun to that contain steel. We’d just filed a left to politicians to work out. This is coordinate with shareholders eager shareholder resolution on Rio Tinto, a the same bloke who also said “now” is to see companies line up their actions massive producer of steel-making iron the time to be building new coal power with the goals of the Paris Agreement. ore, which is a commodity at risk if stations. Um… no thanks, Matt. In total, the companies we’re targeting the world is going to meet the goals of All of us live in a world that is still (so far) are worth $607 billion, nearly the Paris Agreement. Rio Tinto even dominated by fossil fuels and their 40% of the ASX 100. Together, we are acknowledges it has a problem with products. We live and work in buildings pushing corporate Australia to be part iron ore mining, the resolution just asks that contain steel and concrete. We get of the climate solution. the company to set targets to reduce around in ways that burn fossil fuels www.marketforces.org.au

8 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 9 150,000 students strike for Why these Australian students will climate action around Australia strike for climate change action

An estimated 150,000 students and adult over 15,000 Australian school students went on Published by the ABC the day before the March 15 strikes: Top: Joss at the students’ supporters across Australia joined massive, strike, defying Prime Minister ’s strike for climate, Melbourne, vibrant, nationwide climate strikes on March 15, orders not to. A similar number hit the streets a 15 March 2019 “Politicians that have been in power for so long have let us down,” in over 60 cities and towns across the nation, week later, in response to Adani’s announcement Bottom: Students’ says Aisheeya Huq, 16, from western Sydney. demanding immediate and urgent leadership from it would self-fund its Carmichael mine. strike for climate, Sydney, “They need to show us that they are willing to make Australian politicians to tackle climate change. 15 March 2019. A national Reachtel poll conducted on 12 March changes for us and our futures.” Sixteen-year-old Nosrat Fareha from western 2019 found that a majority of Australians (54%) Aisheeya’s activism is partly inspired by Sydney said, “The turn out across Australia support the student strikers’ demands (stop the low-lying home country of her parents. was nothing short of amazing. Politicians have Adani, no new coal and gas projects, 100% responded with indifference to our crippling renewable energy by 2030) and of this, a sizeable “My parents came from Bangladesh which is a country summer of record heat, bushfires and floods. number (42%) ‘strongly support’ them. severely affected by climate change,” she says. It’s no wonder so many came out in support The Australian school strike movement began “Many people are losing their homes and livelihoods.” today. With the federal election around the last year when students were inspired by 15-year- She’s also watched her home city swelter under heatwaves in recent years. corner, our political leaders must commit to stop old Swedish student Greta Thunberg who has “I live in western Sydney where the effects of climate change the Adani coal mine, say no to new coal and been striking outside Swedish Parliament every are also felt to quite an alarming degree,” she says. gas projects and transition to 100% renewable Friday since August 2018. Thunberg said: “I She says the science on climate change is clear, energy by 2030. There’s no time to stand by and often hear adults say: ‘We need to give the next and the time for action is now. wait for the bold action we need. We will keep generation hope’. But I don’t want your hope. I organising, building our movement and riding want your panic. I want you to feel the fear I do. “If you don’t expose yourself to the science that’s the wave of community frustration until Scott Every day. And I want you to act. I want you to very clearly presented, then you’re not going to Morrison and step up to the job.” behave like our house is on fire. Because it is.” try to understand what we are standing for,” she says. Students are discussing further strikes if they Internationally, well over one million students “There’s so much research going on showing what the world don’t see action from politicians. Other plans took action on March 15, in about 130 countries. will look like, so many cities and countries will go underwater. include #ClimateElection KickStart meetings “We can’t afford not to take action.” to make plans to pressure politicians to show More information: climate leadership, and local climate change schoolstrike4climate.com candidate forums where candidates will be vimeo.com/user90744430 challenged by school students to commit to stop Adani and act on climate change. twitter.com/StrikeClimate Doha Khan, a student from Adelaide, says she’s “very lucky” to have the support of both her parents and her school to go on strike. The March 15 school strikes were 10 times the facebook.com/pg/StrikeClimate size of last November’s strikes. Last November, flickr.com/photos/160136040@N02/albums “I think a big reason why my mum and my dad are so supportive is that they’ve always pressed that as people who have privilege it is our job to speak out for people who do not,” she says. “Climate change affects the people that contribute the least to it. “When you have privilege it’s important to speak up.” Doha has specific demands for the changes she wants to see from government. “We want the Labor Party and the to stop Adani, not allow any new fossil projects to be set up, and commit to 100 per cent renewables by 2030,” she says. “If action isn’t taken then this movement is only going to grow and continue as more people get frustrated by the inaction.”

Tully -Young, from Townsville, says the extreme weather that has lashed the city recently is a stark example of the effects of climate change. “The flood we just had wasn’t just a normal flood, it was a one-in-100-year event. It was a horrendous flood,” she says. The flood hit after an extended period of drought, and Tully says it’s helped to shape conversation in city that is “quite divided on the issue of climate change”. “Both the flooding rains and the droughts have gotten worse through the effects of climate change, and it’s easier to talk to people about climate change when they have experienced it,” she says. Students’ strike for climate, Sydney, 15 March 2019.

10 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 11 Climate change is sexist: The climate change strike: why I’m striking to support from a student who was there girls around the globe

Aceda Rose Lauren Lancaster So here’s me, amid a crowd of fired up March 15 – Around the world, young people adolescents and children, facing what could be are mobilising to fight inaction on the most the downfall of everything we’ve ever known; pressing issue of our time: global warming. As climate change. the generation facing the full impacts of climate The climate strike was a worldwide event that was change, we’re urging decisive, radical change. held in over 100 countries, and in 2000 locations. In cities from Sydney to Sweden, school students The movement gained massive crowds in 2018, are going on strike, and girls are leading the after Greta Thunberg, a Swedish 16-year-old, charge – the School Strikes for Climate movement inspired many in her profound speech at the UN was started by 16-year-old Swedish student Greta Climate Change Conference, stating she’s learned Thunberg, outside the Swedish Parliament. that you are never too small to make a difference. I attended the rally in Sydney last November, and The students I marched with felt it was will be there again today. What struck me was not important to adopt the same hunger for change just how motivating it was to see young people by not attending school for one day, to march and out in force – protesting for our future – but also protest with fellow community members instead. to see how many of the rally organisers were young women, from schools around the state. Many of us faced disappointment and frustration from teachers, politicians and administrators for But why should girls more widely be especially taking the day off school. concerned? Because girls and young women face disproportionate impacts from climate change. Yes, Yet, we all felt it was important to recognise that’s right – climate change is sexist. The gendered that our planet is far more important than any aspect to climate change is complex and pressing. grade. This made the issue far more political and Students’ strike for climate, Melbourne, 15 March 2019. Leading girls’ rights agency Plan International’s rebellious than it has been in the past, but many work with research bodies around the world such Child marriage also rises in times of crisis, with families sometimes using it as students said although they don’t want it to be a as Stockholm Environment Institute in Thailand a way to ease economic hardship or to protect girls from violence and abuse. political statement and more of a human rights has revealed that as the impacts of global warming movement, they feel there is no other choice. It is clear that climate change is an intergenerational equity issue. Lack of worsen, women and girls are at higher risk of action now will have serious implications on the rights of future generations On this steaming hot day, we heard speeches physical, psychological and social harm. of children, particularly girls. from different environmentalists and carers of the Climate change magnifies global inequality to a land, followed by chants and songs to liberate the Nations must include girls in decision-making and policy processes around terrifying degree – as weather events and natural crowd. We then walked down to the beach, signs climate change. For too long, we have been left out of these discussions – disasters worsen in strength and duration, so too in hand and made a formation spelling out “SOS” our voices ignored, despite the fact that we stand to lose among the most. do famines, droughts, forced migration, climate- on the sand. This was recorded on drones and I know how it feels to be ignored. I’ve called local MPs, only to be hung up fuelled conflict and disease epidemics. In turn, shared over various news channels that night. on when I told them my age. Emails that I’ve taken time to carefully write, all of these events disproportionately affect girls urging Coalition and Labor politicians to publicly denounce the Adani coal Being one of the protestors I can say it was quite and young women. simply more powerful and inspiring than any day mine in Queensland, are met with platitudinous auto-generated responses. Girls and young women in developing countries I’ve ever had at school! I think I learned so much Media have since reported that neither major party will leave coal behind are the first to suffer from lack of food and water, about our roles and rights as citizens in a free society for the next election. as they are ‘often the last in the family to eat and about our obligations in a democracy by being Climate change is the single most pressing global challenge that affects and the first to go hungry when food is in short involved. Education is about more than marks. us all. It’s already wreaking havoc on the health, safety and future of girls supply,’ according to a 2018 report from Plan around the world. We can lessen the impacts but we need to act now, Although the climate strike is not about one Sunshine Coast students’ climate strike, 15 March 2019. International and SEI. particular event or scenario, encapsulating many before it’s too late. As Shellie Joseph, one of the organisers of the Sunshine Coast strike stated When families face economic hardship from different situations worldwide, the climate strike Young people will not be silenced. We will not listen to those who tell us “no one is benefiting from this,” meaning the Adani mine has no winners. drought or disaster, girls are at greater risk of event I attended (on Queensland’s Sunshine we should stay in school. We will keep striking, advocating and making And we reckoned she couldn’t be more right. The Adani mine would being pulled out of school to help the household Coast) was heavily focused on a potential local noise to put pressure on our governments to act. Our voices matter. destroy our economy, reputation and most importantly, ruin the lives and save money. Their burden of chores becomes horror, the Adani mine. of everyday Australians and their resources and climate. greater and more dangerous when they have to By calling our MPs, going to school strikes, joining youth climate and social This issue further engaged the marchers as it is justice organisations and educating ourselves, we are showing politicians I feel very grateful I was able to be a part of such an amazing movement, journey further for clean water. something most people are heavily against and that we will not stop until radical policy change is achieved. surrounded by people who are all passionate about caring for this planet Girls displaced by disaster or conflict face would hate to see go through. It gave just one we are so lucky to inhabit. particular risks when migrating or living in We are the future – we cannot sit back and watch as our own future slips example of what appalling projects our politicians refugee camps. They may be exposed to violence away in front of our eyes. are allowing to proceed in the face of clear To be one of them and part of a worldwide movement was the best lesson. from their own families, from other people living Lauren Lancaster is a youth activist with Plan International Australia. evidence of climate change and its impacts, even I realised that together we can make an impact, as Thunberg preached, in the camps, soldiers, or criminal networks of at the expense of places like the Great Barrier “the real power belongs to the people.” Reprinted from New Matilda, 15 March 2019, www.newmatilda.com traffickers and gangs. Reef, an Australian treasure and a world wonder. Aceda Rose, 15, is a Sunshine Coast school student and author.

12 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 13 International Women’s Day Gender justice needs to return to its radical roots and dismantling patriarchy

Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and Ana Ines Abelenda Women are disproportionately affected by “For me, ending patriarchy – especially in Africa – is like putting an March 5, 2019 – The theme for International environmental injustice, climate change, end to most of the heartfelt day-to-day setbacks of women, ranging Women’s Day this year doesn’t resonate with us. disasters and the exploitation of Nature. This is from oppression, denial of their rights and lack of power to make #BalanceForBetter brings to mind slow gradual especially so for women of colour, peasant and decisions. There is nothing for us, without us. If as a federation we change, and assumes that if you provide women indigenous women, LBTQ women and women say no to capitalism and its pillars, which are deeply rooted, then and girls with equal access then the society will workers. Despite this, women are not victims. patriarchy that feeds into capitalism must be wiped out first to allow automatically be better. We know that’s false. We are fighters. Women are protagonists in equal participation of all us in the struggle.” the defense of our territories and the fight for – Peruth Atukwatse, NAPE / FoE Uganda Access to a broken capitalist system that privileges autonomy over our bodies, lives and labour force. the richest 1% over the rest of the world means Friends of the Earth (FoE) International believes “Gender Justice and Dismantling Patriarchy work is the solution to that the most marginalised communities the flourishing gender injustices that thrive within and around us. (including women, girls, trans and gender non- that social and environmental justice is only This work is the key to achieving a sustainable and just environment conforming people) exist in unjust, precarious achievable through a radical transformation management of some basic schools on a private basis. This decision is for peoples in work streams, work places, communities and planet. and fragile societies. This coupled with the of our societies. We seek justice and freedom being disputed by a number of Teacher Unions including the Teachers & increasing privatisation of what should be from all systems that devalue and exploit Women’s rights are Human Rights. We are women, we are Africans. Educational Workers Union of Ghana, the Coalition of Concerned Teachers common resources for everyone (including the women, peoples and the environment, including We are Friends of the Earth. There is No System Change or Gender the National Association of Graduate Teachers, and the Ghana National basics of land and water), as well as the corporate patriarchy, racism, (neo)colonialism, class Justice without us!” – Rita Uwaka, ERA / FoE Nigeria Association of Teachers. oppression, capitalism and heteronormativity. takeover of many public services endangers the “The factors and systems that lead to the exploitation of natural lives and wellbeing of poor people. The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of These systems cannot be tackled in isolation; Teachers described the move “as subtle and eventual privatization, they reinforce one another in the constant drive resources also defend patriarchy and lead to violations against In a recent submission to the United commercialization and commodification of public education in Ghana.” for material accumulation and for the benefit women that create injustice and inequality. Friends of the Earth Nations Secretary General, the African This trend of Government reaching out to the private sector to manage and privilege of elites in society. International as a federation working to change systems and promote Women’s Development Network for the education sector has also been witnessed in other parts of West Africa justice has to invest in dismantling all unequal and unjust power bases Communications (FEMNET) and the Association FoE is committed to working for gender including Liberia. justice throughout our federation and for the including patriarchy and must thrive to empower women, ensure their for Women’s Rights in Development stated: unhindered access to natural resources and strengthen their economic, “Neoliberal economic policies promoted There is no doubt that significant investments in the education sectors are dismantling of patriarchy in our societies. We required. Sadly, governments in the Global South are looking for these resources see grassroots, anti-capitalist feminism as a key political and bodily autonomy within our organizations and societies.” around the globe by a growing majority of – Rizwana Hasan, BELA / FoE Bangladesh governments with the support and pressure of in the wrong places. The landmark report by the High Level Panel on Illicit theoretical concept and political in the fight international financial institutions (including Financial Flows from Africa (also known as the Mbeki report) indicated that for women’s autonomy, equality between women “As a female and an environmental activist, I recognize the issue of through conditional loans), have intensified the Africa is losing more than US$50 billion per year in illicit financial flows. and men, between peoples and between people dismantling patriarchy as a key point in achieving climate justice. and nature. We aim to show, in practice, that this commodification of life through privatization of As highlighted in a report by the Association for Women’s Rights Capitalism relies on a patriarchal system due to the fact that it’s feminism can and is being constructed from the basic public services and natural resources.” in Development, illicit financial flows have a severe impact on the fixated with oppressing women and subjugating their labor and grassroots up, it is relevant to all women and men This corporate takeover of services meant to development of the continent. These resources that are lost to the their bodies for its benefit. We need to make the link between the continent should rather be harnessed and invested into the social and it is representative of regional diversity and benefit everyone, of the health and education different realities. exploitation of nature and oppression of women visible. We need sectors in particular, primarily affect women sector, including education and health. to realize that if you are trying to break capitalism, that fight has to Members of FoE’s Gender Justice and and girls. In a 2017 report, the United Nations Privatization of social services and reduced social protection is at the heart contain a fight for dismantling patriarchy and that all of our problems Dismantling Patriarchy Working Group explain Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, of South America’s wave of neoliberal governments promoting austerity with the environment, with women and trans rights, workers’ rights, stated: “Women and girls are frequently excluded policies that deepen structural gender inequalities. Coupled with the rise why this work is so important to our struggle for system change: they all come from the same cause and we can break it and solve it from education. Families often favour boys when of the conservative right in South America ‒including Brazil’s fascist new only working in solidarity side by side.” investing in education.” government – feminist movements from the South understand this is no “We have to fight [for gender justice and – Ivana Kulic, The Center for Environment / FoE Bosnia & Herzegovina The rights of girls to quality education, time for moderate calls for equality and balance. to dismantle patriarchy] in our federation “Friends of the Earth International is committed to system change, particularly those from the most underprivileged In Uruguay, the #8M call to action states: “Ante el fascismo, más because in our territories, countries fundamental to which is the fight for gender justice and the communities, are negatively affected when feminismo” (‘In front of fascism, we need more feminism!’). It is a call for and regions we suffer from all forms of dismantling of patriarchy. We are demanding an end to the public schools are privatised. Research by international feminist solidarity to resist daily threats that aim to bring us oppressions, injustice, inequality and violence exploitation of women’s bodies and work. The only way to feminist and women’s rights organisations has back centuries when it comes to social and gender justice and rights. It is against women that degrade our lives and achieve this is through recognizing women as political subjects, demonstrated the ways in which gender biases also a warning that feminist movements are forging new realities not only prevent us from advancing as a civilization. ending violence against women and the denial of their rights and affects the choices parents make when they need about equality, but about radical change. System change, as we have defined it within deconstructing the sexual division of labor, which constitutes the to pay for education, and have to choose which So on this International Women’s Day we call for a return to its radical Friends of the Earth International, requires material basis of patriarchal exploitation and domination. In the children to send to school. roots centred on workers’ rights and justice. This doesn’t call for balance. new kinds of relationships between men framework of this commitment, we are continuing to build alliances It’s in this light that one must view with great It calls for a radical transformation of society based on the twin principles and women, with equal social, political, with grassroots feminist organizations, with the World March of concern the increasing trend of handing over of equity and justice. economic and cultural opportunities.” Women and with the women of La Via Campesina who, like us, the education sector to the private sector. Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah is Director of Information, Communications – Silvia Quiroa, CESTA / FoE El Salvador The Government of Ghana for example, recently and Media, Association for Women’s Rights in Development (AWID). Ana are fighting for system change.” announced that it was seeking to privatise the Inés Abelenda is Economic Justice Coordinator at AWID. www.awid.org – Karin Nansen, Chair of FoE International More information: www.foei.org/what-we-do/gender-justice- dismantling-patriarchy

14 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 15 International Women’s Day 2019

Activist guides and economy and how women are fighting back against big Read the full article at: www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/gender-quotas-help- dams to protect their families, livelihoods, and communities. women-parliamentarians-rise-numbers/ WoMin has launched three activist guides to support women and communities across The three activist guides are online at https://goo.gl/tcJSUZ or The Inter Parliamentary Union analysis is posted at www.ipu.org/ Africa in their struggles for climate justice and https://womin.org.za/ resources/publications/reports/2019-03/women-in-parliament-in-2018- sustainable energy futures. WoMin, launched year-in-review in October 2013, is an African gender and Free Stella Nyanzi extractives alliance, which works alongside On Saturday 9th March, a small group of activists from Ghana, concerned Protecting women’s space in politics national and regional movements and popular by the continued incarceration of Ugandan feminist activist Dr Stella Women human rights defenders around the globe are facing heightened organisations of women, mining-impacted Nyanzi, rallied by the symbolic national independence to raise threats of violence and repression. Sometimes they are targeted for being communities and peasants, and in partnership awareness on the dangers of remaining quiet to injustice. activists, and sometimes just for being women. World leaders should do with other sympathetic organisations. Despite living in an era of whistleblowers and pushing to hold our leaders much more to secure space for women’s safe participation in public life. Here are summaries of the three activist guides: accountable, there has been very little continental efforts to defend the freedom Women who are in the public eye as they challenge established norms and and liberty of activists and human rights defenders from other African countries. take on powerful interests, from governments to insurgencies to criminal Women stand their ground against big coal: gangs, are prominent targets; and women leaders representing neglected Big businesses, development banks and some For some of us with Ugandan ancestry, our relatives were not too sure how constituencies – such as the poor, ethnic and sexual minorities, displaced governments are pushing for the expansion of to process the Stella Nyanzi case. They are numbed and weary from the persons or migrants – are also preyed upon. coal projects in Africa. They say coal is the way daily absurdities of living under Museveni’s regime and disregard of human to develop countries and widen African people’s rights, but still congratulated us for taking a stand, lifting a bit of the cloak Gender quotas help women The murder in March of Brazilian Marielle Franco, a Rio de Janeiro city access to energy. But communities are pushing of hopelessness around Stella’s release. parliamentarians to rise in numbers council member, is a case in point. In addition to being a campaigner against back against this plan because coal is extremely When Stella Nyanzi first got arrested in April 2017, legions of her fans, When the Inter Parliamentary Union, based in corruption and police brutality, Franco was a powerful advocate for black harmful to people and the planet. Communities supporters and activists swung into action, demanding that the Ugandan Switzerland, released its annual report on the women, the LGBT community and youth. The investigation has moved slowly. want existing coal mines and power stations to be government #FreeStellaNyanzi. representation of women legislators worldwide, From a global perspective, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of phased out, and new coal projects stopped. Find She had been arrested and charged with Cyber Harassment and Offensive four of the top five countries were from the human rights defenders Michel Forst highlighted in a 2019 report that out how women activists are leading the fight to Communications under sections 24 and 25 of Uganda’s 2011 Computer developing world. Rwanda led the way with 61.3% in the current political climate – where there has been both a backlash defend their communities’ land, water and forests. Misuse Act. These so-called offensive communications included describing of the seats held by women in its lower or single against human rights around the world and a rise in misogynistic rhetoric False solutions to climate change: chasing profits Yoweri Museveni, the President of Uganda, as a ‘pair of buttocks’. house of parliament followed by Cuba (53.2%), among political leaders – human rights defenders who are women “have Bolivia (53.1%) and Mexico (48.2%). The fifth place been facing increased repression and violence across the globe”. The while the climate burns: The world is hurtling We recognise and appreciate the activism of Dr Stella Nyanzi. In spite of being was held by Sweden (47.3%), the only Western report suggests that these women are sometimes targeted for the causes towards a climate crisis in which Africa and personally vilified and professionally sidelined, she does not give up, and stays industrialized country among the top five. they promote, and sometimes simply because they are women who are particularly peasant and working-class women firm to her values. She has declared that she is continuing her resistance from publicly asserting themselves. will be hardest hit. Yet we are being fed corporate- prison, the least we can do is amplify her struggle from our own locations. The next five countries in descending order driven solutions that are about making more profit were Grenada, Namibia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua Moreover, in addition to the risk of attack that all activists face, women Read the full story at: http://www.ipsnews.net/2019/03/free-stella- at the expense of people and planet and about and South Africa, completing the top 10, activists are vulnerable to gender-specific abuse – which can include nyanzi-demand-pan-african-activists-ghana/ avoiding regulation to curb emissions. These with the world’s largest number of women stigmatisation, public shaming (as a perceived way to damage their false solutions will delay putting real, urgent and Bringing #MeToo to the fashion industry parliamentarians. “honour”), threats of sexual violence, online harassment and killings. effective solutions into action. But women are The global #MeToo movement has put a spotlight on sexual harassment The survey was released to coincide with a Despite women’s longstanding role in informal dispute resolution, fighting back against false solutions in defence of and violence in various industries including the film and music industries. two-week long meeting of the UN Commission their near absence from peace talks and similar international security land, water, forests, families and communities. It is now time for the fashion industry to address these issues within their on the Status of Women. processes and mechanisms, as in Yemen or Afghanistan, requires Learn more about the different kinds of false supply chains, one organisation says. According to the Inter Parliamentary Union’s particular attention. One concern about the threat of violence or attack solutions and how feminist movements are rallying yearly analysis, the share of women in national on women activists is that it not only affects their safety, but could for the ‘right to say NO’ to these solutions while Coinciding with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and parliaments increased by nearly one percentage chill their participation in public life, where women are already under- building meaningful alternatives for a just and Development (OECD) Forum on Due Diligence in the Garment and point last year, from 23.4 per cent in 2017 to 24.3 represented. Globally, only a quarter of parliamentarians are women, sustainable future! The false solutions addressed in Footwear Sector, Human Rights Watch (HRW – www.hrw.org) launched per cent in 2018. Countries with well-designed and nearly all heads of state or government leaders are men. this report are: carbon trading, clean coal, reducing a report in February 2019 detailing cases of sexual harassment in garment gender quotas elected significantly more women The implications of violence against women activists and politicians are broad, emissions from deforestation and forest degradation factors and urging apparel companies to address the issue head on. to parliament than those without, respectively, 7 not just for families, but also for the well-being of societies at large. Failure to (REDD), agrofuels, nuclear energy, megadams, “Women shouldn’t have to choose between dignity and jobs, and the constant points more in single or lower chambers, and 17 protect women like Marielle Franco sends a terrible signal to women and girls natural and landfill gas, and geoengineering. struggle to keep a job and put food on the plate means women often feel points more in upper chambers. wanting to raise their voice in the public square. Chilling their participation in Women, the guardians of rivers and fighting big compelled to swallow their dignity and normalise sexual harassment at work,” Despite advances in gender representation in public life would be a tragedy not just for the women whose potential is being dams: African governments, corporations and Aruna Kashyap from HRW’s Women’s Rights Division told IPS. legislative bodies, the track record of women in squandered but for the communities in which they live. development banks promote big hydroelectric Around the world, millions of women are employed by the 2.4 trillion- the executive branches of government – as heads Read the full article at: www.crisisgroup.org/global/protecting-womens- dams as a clean energy alternative to fossil dollar apparel industry. But because of their sex, they face numerous of state or heads of government – remains low. space-politics fuels. They say such dams do not add to climate challenges including sexual and verbal harassment. Speaking to reporters March 8, the President change. They also say that by selling the The UN Special Rapporteur’s 2019 report is posted at www.ohchr.org/ While countries such as India and Pakistan do have laws around sexual of the UN General Assembly. María Fernanda electricity, big dams can earn much needed EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=24232&LangID=E harassment at work, they are often poorly enforced. Additionally, 59 countries Espinosa said currently only 5% of all Prime money for African countries, and that big dams do not have specific legal remedies for sexual harassment in employment. Ministers worldwide are female and not more will provide energy for African countries which Read the full story at than 5% of Presidents in the world are women. have huge energy poverty. But the reality could www.ipsnews.net/2019/02/bringing-metoo-fashion-industry/ not be further from the truth. Find out why big dams are not the solution for a country’s citizens The HRW report is posted at www.hrw.org/news/2019/02/12/ combating-sexual-harassment-garment-industry

16 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 17 Dirty deeds: how to stop Australian miners abroad being

companies more accountable for monitoring law requiring companies ensure their supply linked to death and destruction and enforcing human rights standards in their chains respect labour and other human rights.22 overseas operations. In Switzerland there is a push for a constitutional The federal government has had a “National amendment obliging Swiss companies to Julia Dehm Contact Point” for the OECD Guidelines since incorporate respect for human rights and Australian companies dominate African mining. Conflict and consent 2002.17 But an independent review in 2017 the environment in all their activities.23 found the initiative “significantly lacking”.18 The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Transworld first sought the right to mine the Canada is soon to appoint an independent counts 175 ASX-listed companies operating in 35 How the National Contact Point handled Canadian Ombudsperson for Responsible 1 Xolobeni territory in 2007. Locals formed African countries. Professional services company the Amadiba Crisis Committee to oppose a submission from representatives of the Enterprise to investigate allegations of human PwC reckons there are more than 200, and that “a the mine shortly thereafter.11 Xolobeni community in 2013 demonstrates its rights abuses linked to Canadian corporate Studies show the golden age of Australia-Africa relations has begun”.2 limitations.19 It did not accept the complaint activity overseas.24 After Transworld filed a new application for huge financial under the guidelines because the submission But Australian miners also arguably stand mining rights in March 2015, the Amadiba Crisis It’s increasingly recognised on a purely pragmatic costs of conflicts opposed all mining. This meant there was no implicated in both human rights and environmental Committee joined together with other groups level there are legal, reputational and financial risks community interest in a “mediation process that with Indigenous abuses in pursuit of Africa’s mineral wealth. and 89 residents to claim their rights to the land if companies attempt to operate without community carries with it even the remotest possibility of communities, which The Human Rights Law Centre has documented according to customary law. They filed their consent. Studies show the huge financial costs of accommodation between the mining company serious human rights abuses in the overseas claim in March 2016. conflicts with Indigenous communities, which can can delay projects and local residents”. delay projects significantly.25 operations of a number of prominent Australian Around the same time the Amadiba Crisis significantly. 3 In June 2017, the Australian government companies. The International Consortium of Committee’s chairman, Sikhosiphi Rhadebe, Australia law makers, therefore, can do both local established an advisory group for Investigative Journalists has linked Australian was shot dead at his home.12 No one has been communities overseas and domestic investors implementing the UN Guiding Principles mining operations to deaths, destruction and arrested for his murder, so it’s impossible to say what Australian miners at home a favour by putting in place adequate 4 on Business and Human Rights.20 The group displacement across Africa. motivated his killers. But the mine proposal has led also arguably mechanisms to ensure Australian companies quickly recommended developing a national Right now, the spotlight is on a bitter dispute to significant conflict within the community. cause no harm overseas. stand implicated in action plan, in line with international standards.21 between local people in the Xolobeni region on Julia Dehm is a Lecturer at La Trobe University. Some locals believe the mine will benefit them. both human rights But in October the government announced it was the east coast of South Africa and an Australian- She is affiliated with the Economic Justice Those opposed to the mine fear it will force “not proceeding with a national action plan at created mining company that wants to excavate and environmental Collective at Friends of the Earth Melbourne, and them off their land, disrupt livelihoods based this time”. a strip of coastal land, 22 km long and 1.5 km on agriculture and eco-tourism, and harm the abuses in pursuit the Australian Corporate Accountability Network wide, for titanium. community’s whole culture. of Africa’s We can do better Reprinted from The Conversation, 23 Jan. 2019, The mining company, Transworld Energy and They point to the effects of similar strip-mining mineral wealth. Other countries are doing more. https://theconversation.com/dirty-deeds-how- Mineral Resources, was until 2016 a subsidiary to-stop-australian-miners-abroad-being-linked- operations, such as Rio Tinto’s mine near France has introduced a “duty of vigilance” of Australian company Mineral Commodities to-death-and-destruction-109407 5 Richards Bay, 400 kilometres north. The South Limited. The local community’s fight against African Human Rights Commission has Transworld goes back more than a decade. In documented adverse social, economic and References: January, a “consultation” meeting ended with ecological impacts across the country.13 police firing stun grenades.6 1. https://dfat.gov.au/geo/africa-middle-east/Pages/africa-region-brief.aspx Under South Africa’s Mineral and Petroleum 2. www.pwc.com.au/mining/australia-africa-practice.html In November, the mine’s opponents won Resources Development Act, property holders 3. www.hrlc.org.au/news/2018/12/19/report-impunity-of-australian-companies-linked-to-human-rights-violations-overseas an important legal battle when the High only need to be “consulted” before a mining 4. www.icij.org/investigations/fatal-extraction/australian-mining-companies-digging-deadly-footprint-africa/ Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, licence is granted. But Judge Annali Basson 5. www.mineralcommodities.com/projects/xolobeni/ Pretoria) ruled the local community needed to ruled in November that customary rights were 6. www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/watch-stun-grenades-fired-at-mantashe-mining-meeting-in-xolobeni-20190116 give free and informed consent to the project.7 guaranteed by the Interim Protection of Informal 7. www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/high-court-rules-in-favour-of-eastern-cape-community-in-historic-mining-rights-case-20181122 The ruling was based on a specific South African Rights to Law Act 1996.14 8. www.un.org/esa/socdev/unpfii/documents/DRIPS_en.pdf law. But the right of Indigenous peoples to give This law, designed to protect those discriminated 9. www.ohchr.org/Documents/Publications/GuidingPrinciplesBusinessHR_EN.pdf free, prior and informed consent to projects against during the apartheid era, provides that 10. www.oecd.org/daf/inv/mne/48004323.pdf affecting their lands is also recognised by “no person may be deprived of any informal 11. www.facebook.com/amadibacrisiscommittee/ the United Nations Declaration on the Rights 12. www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/mar/25/australian-mining-company-denies-role-in-of-south-african-activist 8 right to land without his or her consent”. On that of Indigenous Peoples. basis the court ruled a mining right could not be 13. www.sahrc.org.za/home/21/files/SAHRC%20Mining%20communities%20report%20FINAL.pdf Despite the Australian government endorsing granted unless the community made a communal 14. www.dropbox.com/s/7rnxr1marlv6o0r/Xolobeni%20Judgment.pdf?dl=0 the UN declaration – along with the UN Guiding decision to consent. The minister for mineral 15. http://m.miningweekly.com/article/xolobeni-judgment-to-be-appealed-2018-12-12 16. https://standwithamadiba.wordpress.com/2016/05/18/joint-statement/ Principles on Business and Human Rights9 and resources is appealing the decision.15 the OECD Guidelines for Multinational 17. http://ausncp.gov.au/ Enterprises10, which also covers human rights Lacklustre accountability 18. https://cdn.tspace.gov.au/uploads/sites/112/2018/02/Final-Report.pdf 19. https://cdn.tspace.gov.au/uploads/sites/112/2018/02/SouthAfrica_Mining.pdf obligations – there is no real legal obligation for Australian human rights and environmental 20. https://foreignminister.gov.au/releases/Pages/2017/jb_mr_170602b.aspx Australian companies operating overseas to abide groups called on Mineral Commodities to drop 21. https://dfat.gov.au/international-relations/themes/human-rights/business/Documents/final-msag-priorities-paper.pdf by such principles. its plans for Xolobeni back in May 2016.16 They 22. www.assemblee-nationale.fr/14/ta/ta0924.asp also called on the Australian government to make 23. www.hlregulation.com/2017/12/01/switzerland-the-next-frontier-for-mandatory-human-rights-due-diligence/ 24. https://tinyurl.com/cr135-dehm 25. https://hbr.org/2017/11/its-never-been-more-important-for-big-companies-to-listen-to-local-communities

18 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 19 As a response, the Ecuadorian government ICE claimed that only they were in consultation created a council headed by the Ecuadorian with HEEM, suggesting that HEEM was not happy Gina and Twiggy’s Ministry of the Interior with representatives of that the proposed union Ecuamineros was also the defense, mining and environment portfolios, attempting to organise workers. as well as the Prosecutor’s Office, the Mining Regulation and Control Agency, and the police, Troops South American adventure to deal with problem. In December, the body of a Colombian mine Venezuelans, Peruvians, Colombians and worker was found dumped in a mine shaft and Ecuadorians were reported to have come to mine the Ecuadorian Government sent 200 troops into at El Triunfo. Local media suggest that organised the area to deal with the illegal mining problem. crime is rumoured to be involved in the mining. Arrests continued over January and February 2019, with recent reports suggesting that profits By February 2018, hundreds of tonnes of mining Anthony Amis of up to $500,000 per month are generated material had been confiscated by police and illegally from the mining at El Triunfo. With the boom times for iron ore supposedly Argentina many people arrested. In early March 2018, about waning, Australia’s billionaire miners are using In early 2018, FMG also stated that it was 500 gold prospectors arrived in Imbabura to The reports also suggest that organised crime the capital raised from iron ore to eye-off key embarking on exploring for minerals in Argentina. demand the legalisation of their activity and the and former FARC members from Colombia are areas around the world in order to increase their Targeting copper, gold and lithium. To smooth release of their co-workers. This was followed involved. Minerals from El Trinufo are apparently empires. They are also after new commodities. relations with Argentinian officials, FMG by a demonstration in the nation’s capital, Quito, being transported 800 km to the Southern According to Solgold/DGR Global’s Nick Mather, employed the services of former captain of the later in the month to demand the release of 100 Province of El Oro to be processed. both Gina Rinehart and Twiggy Forrest are now Argentinian Pumas Rugby Team Agustin Pichot to miners who had been detained for illegal mining. The military involvement in December failed to claiming that copper is the new iron ore. Both be president and director of Argentina Fortescue. In April, the first death of a miner was reported bring the area under control, because the miners Rinehart and Forrest have embarked on their FMG concentrated its exploration activities in Gina Rinehart and and five police officers arrested for taking are well armed and control a large amount of new international copper quest by hunting for the San Juan Province in the west of the country, bribes. By June 2018, residents of the nearby territory. Reports published in the Australian press minerals in South America. Twiggy is targeting where it was interested in 3–5 mega-projects. Twiggy Forrest community of Buenos Aires demanded the in February also suggest that HEEM contracted the Colombia, Ecuador and Argentina whilst Gina is Protests and concerns regarding mining in the are now claiming eviction of the miners. The local community was military and the police to evict the illegal miners having a number of migraines over her newly- San Juan Province are not new. Barrick Gold’s that copper is concerned about micro-trafficking of narcotics, as recently as December, with no success. established mining concessions in Ecuador. Veladero Mine, for example, has had three cyanide the new iron ore. illegal prostitution and other crimes. The death Problems associated with exploration and mining Twiggy first set up a subsidiary, the Singapore spills in recent years with criminal charges laid of a 14-year-old resulted in the burning down for gold, copper and other minerals are not new. based FMG South America in 2016 and also against eight Barrick Gold employees in 2017. Both Rinehart of an illegal brothel in the town. The town’s However, copper appears now to be the new registered another company, FMG Ecuador If Twiggy’s adventures in South America seem and Forrest have population has increased from 1500 people to mineral that corporations are using to greenwash Tenements. Twiggy himself visited Ecuador in mildly interesting, they are quite tame in regards embarked on their 4000 people in the space of six months, causing their new mining operations. July 2016 and FMG set up an office in Ecuador to the what has been happening on one of Gina’s new international a range of social problems. Notorious miner BHP has recently been running in early 2018. By late 2018, FMG was the second mining concessions in Ecuador. copper quest In August, workers proposed to join the nascent advertisements claiming that the demand for most prominent Australian miner in Ecuador, National Union of Miners, with workers wanting copper is helping to save the planet, because it after Solgold, holding 62 mining concessions Hancock Prospecting by hunting for HEEM to consider a distribution of 300 hectares will be used primarily for electric cars. However, throughout the country including a myriad of Representatives of Gina Rinehart’s company, minerals in in each of the five mining blocks, including the majority of copper is used in buildings and unique and precious ecosystems on the lands of Hancock Prospecting, first visited Ecuador in 2016. South America El Triunfo, and that their activities would power infrastructure. Electric cars will only indigenous people. FMG’s plans have however A subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting, Hanrine be recognised as small mining. However, by contribute about 2% of global copper demand. been held up by the slow process of gaining Ecuadorian Exploration and Mining (HEEM) SA, September 2018, 300 people from the Buenos The new push to mine copper will continue to access to permits in the country. opened offices in the country in July 2017. Aires area had been arrested for illegal mining. have profound impacts on local communities and Yaku Perez, leader of the In 2017, FMG engaged Colombian legal firm Initially Hancock was interested in a mining the environment where the supposed minerals indigenous organisation The local congressman for Imbabura formalised Ecuarunari and coordinator Brigard Urrutia to provide legal advice before concession to the west of the capital Quito, in a complaint to the state suggesting irregularities for new green technology are sourced. embarking on exploration activities in Colombia. of a 600km anti-mining the Pacto region, but instead ‘parked’ themselves in the granting of the original 2017 HEEM For more information on Australian march, speaks with The mining sector in Colombia had received in four concessions covering several thousand concession. A new company, Imbabura Carchi companies operating in Ecuador: indigenous leaders before renewed international interest due to a peace hectares in the Province of Imbabura in the Esmeraldas (ICE), then proposed that illegal Melbourne Rainforest Action Group: entering the National deal made between the Colombian government north of the country. These concessions were miners sign contracts to allow them to mine. https://rainforestactiongroup.org/ Assembly in Quito, Ecuador, November 14, 2018. and the left-wing insurgent group FARC a few kilometres south from one of the largest (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in recent finds of copper in the world – the June 2016, supposedly ending a 50-year civil war. Cascabel concession owned by Solgold (with In early 2017, FMG had expressed interest in BHP and Newcrest Mining owning about 25%). repairing and resuming operation of the 500 Unbeknownst to Gina, about one month after km Pacific Coast Railway, but lost the bid later the Ecuadorian administration process began in 2017. In January 2018, FMG announced its considering HEEM’s new concession, some road exploration activities for copper in Colombia, workmen digging with a backhoe hit a vein making applications to explore over 64 of gold, now reported to be one of the most concessions. Concerns over FMG in Colombia significant gold finds in Ecuador. have already been raised in the Vegalarga Within 24 hours of the gold being discovered, township in central-south Colombia in late 2018. 700 people descended on the area, which Twiggy may also be getting some heartburn lay almost in the middle of one of Gina’s after recent car bombings and assorted violence concessions. Within a month an estimated in Colombia associated with the ELN (National 12,000 people had arrived and a new mining Liberation Army). To what extent the ELN will area known as El Triunfo was established. This impact on mining operations in the country is was the biggest gold rush to occur in Ecuador in at this time unknown, although three geologists 25 years. Since the initial influx of people, about from Canada’s Toronto Gold were murdered in 3,000 people have settled in this previously September 2018 by FARC dissidents. sparsely-populated area.

20 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 21 Leading gene editing experts call for Adani’s new law firm put a moratorium on its use in humans forward ‘trained attack dog’

Louise Sales strategy for waging legal ‘war’ replacing genetic variants with alternative ones is fraught with challenges, because variants that decrease the risk of some diseases often increase the risk of others.” Allowing the unregulated use of a number of these new GM techniques in animals amounts to a giant uncontrolled and unethical experiment Josh Robertson / ABC with sentient, feeling creatures. It also poses major potential risks to our Lawyers for mining firm Adani proposed “Corporate lawyers who describe themselves as their client’s ‘trained environment and food supply. waging “war” on opponents of its controversial attack dogs’ and to use overtly aggressive terms like ‘taking the gloves Meanwhile, an accumulating body of peer-reviewed scientific evidence Queensland mine by using the legal system off’ and ‘playing the man’ … can only harm their client’s reputation,” Mr is making the claims of the Office of Gene Technology Regulator (OGTR) to pressure government, silence critics and Moriarty told the ABC. “Such comments tend to damage the professional that these techniques only result in small, precise changes to the genome financially cripple activists, according to independence and integrity of the legal profession as a whole.” increasingly untenable. documents obtained by the ABC. Since it was engaged by Adani, AJ & Co has pushed to bankrupt a cash- Two new studies in the journal Science looking at mice and rice show that The draft copy of Adani’s new law firm’s aggressive strapped Indigenous opponent of the mine, threatened legal action against gene editing techniques can result in “substantial genome-wide off-target strategy to bring the Carmichael mine to life is a community legal service and an environmental group, and applied to The Australian government is once again asking mutations”.3 Another new study found that the gene editing technique labelled “Taking the Gloves Off” and outlines a access an ABC journalist’s expenses and documents. states and territories to sign off on proposed CRISPR caused unexpected mutations that adversely affected the immune commercial proposal by AJ & Co to win a multi- Murrawah Johnson from the anti-Adani faction of the mine site’s traditional changes that would allow scientists to use new system of mice.4 million-dollar legal contract with the Indian mining owners, the Wangan and Jagalingou (W&J), told the ABC that in recent months genetic modification techniques such as CRISPR in giant. In the document, the Brisbane firm promised These techniques are clearly not as precise and safe as industry scientists “Adani’s strategy has definitely changed – it’s become more aggressive”. On animals, plants and microbes with no regulation. to be Adani’s “trained attack dog”. are claiming. It is vital that GM animals, plants and microbes produced Adani’s behalf in December, AJ & Co launched bankruptcy proceedings Some of the world’s leading experts in gene using these techniques are assessed for safety before being released into The strategy recommended bankrupting against vocal W&J opponent Adrian Burragubba over unpaid legal costs. editing have called for a global moratorium on our environment and our food chain. individuals who unsuccessfully challenge “My uncle Adrian has been public enemy number one for Adani,” Ms Johnson the use of these techniques in humans because Adani in court, using lawsuits to pressure the In July 2018, the European Union’s top court ruled that gene editing said. “Going after him, I think, has been their plan all along – to essentially we don’t know if they are safe. In an open letter Queensland Government and social media “bias” techniques such as CRISPR pose similar risks to older GM techniques stamp out our resistance to the coal mine going ahead on our country.” in the journal Nature, the scientists stated that as a tool to discredit decisionmakers. “the risk of failing to make the desired change or and need to be assessed for safety in the same way. Our key agricultural A day after the ABC revealed Adani was under investigation for alleged In a section called “Play the Man”, it recommended of introducing unintended mutations (off-target competitor New Zealand will also be regulating these techniques as GM. unlawful site works, AJ & Co wrote to Queensland’s Environmental “where activists and commentators spread effects) is still unacceptably high.”1 In shocking contrast to overseas regulators, the OGTR has recommended Defenders Office (EDO). EDO chief executive Jo Bragg, who commented untruths, use the legal system to silence them”. in the ABC story, said the letter was “clearly designed to intimidate us”, This statement directly contradicts claims by that a number of these new GM techniques be deregulated. Furthermore, It also urged Adani to hire private investigators although she declined to elaborate. “It appears Adani has built an entire, our Gene Technology Regulator that a number the agency has relied on advice from scientists from institutions with clear to target activists and work “with police and a well-funded strategy around hiring lawyers to bully community groups of these techniques only result in small, precise commercial conflicts of interest (including partnerships with Monsanto) 5 criminal lawyer to ensure appropriate police into silence,” she said. AJ & Co later applied under federal Freedom of genetic changes. in making its recommendations. action is taken against protesters”. Information laws to access ABC journalist Mark Willacy’s expenses and These techniques are quite clearly genetic engineering – the fact that the How can heritable genome editing be unsafe “Like a well-trained police dog, our litigations documents relating to the story. to use in humans but safe to use in animals? It OGTR is even considering not regulating them demonstrates how captured know when to sit and shake, and when it is time In November, AJ & Co demanded environmental campaigners Market raises serious ethical and safety issues, which our it has become by biotechnology industry interests. to bite,” the law firm promised. The AJ & Co Forces [an affiliate of Friends of the Earth Australia] abandon a trip to government has completely failed to examine. Take action! plan pledged to “assess each battle as part of the South Korea with W&J opponents to lobby banks not to invest in Adani. The use of gene editing techniques in animals overall war” and to “know when to negotiate and Contact the federal minister Bridget McKenzie and the Shadow Minister Market Forces executive director Julien Vincent said the law firm accused can cause very low live-birth rates; abnormal known when all out attack is required”. Tony Zappia and demand that they ensure that all GMOs are assessed for the campaigners of injurious falsehood, unlawful conspiracy to cause sizes, rendering animals incapable of natural safety before being released into our environment and our food chain: An Adani spokeswoman said “we won’t economic loss to Adani and threatened legal action. movement; and respiratory and cardiac problems. apologise for pursuing our legal rights”. “It was pretty aggressive,” Mr Vincent said. “It came across with a tone Recent studies also suggest that editing cells’ Minister Bridget McKenzie “Like many organisations, we have a panel of law that had little substance to back up the allegations it made, and was quite genomes with CRISPR might increase the risk Phone: (02) 6277 7495 firms that service our business on a wide range threatening in the steps that would be taken if we didn’t comply with that the altered cells will trigger cancer.2 Email: [email protected] of matters to ensure we are complying with everything they wanted.” A lot of gene editing research in animals has Tony Zappia MP Australia’s legal and regulatory frameworks,” A barrister for Market Forces told AJ & Co its allegations were “doomed focussed on trying to develop disease-resistant Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Health the Adani spokeswoman said. to fail” and no more was heard from the firm. livestock. However, in the Nature letter the Phone: (08) 8265 3100 The ABC can reveal AJ & Co’s former head of scientists note that “modifying disease risk by [email protected] Abridged from the ABC, 19 Feb 2019, www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-19/ commercial litigation, Alex Moriarty, quit after adani-law-firm-put-forward-trained-attack-dog-strategy/10821470 References: an internal falling out over strategy in the wake 1. Lander, E. et al. (2019) ‘Adopt a moratorium on heritable genome editing’, Nature, www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00726-5 of the proposal. Mr Moriarty did not leak the 2. FoE (2018) ‘Mutant meat: will Australia deregulate genetically modified animals? planning document and now runs his own ‘http://emergingtech.foe.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Mutant-Meat-Friends-of-the-Earth-Australia-2018.pdf legal firm. He said he disavowed the “aggressive 3. E. Zuo et al. ‘Cytosine base editor generates substantial off-target single nucleotide variants in mouse embryos’. Science. Published online February 28, 2019. commentary” at the heart of the proposal, and doi:10.1126/science.aav9973. that he believed it “tends to bring the legal S. Jin et al. ‘Cytosine, but not adenine, base editors induce genome-wide off-target mutations in rice’. Science. Published online February 28, 2019. doi:10.1126/science.aaw7166. profession into disrepute”. 4. Simeonov, D.R. et al. (2019) ‘A large CRISPR-induced bystander mutation causes immune dysregulation’, Communications Biology, 2, Article number: 70, www.nature.com/articles/s42003-019-0321-x 5. FoE (2018) ‘Mutant meat: will Australia deregulate genetically modified animals?’, http://emergingtech.foe.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Mutant-Meat-Friends-of-the-Earth-Australia-2018.pdf

22 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 23 Aboriginal voices are missing from Policy and politicians are failing the Murray-Darling Basin crisis our environment and our future

Bradley J. Moggridge and Ross M. Thompson Ebony Bennett The Murray-Darling crisis has led to drinking Under the NSW Water Management Act, Native Title rights are defined January 12, 2019 – You probably had a lovely Australia is a land of droughts and flooding rains, but this is a man-made water shortages, drying rivers, and fish kills in as Basic Landholder Rights. However, the Barwon-Darling Water shower this morning before you sat down to read ecological disaster. Draining the Menindee lakes twice in four years has proven the Darling, Macintyre and Murrumbidgee Rivers. Sharing Plan provides a zero allocation for Native Title. The Barkandji the paper. Imagine if, when you turned the tap, the to be an environmental catastrophe and it was a deliberate decision that must This has been the catalyst for recommendations confront ongoing struggles to have their common law rights recognised water that came out stank. That’s life for people in now be explained. for a Royal Commission and creation and accommodated by Australian water governance regimes. Menindee and surrounding areas right now. The only flood the Murray Darling has seen lately is the flood of media of two independent scientific expert panels. The failure to involve them directly in talks convened by the Murray Politicians from every state and federal reports unleashed after ABC Four Corners blew the lid on allegations The federal Labor party has sought advice from Darling Basin Authority and Basin States, and their exclusion from the parliament should be at Menindee to experience of water theft – since then stories of agency cover ups, political and an independent panel through the Australian independent panels, are further examples of these struggles. the stench of policy failure, because it is the regulatory capture, agencies with cultures of non-compliance, dodgy water Academy of Science, while the Coalition Over the past two decades, Aboriginal people have been lobbying for an mismanagement of the Murray Darling Basin deals, alleged fraud and unlawful amendments have been flowing non-stop. government has asked former Bureau of environmental, social, economic and cultural share in the water market, Plan, not the drought, that is the true culprit for Meteorology chief Rob Vertessy to convene but with little success. the toxic mess in Australia’s greatest river system. Underwriting new coal-fired a second panel. Crucially, the first panel contains The modern history of Aboriginal peoples’ water is a litany of “unfinished It’s not just the odour that’s offensive. It should power a disaster for taxpayers no Indigenous representatives, and there is little business”, in the words of a 2017 Productivity Commission report. be inconceivable that a $13 billion water reform Now the Morrison government is rushing ahead with a half-baked plan indication that the second panel will either. developed in response to drought has failed at to use taxpayers’ money to underwrite new dirty gas or coal-fired power In 2010 the First Peoples Water Engagement Council was established to its first drought. The fury and distress of farmers stations, or refurbish old ones. Unless we stop it, this will be a disaster advise the National Water Commission, but was abolished prior to the Indigenous meaning Rob McBride and Dick Arnold, as they held the economically and environmentally, even the Australia Industry Group National Water Commission’s legislative sunset in 2014. Water for Aboriginal people is an important part rotting corpses of two enormous and iconic (AIG) warned this plan could leave taxpayers exposed to liabilities “with of survival in the driest inhabited landscape The NSW Aboriginal Water Initiative, tasked with re-engaging NSW Murray cod, was palpable and it is a fury every a net present value of billions of dollars”. on Earth. Protecting water is both a cultural Aboriginal people in water management and planning, ran from 2012 until Australian should share. For the first time in the history of Australia’s electricity grid, coal fired obligation and a necessary practice in the the Department of Industry water disbanded the unit in early 2017. In a Federal and state governments have used power is not the cheapest form of new power generation. You’d think that sustainability of everyday life. 2018 progress report, the Murray-Darling Basin Authority described NSW taxpayers’ money to effectively make the would be good news to Australia’s ‘minister for reducing electricity prices’ as “well behind” on water sharing plans. The Aboriginal peoples’ worldview sees water problem worse. In the next few weeks the Angus Taylor, but he is determined to waste taxpayers’ money on a project as inseparably connected to the land and sky, Even after a damning ABC Four Corners report shed light on alleged water federal Coalition government will use taxpayers’ no-one in the private sector will back with their own money. bound by traditional lore and customs in a theft and mismanagement, the voices of the Aboriginal people of the money to make another environmental and The Energy Minister plans to handpick energy corporations to back. We system of sustainable management that ensures Murray-Darling Basin were absent. economic policy mistake that will burden future don’t know how he will pick the lucky energy company given the program healthy water for future generations. In May 2018, the federal Labor party agreed to a federal government policy generations: refurbishing or building a new gas has not been finalised. We don’t know under what authority he will provide Without ongoing connection between these package of amendments to the Basin Plan, including a cut of 70 billion or coal-fired power station. Fortunately, it’s not the support (and there are questions around whether he will need legislation aspects, there is no culture or survival. For a litres to the water recovery target in the northern basin, and further too late to stop that disaster – but more on that as well) because the government has not provided much detail at all. people in a dry landscape, traditional knowledge bipartisan agreement for better water outcomes for Indigenous people mess later. What we do know is that Minister Taylor has ignored the ACCC of finding, re-finding and protecting water sites of the basin. recommendation that would bar any party that already holds more than was integral to survival. Today this knowledge Murray Darling mess While the measures also included A$40 million for Aboriginal communities 10% of a single market, allowing the big energy companies – the same ones may well serve a broader vision of sustainability Governments of all political stripes are almost to invest in water entitlements, a A$20 million economic development fund accused by the Minister of pushing up electricity prices using their market for all Australia. always willing to sacrifice the environment for to benefit Aboriginal groups most affected by the basin plan, and A$1.5 power – to also take advantage of this new government subsidy instead of big business, but the toxic mess in the Darling While different Aboriginal Nations describe million to support Aboriginal waterway assessments, how worthwhile are guaranteeing more competition. this in local ways and language, the underlying they in a river with no water? River shows the environment can only be pushed so far before it collapses. And when ecosystems It is not the only ACCC recommendation Minister Taylor has ignored. message is fundamentally the same: look after The recent crisis emphasises the perpetual sidelining of Aboriginal voices collapse, we can’t buy our way out of it, we can’t Government funding will begin from the first year of operation, without any the water and the water will look after you. in water management in NSW and beyond. Indigenous voices need to return cotton for a water refund so that people in demonstration that customers have been lined up to purchase the power. be heard at all levels, with mechanisms that empower that involvement. Pooncarie can take a shower without giving their Last week Seven News reported the government has received “up to 40” Native title Indigenous communities continue to fight for rights to water and for the children skin infections that require hospitalisation. expressions of interest for public support for new power generation, In the current crisis in the Darling River and protection of its spirit. Menindee Lakes, the focus should be on the The Murray Darling Basin Plan is supposed to including some for new gas and coal power plants. Minister Taylor will Bradley J. Moggridge works on Indigenous Water Research at the Barkandji people of western New South Wales. deliver more water for the rivers. It was designed rush to finalise the request for proposals in the first quarter of 2019, before University of and receives funding from the Murray Darling In 2015, the native title rights for 128,000 square to prevent environmental disasters like the one the budget and before the impending election. Basin Authority. Ross M. Thompson is Chair of Water Science and kilometres of Barkandji land were recognised currently stinking up the Darling River. The This process stinks like the fish rotting in the Darling. Bypassing good Director, University of Canberra. after an 18-year legal case. This legal recognition Barkandji People, after waiting 18 years for their process and due diligence is becoming a hallmark of this government represented a significant outcome for the Barkandji Reprinted (without references) from The Conversation, 31 Jan 2019, Native Title to be acknowledged, have seen the (the Senate is still looking into the dodgy deal with the Great Barrier People because water – and specifically the Darling https://theconversation.com/aboriginal-voices-are-missing-from-the- Barka (Darling river) just dry up. Reef Foundation). To lock in new gas and coal power generation that murray-darling-basin-crisis-110769 River or Barka – is central to their existence. Barkandji Elder Badger Bates said “without will pollute our air for up to 50 years, instead of taking the policy to the the river, us Barkandji people, we are nothing. election a few months away, is not just irresponsible – it is vindictive. We’ve got no land, no name, nothing. This is our Our government isn’t tackling global warming, it’s throwing coal on the lifeblood, this is our mother.” fire and using taxpayer’s money to do it. If Angus Taylor proceeds with this plan, he is thieving from future generations, leaving them a toxic environmental and economic burden he won’t have to deal with.

24 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 25 If the environment never wins, we all lose The major parties really don’t care It’s not just the Murray Darling Basin Plan or our Friends of the Earth electricity system where our governments are failing. Almost 40% of Australia is covered by coal invites you to join the and gas exploration licences and applications. that much about the environment In Queensland, some of our best food-producing Dr Henry Boer - FoE Far North Queensland land has been sacrificed to fracking. In WA, the rock art at Murujuga – the world’s largest Despite unequivocal evidence of ecosystems capital accumulation and new enterprise investment. Suppressing wage growth, outdoor gallery, with petroglyphs that predate collapsing around the world, the major political stripping employee conditions, lowering taxes, and removing government the pyramids – is under further threat from two parties in Australia (and other countries) seem regulation is what they breathe. Government spending should support proposed chemical plants. The marine sanctuary largely not to care. They remain fixated on businesses and corporations, via infrastructure and even as direct subsidies. that is the Great Australian Bight is slated to the economy above all else, with their public The core constituents of the Liberal and National parties are businesses, become the home of an enormous oil drilling legitimacy resting on winning the debate around large and small. These parties also attract a large percentage of the project that – if anything goes wrong, could result deficits, jobs and border security. But to effectively conservative vote from rural areas, and moral or religious voters. They are in an oil spill that oozes its way from the coast of govern they also need to fix the problems not particularly interested in attracting environmental voters, and these do Tasmania to beaches two third of the way up the affecting society. So why do they habitually not currently constitute a large vote share. NSW coast. And the NSW government just altered fail to address the biggest threats imaginable? Many coalition parliamentarians work assiduously to remove basic environmental strict requirements for a detailed investigation The major parties in Australia are products of regulations, whilst advocating for increased government subsidies for known polluting of the impacts to groundwater and vegetation the 20th century, wedded to unlimited industrial industries such as coal. In Queensland, for example, the short-lived Newman LNP of Shenhua’s Watermark coal mine. development, and unwilling or unable to consider administration sent environmental policy back decades. In three years the LNP For years, successive governments, including What is the Active Friends Program? any alternatives. The parties largely agree on stripped land-clearing laws, and completely removed legislation protecting wild rivers the current Coalition government, have treated permanent economic growth, and compete over and a mandatory levy on waste. Queensland now has some of highest land-clearing Australia’s clean water, clean air, fertile soil and The Active Friends Program is one of the best narrow issues, such as who should benefit most from rates in the world, and has become a dumping ground for other states rubbish. oceans as an acceptable casualty to virtually means to support current and future work of Friends expanding production and consumption. Electoral When in government, neither of the major parties accords a high priority for every and any mining and development project of the Earth. It involves a regular monthly donation and parliamentary politics is often contested over environmental issues, unless it’s politically expedient to do so. Environment that has been proposed. of a self-nominated amount. where to distribute revenue and services - between ministries are at the bottom of the hierarchy, a junior ministry assigned to a Australia’s EPBC Act is supposed to be our blue- the wealthy and the remainder of the population. novice or underperforming MP. Most parliamentarians view the environment The environment is unfortunately just a minor issue, ribbon environmental legislation. The Australia Where will Active Friends donations go? portfolio as a step on a career path to something more illustrious such as Institute published research which showed that an unwelcome distraction from the main event. Friends of the Earth is renowned for making a little money go education, health or defence. This is despite the fact that the voting public between the commencement of the EPBC Act in Labor claims to represent the working classes. Their continues to rate environment issues in the top 5 or so each election cycle. a long way. Because our administration costs are always kept July 2000 and August 2015, approximately 5500 core constituency remains the (shrinking) unionised Environment agencies remain one of the most poorly funded across projects were referred to the Minister under the to a bare minimum, practically all Active Friends contributions workforce, but also disadvantaged socio-economic government, with budgets often inadequate to cover basic regulatory needs. environmental impact assessment provisions. directly support campaign work, publications and community groups often located in outer metropolitan areas. Biodiversity programs are always underfunded, and the first to be cut when the Of those, just 21 projects (0.4%) were rejected engagement. Active Friends donations support They campaign on securing and protecting rights treasury is short of revenue. Protecting biodiversity and reducing environmental or refused approval. for workers, through higher wages and improved impacts is always secondary to spending on infrastructure and defence. The number of times the federal government has workplace conditions. Labor’s election victory • a moratorium on coal and coal seam gas under Rudd in 2007 is often attributed to the union If the major parties truly considered that the biosphere is on the brink of protected the environment over a development mining through our ‘Quit Coal’ campaign collapse – which mounting evidence suggests it is – then the environment proposal is effectively a rounding error. campaign against the Coalition Government’s infamous Work Choices laws. Labor also claims should be accorded the highest priority, over and above managing economic A strong corruption watchdog with teeth can’t the moral ground as the redistributors of wealth output. Mitigating the rapidly unfolding climate and biodiversity crises come soon enough. I bet the NSW and federal • renewable energy through our generated through taxation, often to public welfare, would top all other election issues, and become the epicenter of government elections can’t come soon enough for people ‘yes2renewables’ campaign health and education services. But Since the 1980s effort. Environment ministries would attract the largest budget allocations, in Menindee either. Labor governments have eagerly embraced neo- direct policy across all other ministries, and instill the welfare of the natural Ebony Bennett is deputy director of liberalism and deregulated the market economy. environment as the basis of all major decision making. As a start they would The Australia Institute • our work to safeguard water for Those leading the party actively court the industrial permanently suspend all proposed coalmines and gas fields today. the rivers, wetlands and forests of over masters, hoping for short-term electoral rewards. But the major parties are absent, largely focused on securing government and 14% of Australia’s landscapes through then keeping various constituents satisfied. These parties are beholden to the ‘ourdarlingmurray.org’ campaign For Labor, the traditional base of blue-collar workers is not enough to win government. They industrial, corporate and union interests that directly influence the policy cycle need to attract a plurality of voters, often targeting at all levels. These interests expend considerable resources on sophisticated more progressive and educated sectors, as well as lobbying and marketing efforts to block, weaken and remove environmental • FoE’s Anti Nuclear & Clean Energy (ACE) legislation they deem affects their profits. Many who work in industry campaign, which continues to highlight ethnic or social groups. The environment is one the dangers of and area that Labor uses to attract these votes, and to organisations, corporations or unions occupy parliamentary positions, as advisors mining and to promote safe alternatives. differentiate their candidates. Each election the to ministers, or gain pre-selection in favoured seats. Likewise, many ministers and party announces a few notable environmental party leaders on leaving parliament are recruited as lobbyists for large business policies, such as stronger conservation laws or organisations. Otherwise known as the revolving door, it undermines our Why is the Active Friends Program vital to FoE? mechanisms to reduce carbon emissions. But these democracy and disempowers the community. Further, the preferential electoral election commitments are often pragmatic, rather system used nationally and in most states and territories maintains the duopoly of To remain a radical and credible voice for social and the major parties, to the benefit of these core constituents and allied donors. environmental justice, we need a stable financial base. than a deep commitment to the environment. As a strategy it’s purely about the ballot and securing a We are not just losing a few iconic species; entire habitats and life support strong flow of preferences from minor parties like systems are being decimated by the onslaught of industrial society. How can you join the Active Friends Program? the Greens. This tactic is often critical to winning Conservation and community groups expend significant resources To join the Active Friends program, please see the ‘Support marginal seats and forming government. and energy trying to secure ‘commitments’ from these major parties, Friends of the Earth’ page in this edition of Chain Reaction, For the Liberal and National parties, the highest particularly Labor. But clearly these parties are incapable of providing or go to www.foe.org.au and click on the donate button.. priority is to secure benefits for the private sector. the leadership needed for the current age. Will the major parties that are All Active Friends donations are fully tax deductible. Their main focus is freeing up markets to improve currently allowed to govern Australia ever really prioritise the environment above all else? Probably never - their interests lie elsewhere. 26 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 27 Why waste-carbon injection is a dangerous distraction from climate action

Catherine Hearse, Zianna Fuad and Kate Wattchow Golden Beach is an idyllic section of Ninety Mile The source of the waste-carbon is a proposed coal-to-hydrogen project in the Beach in Victoria. It boasts a pristine coastline, Latrobe Valley that is being pushed by the Japanese company Kawaski Heavy where whales can be seen from the sand in Industries. In a bid to decarbonise, Japan is looking to source hydrogen to migrating season. The beaches have plentiful fuel its vehicles, and the brown coal in the Latrobe Valley is being eyed as a fish, native birds and the skeletal remains of potential source. However the project will only go ahead if it can be claimed an 1897 shipwreck. to be ‘low carbon’, which is where CarbonNet’s project fits in. But there is a cloud hanging over this lovely Community members in Golden Beach have been fighting the project, However the injection and storage process Continued misplaced faith in waste-carbon technology delays a commitment place. A publicly funded state government and a group called ‘Ninety Mile Against Carbon Capture’ has emerged. failed from the start, and an estimated 6.2 to transitioning away from fossil fuels, which is what Victoria and the world project, called CarbonNet, has earmarked the They do not want this project built because of the potential health and million tonnes of pollution that were supposed must do if we are to maintain a safe climate. Money that is being funnelled area for waste-carbon injection. environmental risks it poses to their community. to be safely stored have already been emitted. into this failed technology could be going to growing renewable energy and Waste-carbon injection and storage is the The problems with waste-carbon injection The second delay is expected to result in up to battery storage, developing renewable industries and jobs, and funding a just process of mixing waste-carbon with a range of another 11 million tonnes of emissions. transition from coal for the Latrobe Valley community. Ineffective technology: There are well-founded and grave concerns about chemicals in order to inject it into the ground. Advocates of carbon-waste injection and storage Advocates of the CarbonNet waste-carbon injection waste-carbon injection. Despite billions of dollars being spent in projects Not a climate solution: Waste-carbon can come from different sources, technology say the technology is ready to be project peddle it as a solution to climate change in Victoria. However this worldwide the possibility of dangerous leakage remains, rendering the including gas or coal power stations. rolled out, yet existing facilities still do not work. is problematic and misleading for multiple reasons. exercise futile. According to a study from the University of Copenhagen, The fossil fuel industry uses the term ‘carbon unless leakage can be kept below 1% over 1,000 years, waste-carbon Toxic chemicals: How the chemicals being used As outlined earlier, waste-carbon injection is not a reliable process. capture and storage’, however this is a misnomer. injection will not stop climate change. to try to trap carbon may react and degrade So there is the risk that if this project went ahead it would experience Capture rates are unpredictable, and the ability when injected into the seafloor is unknown. the same technological delays dogging Chevron’s Gorgon project, A prime example of the unreliability of this technology is US company to safely store the waste-carbon is unproven. These chemicals include a range of amines and emissions would continue to be pumped into the atmosphere. Hence a more truthful name for this technology Chevron’s Gorgon project. In Western Australia, Chevron’s carbon-waste including carcinogen nitrosamines. Furthermore, CarbonNet is attached to an entirely new coal project. So is waste-carbon injection. storage facility has recently been delayed for the second time because of continuing technical issues. We don’t yet know how the leaking of these even if it was a reliable project that would store emissions, it would not compounds into the marine environment will reduce the climate impact of any of Victoria’s current emissions. What is happening in Golden Beach? It was supposed to be up and running in 2017 at the beginning of the Gorgon affect marine life and ecosystems. The results In Golden Beach, CarbonNet wants to build a gas project in order to sequester emissions. The gas project itself was approved Solar and wind energy are both currently cheaper than waste-carbon could be toxic and devastating. waste-carbon injection site just 7 km off the on the condition that it was partnered with waste-carbon injection, so that injection and continuously decreasing in price. They also have the benefit coast from Golden Beach, where they would Australia would still be able to achieve its Paris Agreement targets. Furthermore, this area on the Gippsland of working! Renewables are reliable, and unlike waste-carbon injection, inject carbon-waste into the seabed. coastline is seismically active, and close to are already reducing our carbon output. important underground aquifers. The safety of The funding wasted on waste-carbon technologies would be better spent communities and the environment, as well as the on improving and rolling out proven renewable technology, but there integrity of these aquifers, is far from guaranteed. is a dangerous, misplaced hope keeping old coal alive in an increasingly A section of Ninety Extremely costly: As the Australia Institute noted warming climate. Mile Beach. in its 2017 report Money for Nothing, Australia As engineering researchers noted in an article in The Conversation: has spent a staggering $1.3 billion on waste- “Keeping the coal in the ground is not only the most economical way carbon injection technology. of reducing carbon emissions, it is a sure way to save thousands of lives Most projects fail to successfully store any every day due to cleaner air. It is a classic case of “prevention,” through carbon at all. Some never even reach the stage decarbonization of energy systems, being better and cheaper than the where the process can be attempted. “cure” of CO2 capture.” Truckloads of money on an experimental technology that’s not yet proven to work What are we doing? anywhere. The Victorian government must stop Friends of the Earth Melbourne and the Quit Coal collective are standing funding waste-carbon injection research with with Ninety Mile Against Carbon Capture to oppose CarbonNet’s waste- public money and reallocate any remaining funds carbon injection project. We are calling on Premier Daniel Andrews to do towards job creation in the Latrobe Valley. the right thing by the Golden Beach community, and by all Victorians, and block this expensive and unreliable project. Keeping coal open for business: Victoria’s coal policy, Statement on future uses of brown coal, To learn more and get involved you can check out the Quit Coal website, relies heavily on the imagined future success or attend a collective meeting at 6pm Wednesdays, at Friends of the Earth of waste-carbon injection to continue the use Melbourne. www.quitcoal.org.au of coal. It fails to account for the technological failures and exorbitant cost of waste-carbon tech.

28 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 29 Hinchinbrook Island Electric cars are OK, open for business but public transport is better

Ingrid Marker Rachel Lynskey Queensland state tourism minister Kate Jones has island. The management plan is capped at 40 people at once to minimise Electric vehicles (EVs) are not the silver bullet end up with empty idle individually-owned vehicles on the roads? If announced she is opening Hinchinbrook Island, environmental impacts and create a remote experience. With cabins transformation for our transport industry, but the not individually-owned, who will own them and how will they improve Great Sandy Strait and Coolum National Park booked, the general public will be locked out. momentum for change is building, and EVs might everyone’s lives? for business. Hinchinbrook is precious to north History has shown many of these type of developments on islands or along be part of the change. What role does private industry play in this? Australia’s largest tolling Queenslanders. Its wild coastal beaches and the coast are in ruin. They have never supported regional communities. By simply championing a technical switch to company, Transurban, already has the data for major roads (owning 15 of crocodiled creek crossings are a coming of age Cape Richards Resort and Port Hinchinbrook are two local tourism EVs we will miss the greater opportunity of this 19 Australian toll roads), so what happens if they own the data to tell our for wilderness bush walkers up here. It’s the land developments that failed economically. Both were fatally exposed to problem. Focusing too strongly on EVs will lock cars where to go? How will their motivation to make more shareholder of the Girramay people. tempest with properties still recovering from Cyclones Larry, Yasi and in existing problems around congestion, health profit impact the mobility of the city? Transurban and the car industry are On offer is a business partnership with leaseholds Debbie in the past 14 years alone. and the liveability of our cities. already leading the charge to test electric and autonomous vehicles. of 60 years. Jones is offering public money to National Parks have always had a policy of locating private development We will fail to tackle our commitments in the We need to ensure people are put first to limit unnecessary human costs. develop infrastructure within the public park for outside the National Parks: adjoining or near the Park. Whenever the Paris climate agreement if we don’t start reducing And we need to fight against private interests prioritising profits over people. developers’ private profit. She proposes exclusive privatisation of commercial activity is allowed within the National Parks, our transport emissions. Some of these emissions Many low-income people rely on their cars to get to school or work. and expensive glamping cabins along the track even if ecotourism, their profitability will become the management driver could be reduced by shifting to clean EVs – if While we need to transition our car and truck fleet to electric engines, with associated infrastructure placed in this rather than the principle of conserving the environment. plugged into renewable energy for charging. there are very real social justice concerns that will need to be addressed natural environment. The heavy footprint of No-one is opposed to appropriate ecotourism, but it must not However, public transport already has a fraction as this transition occurs. EVs remain an expensive relative to cars that rely ‘man’ is coming. interfere with biodiversity and other management principles. of the emissions per capita of car transport. on petrol or diesel. If ever there was a time to let things be, now is National parks belong to “the people”; a public good. It is a fundamental Our electricity grid remains dependent on dirty Higher income households are more likely to be in a position to afford the time. Species extinction crisis, threatened government responsibility to take good care of the public good, out of fossil fuels. In parts of Australia, plugging into new cars with low emissions, including electric vehicles. They will and endangered animals vanishing and habitat the public purse. Government is the guardian of our national treasure; the grid means using more dirty energy than disproportionately benefit from EV uptake: financial incentives (as in destruction signal a rapidly dying planet. it should not be, as poet Judith Wright wrote, “You cannot keep cutting you’d be saving with your EV. rebates), priority access to bus lanes, and priority parking for EVs. National Parks and World Heritage protections steaks off a bullock and expect it to stay alive.” Single vehicles on our road network move people were put in place in order to safeguard and Lower income households that can only afford used cars would miss out, An area placed under protection for its natural values should attract around inefficiently, causing the increasing protect biological diversity. perpetuating inequality. certainty of protection, particularly when Queensland Parks contribute congestion in our growing cities. The amount of Our governments must listen to urban planners and designers so that In the lead up, key proponent Brett Goffrey $4.3 billion in tourism dollars every year. Tourism in Parks collects 28% of space they take up vastly outweighs the number urban development is delivered with adequate infrastructure for people was appointed by Minister Jones to be chair the money brought into Queensland on less than 7% of land. To say Parks of people they move. of Tourism and Events Queensland. It is his to imagine a city that is less car dependent. are not contributing to the economy is laughable. Most of the tourism They also consume precious land when not in private business, the Australian Walking Internationally there are strong moves to eliminate polluting cars and employment is in associated services based outside the Park. use by having space allocated to car parking lots, Company, which is one of three applicants in encourage electric vehicles. If Australia doesn’t develop its own standards, From a sudden announcement, the collective wisdom of regional on-street parking, and space at our homes to the expressions-of-interest process. Goffrey is in we risk being left as a dumping ground for outdated polluting diesel and communities has been ignored. Potential development should be created leave idle vehicles. a valuable revolving door. The state government petrol vehicles. outside the park and geared to support economic development of a local The car industry meets at the Paris Motor Show will build the infrastructure and gift the Instead of relying on electric vehicles, we can create healthier, fairer community. This would require integrated efforts by the government to this week, facing hazards ranging from the successful applicant the public asset for personal and more connected cities. It’s time to focus investment on more public build relationships, consult with and invest in the community. rollout of costly electric vehicles and tightening profit. Exclusive glamping cabins will be offered transport to improve connections and frequency. to the rich. Subleasing will be allowed but no To date a sham community consultation process was conducted after emissions rules to potential trade restrictions. Then people can just turn up to public transport routes and go, getting to bond has been discussed for damages which public outrage. Due process has failed. The minister’s department Providing this space for vehicles is a driving their destinations quickly and reliably. More people travelling by foot, bike might occur. facilitated a half-day of consultation, 20-minute individual meetings, factor in the rapid urban sprawl we are only giving the community two days’ notice of meeting. This is clearly and public transport create safer streets and a stronger sense of community. Three islands are to be developed for private witnessing. Farms and native habitat particularly a failure of public servants operating in democracy. They have succumbed We know not everyone has the choice to leave their cars behind. Our leasehold. One of them is Hinchinbrook, a World around Melbourne and, to a lesser extent, apparently to pressure from sneaky capital. emergency services, some of our delivery trucks and tradies, and those Heritage listed biological haven which is listed Sydney are being encroached on by low density with accessibility issues will continue to need to move on road-based as the second most irreplaceable ecosystem on The cardinal principle of National Parks is for ‘the permanent preservation sprawl, which relies on roads for cars and land to transport. But we need to leave our roads free for those that need them the planet out of 170 top World Heritage site. of the area’s natural condition and the protection of the area’s cultural store them at our homes or destinations. to do their work without getting caught in unnecessary traffic. The Thorsborne Trail is iconic, globally ranked as resources and values’, not creating a recreational playground and With limited public transport in many new one of the 10 best wilderness walks in the world, diminishing biodiversity. suburbs, many families are forced to bear the Switching to electric vehicles addresses just one part of the problem that unique and rare. Please write or call tourism minister Kate Jones to register your opposition, cost of two or more cars to be able to get to our car-centric city faces: rising pollution. We already have more efficient public transport systems. National Park management should not be creating and ask environment minister Leeane Enoch why she is failing to protect work, school and the shops. Simply shifting these exclusivity so only the top end of town can afford the cardinal principle: Enough is Enough. Public Parks not Private vehicles to EVs reinforces the problems of sprawl. Urban sprawl and the divisions cars produce in our city will only continue to be with Nature and enjoy the National Parks Playgrounds. Beyond the question of electric cars is the with a switch to electric vehicles. experience. Parks belong to everyone. We are seeking people from anywhere in Australia (but particularly in emerging issue of driverless (autonomous) Rachel Lynskey is the community campaigner for Friends of the Earth’s As the island experiences a seasonal wet Queensland) who are interested in helping to build grassroots activity to vehicles. Will they tackle congestion if we Sustainable Cities campaign. there is an eight-month window to visit the protect National Parks from inappropriate development. Contact: [email protected]

30 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 31 War, what is it good for ... Calling out those who created besides blood lust a toxic environment for Muslims

and the Avalon Airshow? Susie Latham deserves widespread condemnation fringe groups held rallies around the country, for his comments about the massacre of 50 even refusing demands to stop MP George Muslims in Christchurch mosques. Christensen from speaking at one. But many mainstream voices now censuring him for ’s Senate inquiry into halal Dave Sweeney his views, including Scott Morrison, who has stated certification was also instigated on Abbott’s February 26 – Australians are generally lucky seven decades years ago as the site for the development of the RAAF’s that he will “always speak out” about “comments watch. In the last week of his prime ministership, where it comes to the air – we have big skies Canberra bomber. Over the current event around 200,000 people are that seek to denigrate Muslims and Islam”, created shortly after the body of three-year-old Muslim and safe planes that routinely take off and land expected to join air force representatives from Australia, France, Japan, a political environment toxic to Muslims. boy Alan Kurdi washed up on a Turkish beach, and relocate us for holidays, family re-unions Singapore, the UK, Canada, New Zealand and the USA. Defence personnel I married into a Muslim family 15 years ago, so I’ve Abbott decided to prioritise non-Muslim refugees and commerce. Our airborne images are red can access complimentary tickets, but are requested to wear their military been particularly sensitive to the dog-whistling in a special intake of those fleeing . kangaroos, flying doctors and grainy newsreels of uniform, no doubt to add to the swash-buckling glamour. of the Coalition, some sections of the media and Three months later, he wrote an opinion piece early aviators breaking new records in old planes. Behind the Orwellian images exhorting civilian families to bring public figures on this issue, along with the silence in which he argued that societies “can’t remain It is a world away from many other places their loved ones to the new Colosseum is a disturbing trend towards (with some notable exceptions) from Labor. in denial about the massive problem within experience of the sky as a hostile space that uncontested war planning, spending and legitimacy. In 2006, Danna Vale argued against an abortion bill Islam”. Many of his fellow MPs, including Andrew threatens rapid and remote destruction and Recently the Coalition announced plans to position Australia as one of on the basis that it could help Australia become a Hastie, Josh Frydenberg, Andrew Nikolic, death. For most of us the closest we get to this all the world’s top 10 arms exporters. Only if there are union jobs with an Muslim nation within 50 years. Later that year, then Craig Kelly and Michael Sukkar, made similar too common global reality is TV news footage of approved super fund, said a resolute Labor Party. And in the last week we prime minister told a talkback radio statements. After Pauline Hanson’s 2016 election, wailing sirens and survivors amid the rubble. But have seen revelations of clear links between publicly-funded Australian caller “there is a … small section of the Islamic Abbott publicly met with and congratulated her. such vision is unlikely to be on the big screen at arms manufacturers and the provision of weapons to Saudi Arabia, which population … which is very resistant to integration”. The next year, Channel Nine personality Sonia Avalon airport this week. is currently driving the war in Yemen. Anti-Muslim activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali delivered Kruger told her TV audience, in comments Avalon enthusiastically positions itself as The sponsors of the Avalon event include the federal and state governments the closing keynote at the 2007 Sydney Writers that NCAT recently found encouraged “hatred Melbourne’s ‘other’ airport. Instead it is a place along with a who’s who of arms corporations. BAE and Raytheon are giving Festival, receiving standing ovations. Three towards, or serious contempt for, Australian where not a lot happens. Every day there are away show bags alongside nuclear weapons heavyweight Lockheed Martin. months earlier, she had proclaimed Islam “a Muslims by ordinary members of the Australian roughly equal numbers of Jetstar services and General Atomics, a shadowy group that has a finger in poisoned pies from destructive, nihilistic cult of death. It legitimates population”, that she agreed with News Corp bewildered backpackers wondering how far they drones to uranium mining in is involved while Northrop murder … not just with extremist elements columnist that Muslim immigration are from the MCG (about 60kms). But every second Grumman, who’s cyber division is able to ‘project force’ globally, is just within Islam, but the ideology of Islam itself.” should be halted because she did not feel safe. year the wind-swept paddocks between the open one more of the cash-splashers. In early 2011, Morrison encouraged his Bolt has not been alone in promoting such ideas. range Zoo and the closed range prison complex And these corporations have cash to splash. In 2015 the leading US arms colleagues, then in opposition, to “capitalise on A 2017 study found that News Corp publications hosts a truly perverse family feel-good celebration. corporations generated over US$200 billion. An analysis by the Institute for the electorate’s growing concerns about ‘Muslim carried an average of eight negative stories about The Avalon Airshow is comprised of two Strategic Studies shows that with an annual spend of around $600 billion, immigration’, ‘Muslims in Australia’ and the Muslims a day. concurrent events: the Australian International the US is home to 40% of the entire globes’ annual military outlay. And with ‘inability’ of Muslim migrants to integrate’ “. In Security agencies and researchers of violent Aerospace and Defence Exposition is an industry- President Trump pushing a massive military budget increase, trumpeting 2014, Bronwyn Bishop ruled that Muslim women extremism have also concentrated on Muslims as a only trade-fest that runs for three days before ‘peace through strength’ and unilaterally shredding nuclear weapons wearing the burqa in Parliament House must be threat. Defending Christensen’s right to speak at the merging with the co-located and more public constraints, these are good times for the MBA heavy masters of war. segregated behind a glass enclosure. rally, then foreign minister Julie Australian International Airshow for a further But it is unlikely that these figures – or their opportunity costs or who Dr Kate Ahmad, one of two people behind a Bishop said she had been “briefed intensively and three days of ‘the ultimate family adventure’. makes these decisions and on what basis – will be taking to the air this gofundme petition for the removal of Queensland extensively on Islamic extremism” but that “none of If websites could get breathless this one would week. Parade the hardware and avoid the hard questions – since the days senator Fraser Anning from Parliament for his the 400 extremists under government surveillance need a respirator: ‘Experience the awesome of the bread and circus in Rome some public relations strategies remain remarks after the Christchurch mosque massacre. are right-wing, anti-Islam campaigners”. power of military aviation. A high voltage array of fundamentally unaltered. But the dog-whistling grew much louder shortly Following the tragic murder last year of Sisto combat aircraft takes centre stage with the thrust But there are real issues that need to be ventilated along with the Jet fuel after then prime minister narrowly Malaspina in Bourke Street, Melbourne, by a and grunt of the latest heavy metal. Marvel as jet and Av-gas. What is the role of state and federal government subsidy for avoided defeat in a February 2015 spill of his Muslim known to authorities, Morrison and fighters, strike bombers and heavy lift leviathans the defense sector? Should Australian academic institutions be entering job. Within months he declared, surrounded at Dutton both said that ordinary Muslims needed are joined by swarms of attack helicopters, from into commercial-in-confidence research arrangements with multinational times by absurd numbers of Australian flags, “I’ve to do more to prevent terrorism. Morrison home and abroad, for a series of breathtaking weapons, including nuclear weapons, corporations? Why is Australian often heard Western leaders describe Islam as a accused them of looking the other way and routines and simulated combat manoeuvres.’ defense spending growing and who are we protecting – and from what ‘religion of peace’. I wish more Muslim leaders sticking their heads in the sand. It’s free for the under-fives, there’s plenty of threat – with our $20 billion plus annual spend? would say that more often, and mean it.” My advice to Morrison and his fellow travellers parking and if the planes all get a bit much you Oh, and one more. How can the event organiser – Aerospace Australia Ltd He stood with Peter Dutton to tell the nation of “an is to do less. Stop using one of the most can chill to the techno-beats at the Drone Zone – be a registered charity? Charity might begin at home but with this sector increasing threat from those, including those in our marginalised groups in Australia for political Down Under display. it directly leads to shattered lives abroad. midst, who would do us harm” and warned “the gain. Maybe then I’ll believe you mean what Avalon airport has a long-standing military you’re saying now. Alongside the warplanes, it’s time for some plain truths and Daesh [Islamic State] death cult is … coming after connection and was first used by federal agencies some high-octane answers. us … they are certainly at war with us”. Dr Susie Latham is a writer and researcher He and most other politicians remained silent on and the co-founder of Voices while Reclaim Australia and other anti-Muslim against Bigotry. www.voicesagainstbigotry.org

32 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 33 Tears for Christchurch: Australia first imported hate in 1788. Now we’re in the export business.

Chris Graham March 16 – Getting your head around an Aussie racism and our leaders the ABC1, and Howard and his party tried to exploit previously a member of Scott Morrison’s Liberals. it at the next federal election. Self-harm and attempt She entered the parliamentary chamber last year unspeakable tragedy like that which occurred in When John Howard, our Prime Minister from suicide rates among the NT’s Aboriginal population dressed in a burka, a stunt designed to highlight Christchurch yesterday is no easy thing. It’s hard 1996 until 2007, first joined the Liberal Party more than quadrupled, anaemia rates in Aboriginal her opposition to Muslim immigration.7 to fathom the level of hate that underpins such a in the 1950s, slavery of Aboriginal people was children sky-rocketed, and the government later heinous act. common in Australia, although there is no official In her maiden speech to parliament in 1996, Self-harm and conceded that the practice of restricting access to Ordinarily when an event like this occurs, there’s recognition of this in our museums or libraries. she complained Australia was being swamped attempt suicide welfare funds caused widespread starvation among by Asians. In her return to parliament two a rush from political leaders to offer condolences. Aboriginal children were taken from their families, the Aboriginal population. decades later, she claimed Australia was now rates among the But there’s also a clamour to avoid political placed into ‘homes’ and then forced into labour. Only black people were subject to these laws. being “swamped by Muslims”.8 And just to clear discussion. When terrible things like this Their wages and savings were held in ‘trust’ by NT’s Aboriginal that up, about two-thirds of Australians today happen, ‘now is not the time for debate. government, and then stolen. As late as 1986 population more Tony Abbott were born here and identify their heritage as Now is the time for grieving’. governments were still refusing to pay Aboriginal When Dr James Anaya from the United Nations white, and Islam doesn’t even rank in the top than quadrupled, In Australia, on this occasion, that clamour workers the same wages as everyone else. When That will require an toured the country in 2009, he labelled the NT five religions in the country, according to the anaemia rates in hasn’t occurred. I think that’s in part because the a court finally ordered equal pay, the Queensland honest assessment intervention policy – which was now being Australian Bureau of Statistics.9 victims are Muslim and most Australians don’t – Government increased the wage level, then sacked Aboriginal children of this nation’s run by Labor – as “racist”. He was described as and won’t – identify with their grieving. There’s the requisite number of black workers to ensure Recently, amid a major political revival of her sky-rocketed, and history – not just an “armchair critic”2 by Australia’s future Prime no ‘profile pic filter’ in support of the Muslims of there was no impact on the bottom line. party, Hanson chose as her lead the government Minister, Tony Abbott, a man who believes candidate in next week’s NSW state election. Christchurch flooding Facebook today. As this occurred, John Howard had already been our treatment of climate change is “crap”, whose main election Latham is the former leader of the Labor Party, later conceded I think it’s also in part because Muslim leaders in parliament a decade and a half and had climbed Muslims, but of slogan in 2013 was “stop the boats” – a reference Australia’s other major political force. Earlier this that the practice themselves – young and old – are already leading to the ranks of leader of the federal Liberal people of colour to mainly brown people seeking asylum – and week, Latham called for Aboriginal people to be the calls for a national discussion, although it’s Party. He said nothing in defence of Aboriginal of restricting generally – and who thought that Aboriginal people living DNA tested before they’re allowed to claim social not like they haven’t been doing that for a long people, nor did he call to heal his party colleague, access to welfare in particular it in grinding state-engineered poverty were welfare. In 2015, he told media western Sydney time. Journalist Osman Faruqi probably put Queensland Premier Joh Bjelke Petersen. 3 making “lifestyle choices”. had a “Muslim problem”.10 In 2017, he argued it funds caused it best: “I feel so sad. We begged you to stop requires a frank Two years later, as Opposition leader, he called Abbott was ultimately rolled as Prime Minister, was pointless being “nice to Muslims” to get them widespread amplifying and normalising hatred and racism. for Asian to be reduced. discussion about and eventually succeeded by our current to tip off police about future terrorist attacks. But you told us we were ‘politically correct’ and starvation among The policy was called, ‘One Australia’. the people who leader, Scott Morrison, the man who as Abbott’s ‘freedom of speech’ was more important. The Latham is expected to easily win a seat in the the Aboriginal In 1998, Howard campaigned on tax reform and immigration minister set up the indefinite more you gave the far-right a platform, the more have led us here, NSW Parliament next weekend. faced an electoral wipeout. He won the election, detention of refugees in camps on Manus and population. powerful they got. We begged you.” and still lead us but not the popular vote. By 2001, he’d learnt Nauru. Documents leaked at the time revealed Labor, Lambie, Bernardi There are several distinctly separate today. It’s only then his lesson – his election slogan was ‘We’ll decide that Morrison deliberately constructed the Those on the ‘left’ in Australia often claim that conversations that must go on, across two who comes to this country and the circumstances can we even start detention system to be as punitive as possible, the Labor Party is much more moderate than countries, and there’s a deep, twisted irony 4 under which they come’. The ‘Tampa election’ – to understand what to act as a deterrent. the Liberals. Here’s former Labor Prime Minister in at least one of them. where Howard refused to process asylum seekers created a man like There are still hundreds of men and women living describing people seeking asylum as If New Zealand leaders respond the way who had sunk at sea and been picked up by a 11 Brendon Tarrant. this ‘deterrence’ today, trapped on these islands. “illegal immigrants”. And here’s his predecessor, Australian leaders have in the past, then passing ship – delivered a significant victory This policy has also been condemned by the Julia Gillard, blaming Aboriginal people for their there will be a debate centred around for the Liberals, and most notably, changed the United Nations and the international community. own poverty.12 political landscape in Australia. immigration. They might come to the conclusion Yesterday Morrison was quick to empathise Someone who might also return to the that no Muslim has ever come to their shores and Howard’s overt xenophobia was welcomed with New Zealand, and to condemn comments parliamentary benches at the upcoming federal massacred 49 people. But an Australian has, and by a majority of voters. by his parliamentary colleague, Fraser Anning, election is Jacqui Lambie a former Senator with by Australian logic, New Zealanders should be By 2005, Howard was still Prime Minister when who claimed the cause of the massacre was the Palmer United Party, another of Australia’s calling for an immigration ban … on Australians. thousands of white Australians descended on New Zealand’s immigration policy.5 Morrison fringe-right parties. The other discussion – the more pressing one – is Sydney’s famous Cronulla beach to riot and beat called Anning’s comments “disgusting”. Boosted by the media, Lambie reached folk-hero on our own shores. What Muslim leaders – and brown people – to ‘take back our beaches’, as They are disgusting – indeed most things Anning status during her term in office for being known many of the rest of us – want to discuss is how we organisers put it. says are, including this recent speech calling as a ‘plain talker’. Here’s a link to Lambie ‘talking got to this point, and how we get back from here. The ‘protest’ had been driven in large part for a ‘’ to Australia’s ‘immigration plainly’ on television about the problems with That will require an honest assessment of this by Sydney shock jock Alan Jones, a mate of problem’. 6 But of all the people in Australia in a ‘Shari Law’.13 nation’s history – not just our treatment of Muslims, Howard’s. Despite the violence, and the scale position to condemn it, our Prime Minister is not but of people of colour generally – and in particular If you can’t stomach the clip – or more to the of it, Howard refused to accept Australia had one of them. it requires a frank discussion about the people who point, you simply can’t understand it – you can a problem with racism. read a full transcript here.14 Or here’s a brief have led us here, and still lead us today. It’s only One nation then can we even start to understand what created Two years later, he sent the into excerpt. Lambie is asked exactly what she thinks Fraser Anning, of course, was previously part of a man like Brendon Tarrant. Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory Sharia Law is: “’Shari, Shari law, um, you know, on the false pretext that it was awash with One Nation, a deeply racist political party headed to me it’s, um, it’s, ah, it obviously involves This analysis piece is an attempt to contribute paedophile rings. The story was part of a racist by Pauline Hanson. For her part, Hanson was terrorism. It, it, it involves a, um, a power that, to that process. campaign concocted by our national broadcaster,

34 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 35 um, is not a healthy power.” Those are the exact which this country conducts its affairs, which is reflection is a public holiday where we get drunk words of a popularly elected Australian leader. one of fear and loathing of ‘the other’ – of anyone and gamble, and don’t mention the wars fought Cory Bernardi, another former member of the who is not white. on our own soil. Liberals and at one time on the frontbench, has Our population is easily exploited by this craven Here’s a tweet from Queensland Liberal-National long been a vocal opponent of Muslims and Islam. political cynicism. That is undeniable. But the politician – a warrior for He still serves in parliament as an independent, politicians and leaders can’t do it without the free speech – calling for Abdel Magied’s sacking and last year described Halal certifiers in Australia assistance of our media, and on that front, there’s and “self-deportation”: “Yasmin should no longer as “cockroaches” after waging a failed campaign no shortage of willing participants. on the public broadcaster’s tax-funded payroll. against them for four years, which included a The Daily Mail has devoted huge quantities of Self-deportation should also be considered.” It 24 Senate inquiry that found, unsurprisingly, no space today to the Christchurch attacks. Sure, got enthusiastic coverage in mainstream media. 15 Our population is links to terrorism. wholesale slaughter may be terribly sad, but It’s worth noting, two years earlier, Christensen One of the more entertaining moments of his there’s clicks to be had and money to be made. easily exploited was the guest speaker at a rally staged by Reclaim campaign was during an interview with ABC’s If you search the word “Muslim” on the Daily by this craven Australia – a now defunct group with links to neo- Four Corners program, where he tried to Mail home page, then manage to scroll past the political cynicism. Nazis – in which he declared Australia was at war argue there were financial links between halal 79 stories they’ve already filed on the tragedy, That is undeniable. with radical Islam. That got major media coverage certifiers and ‘terrorist groups’ like Hamas, the as well. Outrage as clicks is big business. you’ll get to the Daily Mail’s real coverage of But the politicians governing party in Palestine’s Gaza City. Islam19, which is a catalogue of some of the most Prior to Abdel-Magied, we hounded an Aboriginal “Hamas itself is not a proscribed terrorist extreme bigotry and Islamophobia in Australian and leaders can’t football star, , out of the game organisation in this country,” the journalist media history. do it without the after he threw an imaginary spear at a section of points out. Bernardi stares back at the camera Go to the Daily Telegraph or the Herald Sun assistance of our the crowd that was mercilessly booing him for leaders who plough our fields with intolerance, for a moment, gulps, and then replies: “Well, and google ‘African gangs’ or ‘Lebanese gangs’. having a young girl ejected from an earlier game media then express condolences when people like there you go.” Or read this story by Michael Brull, which for calling him an “ape”. And before that, despite Tarrant carry out the violence. Bernardi’s anti-Muslim rhetoric has routinely documents 2,891 Murdoch stories trashing our national obsession with sport, we celebrated been given a wide airing in media, under the Islam in a single year.20 when an Aboriginal boxer Anthony Mundine If we’re to find our way out of the toxic mess that was knocked out in a world title fight. It’s almost we’ve built for ourselves, it’s going to require an pretense of ‘balance’. But here he is ‘doing it Read this fake news story from Fairfax about certainly the first time in Australian media honest reckoning of our past. That’s an enormous for himself’ on his own website, in a piece how the country NSW town of Bourke – home entitled, ‘Words are not enough’.16 He rails history that publishers celebrated a significant task, given the depth of our denial. to a substantial number of Aboriginal residents – sporting loss. against the 2017 terrorist attacks in Manchester, is the most dangerous place on earth.21 In responding to Fraser Anning’s comments which claimed the lives of 23 people, and ends yesterday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison also Then there’s the commentariat. On any given So where to from here? by saying, “Enough is enough. If the Muslim said Anning’s views had no place in Australian day, there’s no shortage of reams of copy from community will not stamp out this evil in their Australia, as a nation, hasn’t so much lost our way, Parliament. In fact, those sorts of views ultra-conservative mainstream columnists midst, we must take the lead. Our institutions are as we never really found it. Our history is one of have always been a part of Australian Parliament. demanding the same rights they expect as slaughter, but it’s also one of denial of that slaughter. designed to protect our citizens and our national This is Australia’s first Prime Minister, Edmund interest. It’s about time we did what is necessary citizens be denied people of the Islamic faith. When Anders Behring Breivik massacred 76 Or Aboriginal people. Barton, speaking after the passage of our to make them effective.” people in Norway in 2011 – a person whom parliament’s first major piece of legislation in Go to google and search on the phrase ‘Sunrise’ Notably, Bernardi’s response to the slaughter Brenton Tarrant listed in his rambling, unhinged 1901, called the Immigration Restriction Act: and ‘Aboriginal’. What you’ll find is deep ignorance of 49 Muslims by a white Australian male drew 73-page manifesto as his “true inspiration” – “All men who come to these shores with a clean and bigotry repackaged as entertainment, then a much more muted reaction – a single 13- Breivik praised like record who leave behind a memory of class presented as ‘balanced debate’.22 word tweet: “What a disgusting act of terror in Keith Windschuttle, an historian who flatly distinctions and religious differences of the old Christchurch. Thoughts and prayers with all.” Earlier this year, our media hosted another of denied that significant massacres occurred in world are Australians. No n*gger, no Chinaman, Tasmania in the 1800s. In 2013, Bernardi used that same term – those ‘balanced debates’ about ‘Australia Day’, no laska, no Kanaka, no purveyor of cheap “disgusting”- but added “abhorrent” to describe as it does every year (we still celebrate our Breivik also praised our former PM, John coloured labour is an Australian.” national day on the date marking the arrival proposed Greens’ legislation on same-sex Howard, along with Catholic Cardinal George That legislation was known as the White of the British and the commencement of two marriage. It would lead to bestiality, he argued. Pell, who was this week sentenced to jail for Australia Policy, and remained in force until centuries of slaughter and dispossession of the raping a choir boy, and sexually assaulting the mid-1970s (at the time the strapline of the First Australians).23 Panellist Kerrianne Kennerly Media boosting another. John Howard wrote him a glowing magazine which published the remarks, The – an Australian television icon – came to the 25 That’s just a small fraction of the recent character reference for his court appearance. Bulletin, was ‘Australia for the white man’. It conclusion that people protesting Australia Day Australian leadership – there’s simply too many Like Breivik’s manifesto, Tarrant’s is also very finally closed its doors in 2008). needed to get off their arse and head out bush to to mention, like Wilson Tuckey, known widely extreme and mirrors, in large part, the views of So contrary to Morrison’s assertions, these sorts of in politics by his nickname ‘Iron Bar’, which he stop Aboriginal kids and women being raped. people like , Shermon Burgess and comments don’t just belong in Australian Parliament, got for flogging an Aboriginal man on the floor of Neil Erikson, three of the more prominent white Yassmin Abdel-Magied that’s routinely from where they emanate. an outback pub; or the faceless Labor left figure supremacists in this country, who have frequently In 2017, ABC journalist Yassmin Abdel-Magied who described the job of being Aboriginal affairs been entertained by the Australian media. Scott Morrison minister as akin to being the ‘toilet cleaner on – a Muslim woman – was hounded out of the But while his language and tone are angry, what For a way forward, we also need to the Titanic’.17 Or former One Nation politician country by media and politicians for having the Tarrant actually says – the things he calls for, acknowledge our present. If you look at Scott David Oldfield, who thinks Aboriginal culture – gall to mention our history of slaughter on Anzac like a halt to Islamic immigration – are views Morrison’s official Twitter account today, he’s the oldest on earth – should have died out in Day, a date reserved for the ‘commemoration’ widely held and expressed within government, posted eight times on the attack in Christchurch the Stone Age.18 of our proud involvement in virtually every global conflict since Federation. To us, solemn parliament and our broader leadership… the But it does give you some idea of the climate in

36 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 37 WWF benefiting from histories of human rights abuse at the time of press. But he pointedly avoids demand that our elected leaders begin and using the ‘M’ word, referring instead to ‘all New uphold that process. Zealanders’ and ‘all Kiwis’, as though the attack On that front, sadly, we do not presently have a was not specifically targeted at Muslims. leadership in Australia capable of the task. Our Lian Sinclair But when the shoe is on the other foot – when dog whistling, our Islamophobia, our racism and two Australians were killed by a Muslim terrorist fear of brown people is so entrenched that, as we Buzzfeed’s recent exposé of WWF’s practices A Komnas HAM (National Commission of Human in Melbourne last year – Morrison found voice, speak, sitting in Scott Morrison’s Prime Ministerial around the world has shocked the public, Rights) investigation reported that residents resisting eviction were arrested, their houses and naming and shaming the Islamic community for office is a trophy – literally a trophy – in the shape funders and regulators. The detailed one-year gardens were burnt, their possessions destroyed, not doing enough to stop the violence: “For those of a boat, with a plaque on it that reads, “I stopped investigation by Katie J.M. Baker and Tom Warren or they were shot. who want to stick their head in the sand, for these”. 27 has revealed evidence of forest guards funded, armed, or working in partnership with WWF Human rights abuse also continued after those who want to make excuses for those who So we need to find other people to lead this committing shocking human-rights violations the evictions; as evictees demonstrated for stick their head in the sand, you are not making nation. Our leaders stopped the boats – we need which WWF attempted to cover up. Buzzfeed compensation. Some villagers who trespassed Australia safer. You are giving people an excuse to to stop their votes. We need to clean out our redesigned WWF’s ‘cute panda’ logo wearing into the mining area (usually to illegally pan for look the other way and not deal with things right parliament at the May 2019 election. Where we a balaclava and assault rifle. gold) were shot by guards – at least one person in front of you. If there are people in a religious sit today is a direct result of our past. It’s time died while being pursued by guards. The abuses community, an Islamic community, that are we took control of our future. While researching the legacy of Rio Tinto’s bringing in hateful, violent, extremist ideologies Kelian gold mine in East Kalimantan, Indonesia, also included sexual harassment and assault of There is no other option, because while it into your community, you’ve got to call it out.” it was interesting to find that WWF had become women and girls. certainly is a shock, and deeply distressing, that involved. WWF was not there, like other Despite a strong local protest movement, Indeed. But what of the non-Islamic the man who massacred at least 49 Muslims in environmental organisations, to support local compensation trickled in slowly until the fall communities, who breed men like Brendon New Zealand was an Australian, it should also people or over pollution concerns. WWF became of Suharto’s authoritarian government in 1998. Tarrant? What are they doing? Where is the come as no surprise. blanket condemnation of them from our Prime involved because Rio Tinto had inadvertently Local activists, who had begun organising with We’ve been importing and then fomenting hatred WWF is Minister? Why isn’t the Mayor of Grafton, where created a perfect asset for WWF – a protected Oxfam Australia (then Community Aid Abroad) in this nation since 1788. Now, finally, we’re Tarrant grew up, being held to account? Or Dr forest from which all inhabitants had long been travelled to Melbourne and London to confront greenwashing exporting it. Murray Harvey, the Catholic Bishop of Grafton?26 evicted and which was still guarded by military Rio Tinto executives at their annual general the legitimacy of Chris Graham is the publisher and editor and police officers. Besides honestly acknowledging our present, meetings. Following international pressure and Rio Tinto, which of New Matilda. After mine closure in 2005, the mine contract local blockades, Rio Tinto’s subsidiary KEM out best way out of this mess is to start applying has publicly Reprinted from New Matilda, https:// area was rehabilitated and turned into a negotiated a compensation package of 60 billion standards equally – to treat all citizens in this acknowledged country with the same respect, and afford them newmatilda.com/2019/03/16/tears-for- protected forest. Its status as a protected forest rupiah (A$11.1 million) for victims without the same rights and courtesies. And we must christchurch-australia-has-been-importing-hate- legally excludes previous inhabitants from admitting guilt or liability in March 2001. human rights since-1788-now-were-in-the-export-business/ returning, from fishing in the river, collecting forest products and panning for gold. The Creation of a protected forest Indonesian military and police officers, company In 2001, KEM established a Mine Closure Steering References: security and forest rangers hired by Rio Tinto Committee (MCSC) to plan for mine closure, 1. https://newmatilda.com/2017/06/23/bad-aunty-seven-years-how-abc-lateline-sparked-racist-nt-intervention/ physically exclude local people from their rehabilitation and the creation of a protected 2. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/abbott-calls-anaya-an-armchair-critic traditional forest. forest. The committee invited the participation of 3. https://newmatilda.com/2015/03/11/tony-abbotts-australia-nothing-bush-brimming-choices/ local figures and NGOs in the planning process. 4. https://newmatilda.com/2015/03/13/inside-department-explosive-leaked-transcripts-moss-review/ Evictions However, a local activist and founder of LKMTL 5. https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/australian-pm-slams-disgusting-remarks-senator-blaming-nz-immigration-policy-christchurch-terror-attack?variant=tb_v_1 6. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/15/mps-widely-condemn-fraser-annings-final-solution-speech The level of security and infrastructure provided (Council for People’s Prosperity, Mining and 7. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/16/energy-dissenters-dog-coalition-as-company-tax-moves-back-to-spotlight-politics-live by Rio and the Indonesian state makes the forest Environment) told me: “Our opinion was always 8. https://www.sbs.com.au/news/hanson-warns-of-being-swamped-by-muslims a perfect place for WWF to relocate critically cut, they would never listen to our problems 9. http://quickstats.censusdata.abs.gov.au/census_services/getproduct/census/2016/quickstat/036?opendocument endangered Sumatran Rhinos. It also has the … [The] MCSC is formulistic, there were no 10. https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/tv-shows/the-verdict-recap-sydney-terror-attack-mental-health-antiabortion-campaigner-troy-newman/news-story/ potential to underwrite carbon credits under a opportunities to ask questions or submit input.” bc98d99356195276cc2bfce0399e48d0 REDD+ scheme. KEM did agree to the protection of several 11. http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2009/s2719301.htm WWF is greenwashing the legitimacy of Rio sites sacred to local Dayak groups, yet genuine 12. http://www.noosacommunityradio.org/aboriginal-anger-over-gillard%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98close-the-gap%E2%80%99-statement/ Tinto, which has publicly acknowledged human joint management of the forest was denied. 13. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o63FGy3mPWI rights abuses during the development of the Community demands to create aquafarming, to 14. https://newmatilda.com/2014/09/21/transcript-jacqui-lambie-declares-war-sharis-law-and-queens-english/ mine. Free prior and informed consent was never be allowed to fish in the river or pan for gold 15. https://newmatilda.com/2015/12/03/cory-bernardi-and-the-little-halal-truther-campaign-that-couldnt/ sought or given by the people evicted from the were ignored. 16. https://www.corybernardi.com/words_are_not_enough forest area – a mix of indigenous Dayak peoples It is this history of violence, exclusion and lack 17. http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/stories/s171466.htm and non-indigenous people. of consent that WWF is now benefiting from. To 18. http://caama.com.au/news/2016/david-oldfield-aboriginal-culture-should-have-died-out-like-the-stone-age In fact, evictees fiercely resisted evictions from be clear, WWF is not responsible for any of the 19. http://tinyurl.com/daily-mail-racism 1985–1992, yet, as one resident of Tutung village abuses in this case and became involved after 20. https://newmatilda.com/2018/03/03/2891-murdoch-stories-trashing-islam-single-year-study-reveals/ compensation had been paid to many of the 21. https://newmatilda.com/2019/02/22/dangerous-place-earth-locals-dont-get-cola-pies-will/ told me: “Although the community is right, they are victims. However, as a corporate partner with Rio 22. https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2018/09/19/sunrise-channel-seven-aboriginal-race- always made wrong. If we insisted [on our rights], 23. https://www.perthnow.com.au/entertainment/tv/kerri-anne-kennerley-threatening-to-quit-after-studio-10-row-with-yumi-stynes-ng-b881093651z the iron hand will come. That is the problem and Tinto, WWF could have played a transformative 24. https://www.dailymercury.com.au/news/disgrace-mp-slams-presenter-over-anzac-day-post/3170710/ that is why all kinds of violence short of bombings role in addressing the lack of free prior informed 25. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/feb/27/tony-abbott-says-george-pell-verdict-is-devastating were used … we were just like a herd of cows that consent and creating new foundations for 26. https://www.graftondiocese.org.au/bishop-registry/bishop-of-grafton/ was pushed into a barn together.” transformative community relations. 27. https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/19/i-stopped-these-scott-morrison-keeps-migrant-boat-trophy-in-office

38 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 39 However, I found no evidence that WWF investigated the lack of free prior informed consent of the villages surrounding the forest. Villagers Protecting grassy plains reported that they have never been consulted by WWF. While conducting fieldwork, WWF employees declined to be interviewed on the record. west of Melbourne Poaching In November 2018, WWF announced they were relocating a single Rhinoceros that they Ben Courtice had captured to the Kelian Protected Forest. Melbourne is eating up the western plains. The existence of the only known Rhino in Grassland reserve at Williams Landing, Where once you could only see grasses and which the owner, Cedar , have Kalimantan in the forest will only add one flowers, waving in the breeze like ripples on the applied to develop. more reason that the forest remains protected ocean, all the way to the horizon – now you are by armed guards and that all people, including more likely to see grey roof-tiles and bitumen locals, are excluded. streets. The plains grasslands are one of the most To be sure, as Buzzfeed also acknowledged, endangered ecosystems left in the state, with poaching is a serious crime that threatens many endangered species and a rich cultural The burden of environmental conservation is A banner at the entrance to heritage but less than 1% remaining. the extinction of many species across the shifted from those who exploit the environment the Kelian Protected Forest world – including the Sumatran Rhino – and for profit onto subsistence farmers and reading “Forbidden to do It’s 10 years since the state Labor government protecting critically endangered species from indigenous people. any activities in the protected decided to allow suburban sprawl to spread like well organised and armed poachers is dangerous, forest area. Mining within an oil over the farms and grasslands that had This represents a new colonialism where local the area without a permit courageous work. Balancing secrecy, security previously been protected by the urban growth people are squeezed out by plantations and carries a sanction of ten and community relations cannot be easy. boundary. The process allowing this, the Melbourne mines on one side and land grabs of their most years in prison.” Strategic Assessment, streamlined planning Clear lines need to be drawn between pristine areas by environmental NGOs and their approvals for developers, and in return, promised international poaching syndicates and local funders, on the other. indigenous people, even if they fish, gather, or big grassland reserves which would be paid for by hunt within protected areas. Local communities There is not enough space here to describe offsets from developers clearing remnant grassland can provide the best defence against poachers, alternatives. Suffice it to say that conservation within the new urban growth zone. Area on the grasslands, with experiments in growing native grain, and environmental NGOs can combine revegetation of ploughed land, and more. when they consent and are involved in forest The Strategic Assessment means that the whole environmental protection with a proactive management. Their exclusion simply breeds area under consideration has been assessed Immediate concerns for conservation raised in the conference were that human rights agenda by honestly engaging and resentment and creates conflict. together for environmental approval; otherwise, many remnant grasslands in the growth zone and grassland reserves transforming histories of exploitation rather than developers would have to submit each project area are being lost slowly via weed invasion, overgrazing, and other poor ignoring and taking advantage of them. Neo-colonialism for environmental approval separately. management practices, while a few remaining high-quality grassland patches Free prior informed consent remains a paper within existing developed areas are at risk of being lost in a few scrapes of Although the details of both the Kelian As a trade-off, a number of grassland areas commitment for mining corporations and an excavator, if development goes ahead. case and Buzzfeed’s findings are disturbing, are promised to be protected, the largest conservation NGOs alike. I would like to end this they may not come as a surprise to many two comprising the 15,000 hectare Western Speakers drew attention to two grassland reserves at Williams Landing article with a call not to single out WWF, but to environmental activists who have been critical Grassland Reserves, located west of Werribee and (Laverton) that the current private owner (a subsidiary of developer Cedar focus on the multitudes of environmental justice of NGOs and conservation groups like WWF south of Melton. These areas were criticised by Woods) has applied to build on. The site contains in particular a significant work that we all engage in and ensure that we are for decades. I remember first reading about many as being weed-infested and mostly of poor population of the endangered Spiny Rice Flower (Pimelea spinescens). not perpetuating racist or colonial practices in our environmental racism in Chain Reaction about ecological value. They were to be purchased by The federal Department of the Environment is currently considering the own work, be it internationally or in Australia. ten years ago. That edition drew attention to 2020, but to date only a small percentage has developer’s application, while local residents (who thought they were some environmental NGOs, including WWF, Lian Sinclair is a PhD student researching been acquired, and the state government has moving in next to conservation reserves) are understandably outraged. for their racist and neo-colonial approach to Australian mining corporations in Indonesia more recently indicated it is not going to finish Acquiring all the significant remnant grassland areas up front, instead of environmental conservation. and conflicts with local communities. He the acquisition process until 2040. waiting while their ecological values unravel through neglect, is a key aim acknowledges they are writing on the The ‘neo-colonial’ approach to the protection In 2018, a small group of conservationists met to of the Grassy Plains Network, as is ensuring that ecological management is traditional lands of the Whadjuk Nyungah of wildlife and ecosystems through creating discuss ways of conserving the grasslands better, put in place to protect them. While the Western Grassland Reserves project People, where sovereignty was never ceded. national parks means humans must be excluded and in November 2018, 200 people crowded is commendable for its ambition, the challenges are enormous. Much of the @liansinclair, [email protected] – any people living in the park must be relocated. into the Wyndham City Council chambers area is not grassland at all, but former cropland. over October 12-13 for the new Grassy Plains On the other hand, there are undeniably areas within it that retain their Network’s inaugural conference, titled “Respect, ecological value. Dr Steve Sinclair, from the state government Arthur Protect, Reconnect Melbourne’s Grassy Plains.” Rylah Institute, told the conference that it would be hard to find a better References: Respect for the traditional owners of the grassy contiguous area of the same size to conserve as grassland in the state. 1. Katie J.M. Baker and Tom Warren, “WWF Funds Guards Who Have Tortured And Killed People,” BuzzFeed News, March 4, 2019, plains was first and foremost in the conference, Grasslands conservation is hampered by lack of co-ordination between land https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tomwarren/wwf-world-wide-fund-nature-parks-torture-death. which was opened by Wurundjeri elder Uncle managers, and putting together proper oversight for the sector is another 2. For example, WALHI (Friends of the Earth Indonesia) and JATAM (The Mining Advocacy Network) were prominent in supporting local activists. Dave Wandin. He led with a discussion of aim of the Grassy Plains Network. Although the volcanic plains grassland 3. Rio Tinto deserves some credit for this, because standard practice for mining companies in East Kalimantan is to neglect any kind of mine closure or rehabilitation, Indigenous management of the grassy plains community was federally listed as critically endangered in 2008, there is with the result that many villages are surrounded by dangerous abandoned open pits. environments, including some thoughtful still no recovery plan or recovery team. The conference showed strong 4. Rio Tinto, “Why Human Rights Matter” (London, 2013), 82–83, http://www.riotinto.com/documents/ReportsPublications/Rio_Tinto_human_rights_guide_-_English_version.pdf. 5. Ex small-scale miner, Tutung resident, interview with author, August 9, 2017 commentary on how indigenous use of fire enthusiasm for remedying this, and for incorporating Traditional Owners 6. Benjamin Mangkoedilaga, Muridan S. Widjojo, and Azas T. Nainggolan, “Laporan Hasil Investigasi Masalah Hak Asasi Manusia di Sekitar Wilayah Pertambangan PT differs from modern land managers (whether into scientific and land management advisory groups for the grasslands. Kelian Equatorial Mining, Kabupaten Kutai Barat, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia” (Jakarta: Komnas HAM [National commission on fundamental human rights], 2000). conservationists, or CFA). The Grassy Plains Network has published a declaration from the 7. Jeffrey Atkinson, Undermined: The Impact of Australian Mining Companies in Developing Countries (Melbourne: Community Aid Abroad, 1998). Reg Abrahams from the Wathaurong, the conference, available at www.grassyplains.org.au. The Network has 8. Yudhi Nurcahyana et al., “Status Penyelesaian Tuntutan Ganti Rugi Masyarakat oleh PT KEM, status of demands for compensation of the community to PT KEM” (PT other Traditional Owners of grasslands in the become a subcommittee of the Indigenous Flora and Fauna Association, Kelian Equatorial Mining, 2008). Melbourne area, spoke about the Wurdi Youang and is working to implement the recommendations of the conference 9. Pius Nyompe, LKMTL, interview October 10, 2016 property. This site near the You Yang range is declaration. To join the Grassy Plains Network, or to stay informed of its 10. World Wildlife Fund, “Rescue of Critically Endangered Sumatran Rhino Brings New Hope for the Species,” World Wildlife Fund, November 28, 2018, Media Release edition, https://www.worldwildlife.org/press-releases/rescue-of-critically-endangered-sumatran-rhino-brings-new-hope-for-the-species. being managed to create an Indigenous Protected activities, send an email to [email protected]

40 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 41 The saga of Lynas Corporation and its massive piles of toxic wastes in Malaysia

Lee Tan and K.K. Tan Australian rare earth miner Lynas Corporation is stringent environmental safeguards in most advanced industrialised nations proposal back in 2011. If Lynas fails to remove its many fishing communities dotted along the coast. In recent years, thriving once again in the media spotlight after revealing have resulted in China being a dominant supplier of rare earth oxides since radioactive waste from Malaysia and clean up the and expanding tourism industries have created jobs and economic activities that it would not be able to remove its radioactive the 1980s, despite the abundance of deposits around the world. pollution, this will be a toxic re-run financed by that support a growing population in the coastal strip. waste from Malaysia by September 2019 when its Rare earth minerals are strategic commodities in advanced high and smart Japan and a second toxic rare earth legacy it is Peat is a porous and acidic medium, and combined with frequent tropical operating licence will expire. technological sectors, used in a broad range of digital or electronic gadgets leaving for Malaysia. Twenty years ago, Mitsubishi deluges and high tidal intrusions, Lynas’ contaminants are likely to spread Auditors Ernst and Young highlighted the risk to from mobile phones to high-power scud missiles. They are essential elements part-owned Malaysia’s first rare earth processing faster than in other landscapes – both through surface overflows of leachate the company in a note attached to Lynas’ interim critical for low-emissions and renewable energy technologies. plant in Bukit Merah in the state of Perak. It and leakages from its inappropriate lining. If the contamination is not ended with Mitsubishi spending over US$100 financial report released on 28 February 2019: Lynas claims that its processing plant creates zero harm and that its ‘residue arrested in time and Lynas’ WLP waste remains in its current state and million quietly building a permanent dump to “These conditions indicate the existence of a storage facility’ is constructed based on best practice standards. However, location, the entire Balok Mangrove flood plain, the Balok River and its bury its radioactive waste and the entire plant material uncertainty that may cast significant Malaysia’s Executive Review Committee on Lynas, commissioned by the estuary may be contaminated with Lynas’ contaminants eventually. This and contaminated soil. doubt about the consolidated entity’s ability to current government, has found serious groundwater contamination with will decimate the seafood industry of local fishermen and ruin the region’s continue as a going concern.” toxic heavy metals such as nickel, chromium, lead and mercury. Radioactive waste tourism industries that employ and sustain many more than the 600 jobs at Lynas’ rare earth supply chain has been tainted Lynas’ processing plant. These data were collected from Lynas’ own monitoring data from test Lynas’ radioactive waste generated to date due to controversies over its location of the As a listed company with the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Lynas stations around its waste storage area and its final effluent discharge amounts to over 450,000 metric tonnes and processing plant in Malaysia, where opposition to should have acted with transparency, responsibly and ethically to comply point. The maximum recorded contamination level of 96,110 micrograms/ is still being generated. It is already 40 times it has remained strong since 2011. Its Malaysian with the ASX Corporate Governance Principle. Yet Lynas continues to litre was from Lynas’ effluent discharge point, labelled as GW13. This more than that generated by Asian Rare Earth in plant was constructed with the blessing of the claim that it is a zero-harm operation. Lynas has no track record in the reading is over 1,000 times higher than the Dutch intervention level of 75 Bukit Merah. Although the radioactivity of WLP ousted kleptocratic Prime Minister Najib Razak. safe design and operation of any rare earth plant. micrograms/litre. Yet Lynas has nefariously tried to disassociate its poor waste is much lower, it is 6–8 times higher than Lynas never managed to obtain the social licence waste handling from the pollution. the legal limit for radiological concentration Australian mining corporations have long been associated with to operate there. environmental disasters and human rights violations in developing nations. Peat mangrove of 1 Bq/g. Lynas’ current WLP waste storage However, it managed to obtain relevant licences is estimated to result in an effective dose of 14 The self-regulating report-based ASX Corporate Governance Principle, to operate, despite not having a viable, safe The location of Lynas’ residue storage facility on a peat mangrove has likely mSv/year, which is 14 times higher than the though it looks good on paper, has not worked to hold these recalcitrant solution for its radionuclides, heavy metals and enhanced the dispersion of the pollutants. Unlike countries with stricter international standard of 1 mSv/year. miners in check with their operations overseas. chemicals contaminated waste from a processing environmental law enforcement, Lynas has not been ordered to stop the If Malaysia ended up having to deal with There is a need for legally binding regulations to hold Australian stream known as water-leached purification contamination and/or to start to remediation to clean up the pollution. Lynas’ radioactive waste and the contaminated corporations like Lynas accountable and responsible for their activities (WLP). Lynas gave Malaysia the undertaking to Not far from Lynas’ premises, about 50 families depend on groundwater groundwater, the implication for the Balok overseas. They need to adhere to the same environmental and human removing the WLP waste from Malaysia in order directly for their daily uses. If Lynas’ contamination spreads further afield Mangrove and local communities is serious. Lynas’ rights standards as required in Australia, over and beyond merely reporting to obtain its operating licence. – which is highly likely since it is located on a low-lying peatland subject to plant is only 5 km from the South China Sea. The to its shareholders via the ASX or ASIC. All was working well for Lynas – from a penny frequent floods – the entire Balok riverine flood plain and its estuary may Balok mangrove and flood plain supports a myriad Lee Tan is a postgraduate research candidate at RMIT University. Dr K.K. stock worth about 30c in 2015, its stock value be increasingly affected. of marine and aquatic plants and organisms. The Tan was a professor of Chemical Engineering before his retirement in 2017. climbed to a high of A$2.70 in April 2018. The limited amount of data reported in the Review Report is just the tip estuary and the sea are a rich fishing ground for It would have continued to climb as world of the iceberg of the real extent of Lynas’ pollution. Despite a change of demand for rare earth elements rises. However, federal government, the two regulators that have failed to independently the stunning result of the general election in Lynas’ rare earths processing monitor and regulate Lynas – Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) and plant in Malaysia Malaysia that ended the 61-year reign of the Department of Environment (DoE) – and the state Government of Pahang National Front Coalition (known as Barisan (where Lynas is located) remained unchanged from the previous regime. Nasional or BN) turned the political dynamic Lynas has produced and piled up 1.5 million tonnes of toxic wastes over against Lynas. the past seven years. Malaysian regulations only allow on-site accumulation Malaysians have voted for change following of a maximum of 20 tonnes for 180 days. years of corruption and racially-divisive, toxic Malaysians have no access to Lynas’ full monitoring data, hence the level politics. The straw that broke the camel’s back of pollution from other key parameters of concern, including thorium, was a series of serious crimes and multi-billion present in the WLP waste, has yet to be determined, even though they international corruption scandals linked to are serious public and environmental health hazards. ousted Prime Minister Najib Razak, his wife Unlike other more visible mining disasters linked to Australian miners, and several high-ranking officers in his party. Lynas has committed a crime of slow violence like that of the Minamata Environmental consequences disaster in Japan. It will take 20‒40 years for the real impacts to be felt since exposure to a cocktail of low-level radioactive material like thorium Rare earth processing has long been linked to and uranium, toxic heavy metals and chemicals often takes time to affect disastrous environmental consequences as it human and environmental health. leaves behind massive amounts of radioactive waste that is also contaminated with toxic heavy It was Japan’s need for rare earth elements and its more stringent metals and chemicals including arsenic. More environmental safeguards since its era of pollution in the late 1960s that has resulted in Japan injecting capital into the cash-strapped Lynas’

42 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 43 Wrong way: How privatisation and economic Not that bad: reform backfired Wrong Way: How Privatisation Dispatches from and Economic Reform Backfired rape culture Damien Cahill and Phillip Toner (editors) September 2018 Not That Bad: Dispatches from rape culture La Trobe University Press / Black Inc. Books Edited by Roxane Gay www.blackincbooks.com.au/books/ July 2018 wrong-way BOOK REVIEWS Allen & Unwin www.allenandunwin.com Paperback ISBN: 9781760640385 ISBN: 9781760529475 eISBN: 9781743820605 Edited and with an introduction by Roxane “This idea came to me years before the Harvey In this collection – edited by Damien Cahill and for renewed public intervention. The Queensland Labor government Gay, the New York Times bestselling author Weinstein news, simply because the way that Phillip Toner from the Department of Political has committed to the establishment of a publicly owned renewable of Bad Feminist and Hunger, this anthology women minimize their experiences has always Economy at Sydney Uni – Australia’s leading electricity generator, to be called CleanCo. At the federal level, the Labor of first-person essays tackles rape, assault, and been interesting to me,” Gay explained to EW.com. economists and public intellectuals do a cost- leader, Bill Shorten, has repeatedly stated that electricity privatisation harassment head-on. She noted that when she thought about benefit analysis of the key economic reforms, was a mistake. The LNP government is still committed to the Snowy 2.0 Contributors address what it means to live in what had caused her to minimize her own including child care, aged care, housing, hydro scheme, while the climate denialist faction wants public money a world where women have to measure the experiences with sexual violence, she realized banking, prisons, universities and the NBN. Have for a new coal-fired power station. harassment, violence, and aggression they face, that she – and many of the women she knows – these reforms for the Australian community and “This renewed appetite for public ownership is accompanied by general and where they are “routinely second-guessed, had often been told: “It’s not that bad.” its economy been worthwhile? Have they given recognition that the national electricity market has been a complete us a better society, as promised? blown off, discredited, denigrated, besmirched, “I thought, what an interesting thing to tell failure. As I discuss in my contribution to a new book, ‘Wrong Way, How belittled, patronized, mocked, shamed, gaslit, someone and what a terrible thing to tell Michael Pusey, author of the 1991 classic Privatisation and Economic Reform Backfire’, microeconomic reform insulted, bullied” for speaking out. someone,” said Gay. “And I wondered what Economic Rationalism in Canberra, writes: has failed in every part of the electricity supply system. Contributions include essays from established other people would have to say on that subject. “Cahill and Toner get it right. Neoliberal “Unfortunately, no one has much of an idea what to do about the and up-and-coming writers, performers, and And then I realized that would be a great idea economic “reform” is indeed the wrong way problem. Restoration of public ownership will help but the system needs critics, including actors Ally Sheedy and Gabrielle for an anthology.” because it undermines good governance, to be redesigned from the ground up. Before putting forward blueprints increases inequality and reduces our quality Union and writers Amy Jo Burns, Lyz Lenz, The process of creating Not That Bad began for a redesign, it’s important to consider, at a more fundamental level, of life. Wrong Way is a finely crafted, clear Claire Schwartz, and Bob Shacochis. Covering with a call to action: Gay set up an account what went wrong. and inviting analysis of all that is wrong with a wide range of topics and experiences, from where writers from all over, regardless of “Certainly, privatisation was a mistake and markets haven’t yielded the Australia’s experiment with neoliberalism.” an exploration of the rape epidemic embedded their pedigree or professional qualifications, promised benefits but electricity systems with predominantly private in the refugee crisis to first-person accounts of could send in their own essays about sexual Emeritus Professor Roy Green from UTS writes: ownership and designed markets have performed relatively well in some child molestation, this collection is often deeply harassment or violence. The result was several “Australia has been subjected to a thirty-year places. For example, the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (Ercot) personal and is always unflinchingly honest. hundred essays, which took Gay – and her economic experiment under the catch-all title of has done a good job in managing the transition from coal-fired power to Contributors offer a call to arms insisting that assistant Melissa Moorer – months to comb “neoliberalism”. This important book is an audit renewables while holding prices down. ‘not that bad’ must no longer be good enough. of the outcomes and impact of this experiment. through. ... “Why has Australia done so badly? The reform process in Australia has Has privatisation led to more productivity- Reviewer Seija Rankin writes: “I was really stunned by the level of testimony treated markets and competition as goals in themselves, rather than as enhancing competition, or less? Has deregulation Roxane Gay is synonymous with the and by how many women – and men – had policy instruments designed to produce useful price signals and thereby increased economic welfare in energy, finance, personal essay. Her best-selling books, such challenging and traumatic experiences guide investment and consumption decisions. ... health, education and labour markets, or not? like Hunger and Bad Feminist, have become with sexual violence,” Gay said. “I knew that it Indeed, does the lived experience of Australians “Finally, there is retail competition. Retail price policy should have some of the most beloved commentaries on was widespread, but when you see submission measure up to the promise of economic reform? two goals. The first, obviously, is to keep prices as low as possible what it is to be a woman today. ... after submission of people writing about these The authors now have access to a comprehensive while covering the costs of supply. The second is to allow consumers to topics, it really starts to bring home just how Gay’s newest book, ‘Not That Bad: Dispatches database with which to answer these questions. manage their demand so as to use more electricity when it is cheap. problematic this culture is – and how far From Rape Culture’, is a departure from And they do so with conclusions that are both To achieve this with any accuracy, it is necessary to use smart meters, reaching the effects could be. what we’ve come to associate her with. ... compelling and disturbing.” capable of allowing flexible pricing. Gay collected pieces from writers all over the “I hope that people read this book and gain a Academic economist John Quiggin writes “As with everything else, Australia’s electricity reformers made a hash country to create a haunting reflection of one greater understanding of how pervasive rape in The Guardian: of this. After a ham-fisted attempted to force Victorian consumers to pay of society’s biggest problems. It’s a problem that culture is and how damaging the effects of rape for new meters in 2009, the whole idea was soft-pedalled. Meanwhile, “The Greens’ proposal for a publicly owned pervaded long before the ousting of Harvey culture are,” she said. “I hope it encourages under the banner of choice and open markets, reformers pushed ahead electricity retailer is the latest to emerge Weinstein and his Hollywood brethren, and people not to minimize their experiences, with full retail competition.” work on the book began long before the first and that it continues to advance the cultural from across the political spectrum arguing revelations surfaced. conversation that we’re having about this.”

44 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 45 Adani and the war over coal The food Adani and the War Over Coal Quentin Beresford sharing revolution August 2018 ISBN 9781742235936 The Food Sharing Revolution: How NewSouth Publishing Startups, Pop-Ups, and Co-Ops are www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/adani-and-coal-wars Changing the Way We Eat Michael S. Carolan Review by John Biggs November 2018 Dr Quentin Beresford’s The Rise and Fall of Gunns Ltd1 describes how Economic case: The costs of mining coal are now Island Press successive Tasmanian governments gave timber corporation Gunns a higher than the costs of producing renewables monopoly of the forestry industry. Gunns became immensely rich, while – and the difference is rapidly widening. With ISBN 9781610918862 Governing shale gas the Government’s Forestry Tasmania went into increasing debt. The damage Adani’s projected costs, current debts and likely www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/ to the Tasmanian landscape, to the public purse and to public respect for returns, Adani is predicted to lose crippling food-sharing-revolution-2nd-edition in the US, Canada, politicians was immense. And all for nothing, for Gunns imploded through its amounts of money if it proceeds. own greed, poor planning and hubris: the classic story of crony capitalism. In The Food Sharing Revolution, Michael Australia, and Europe The Adani story is worse – politically and morally. Around the turn of this Adani’s poor safety, criminal and Carolan tells the stories of traditional producers, century, there was a frantic rush by China and India to industrialise. Both environmental record who are being squeezed by big agribusiness, and Governing Shale Gas: Development, countries then that coal was the way to go. The Australian Galilee First in India and now here, Adani operations entrepreneurs, who are bucking the corporate Citizen Participation, and Decision Basin contains huge deposits of quality low ash coal and several companies have already badly polluted land in the food system. Making in the US, Canada, Australia, fought for the privilege of extracting it, including Adani, another Indian Carmichael region. Given all of this, why on The key to successful sharing, he argues, is and Europe company in cahoots with Gina Rinehart, a Chinese company and Clive Palmer. sharing. He warns that food, just like taxis or Earth would Australian governments be so Edited by John Whitton, Matthew Conservation groups, Indigenous people and, eventually, a strong majority of determined to support the Adani project? hotels, can be co-opted by moneyed interests. ordinary Australians are outraged.2 In this book, Dr Beresford brings his sharp Beresford discusses these issues and others But when collaboration is genuine, the sharing Cotton, Ioan M. Charnley-Parry, and research and writing skills to tell this story of the war over coal. in depth. His findings and assertions are fully economy can offer both producers and eaters Kathy Brasier Gautam Adani had close connections with India’s PM Narendra Modi, who referenced, his arguments convincing. freedom, even sovereignty. The result is a 2018 protected Adani over environmental and human rights violations in India.3 While much of this is due to the shocking healthier, more sustainable, and more ethical Routledge – www.routledge.com Adani donated heavily to both major Australian parties, especially to the judgement and wickedness of individual way to eat. Coalition. The Abbott and subsequent Coalition governments pushed for people, Beresford sees (p.360) as even more Marvin is a contract hog farmer in Iowa. He owns From the publisher: Shale energy Adani as hard as they could. At first, so did Labor, but then sort of didn’t, important the way in which the coal wars his land, his barn, his tractor, and his animal development is an issue of global but if certain conditions are met, well, maybe … have transformed politics: ‘The political ties … crates. He has seen profits drop steadily for the importance. The number of reserves The major issues in dispute, as Beresford see it, are as follows. between the fossil fuel power network and the past 20 years and feels trapped. Josh is a dairy globally, and their potential economic Liberal/National parties has meant the rise of farmer on a cooperative in Massachusetts. He return, have increased dramatically in the Climate change: If all the Carmichael coal is burned – here or anywhere – anti-environmentalism as a mainstream feature doesn’t own his cows, his land, his seed, or even past decade. Questions abound, however, the carbon emissions would be more than Australia already produces. That of Australian political debate along with the all of his equipment. Josh has a healthy income about the appropriate governance systems would likely tip global warming irreversibly.4 The pro-Adani group deny this.5 sidelining of science in the debate over policy.’ and feels like he’s made it. In The Food Sharing to manage the risks of unconventional Great Barrier Reef: The Reef is already seriously endangered by climate oil and gas development and the ability Beresford’s story of the devious and secretive Revolution, Michael Carolan tells the stories of change, drainage from fertilised farmlands, and starfish. The mine for citizens to engage and participate negotiations between Adani and Federal and traditional producers like Marvin, who are being would make matters immeasurably worse, as dredging (authorised by in decisions regarding these systems. Queensland governments is appalling. But, given the squeezed by big agribusiness, and entrepreneurs Labor’s Tony Burke6) has already indicated. Julie Bishop even denied the Stakeholder participation is essential for falling away of needed financial support for the mine like Josh, who are bucking the corporate food Great Barrier Reef would be in any danger.7 Beresford notes (p.361): ‘None the social and political legitimacy of energy by Indian, Chinese and all four major Australian system. The difference is Josh has eschewed the of the major parties has been prepared to unequivocally put the reef’s long- extraction and production, what the banks, as well as Adani’s level of indebtedness, it burdens of individual ownership and is tapping term health over the interests of the fossil fuel industry.’ industry calls a ‘social license’ to operate. surely looks like game over. However, given the into the sharing economy. Great Artesian Basin: The Great Artesian Basin, vital for Australian skulduggery and/or gullibility of so many politicians, Josh and many others are sharing tractors, seeds, This book attempts to bring together agriculture, would be seriously endangered by the mine, either through with Clive Palmer looming fatly in the shadows, the kitchen space, their homes, and their cultures. critical themes inherent in the energy 8 using the water or by puncturing and draining the Basin. Adani supporters final result is still too soon to call. They are business owners like Dorothy, who governance literature and illustrate them say this is exaggerated, and anyway coal mining is a thirsty business. through cases in multiple countries, This book should be of extreme interest to opened her bakery with the help of a no-interest including the US, the UK, Canada, South Native title: Doongmabulla Springs is in the mining area and is of concerned citizens, while all politicians should be crowd-sourced loan. They are chefs like Camilla, 9 Africa, Germany and Poland. high cultural significance to the Wangan and Jagalingou peoples. locked in a room to read it, not to be let out until who introduces diners to her native Colombian However Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs) that favour developers they can pass a comprehension test on its contents. cuisine through peer-to-peer meal sharing. Their These themes include how multiple actors have been foisted onto the locals.10 These are currently under appeal. success is not only good for aspiring producers, and institutions – industry, governments John Biggs is a writer who lives in Hobart. but for everyone who wants an alternative to and regulatory bodies at all scales, References: Reprinted from Independent Australia. monocrops and processed foods. communities, opposition movements, 1. https://independentaustralia.net/art/art-display/review-the-rise-and-fall-of-gunns-ltd,7415 Carolan is Associate Dean for Research for and individual landowners – have roles in 2. www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/oct/07/most-australians-oppose-adani-mine-poll-shows-amid-national-protests the College of Liberal Arts at Colorado State developing, contesting, monitoring, and 3. https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/understanding-adani-an-indian-perspective,10671 University. His previous books include One Eats enforcing practices and regulations within 4. https://theconversation.com/australias-climate-bomb-the-senselessness-of-adanis-carmichael-coal-mine-76155 Alone: Food as a Social Enterprise, Biological unconventional oil and gas development. 5. www.sbs.com.au/news/adani-chairman-says-he-believes-in-climate-change-but-coal-will-help-india Economies: Experimentation and the Politics Overall, the book proposes a systemic, 6. www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/murky-waters-20130701-2p5zz.html of Agrifood Frontiers (with Richard LeHeron, participatory, community-led approach 7. www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/great-barrier-reef-will-be-slaughtered-scientists-dismiss-julie-bishops-claim-reef-not-at-risk-20141121-11r4a6.html Hugh Campbell, and Nick Lewis) and Food required to achieve a form of legitimacy that 8. https://theconversation.com/why-does-the-carmichael-coal-mine-need-to-use-so-much-water-75923 Utopias: Reimagining Citizenship, Ethics and allows communities to derive social priorities 9. http://sacredland.org/doongmabulla-springs-australia/ Community (with Paul Stock and Chris Rosin). by a process of community visioning. 10. www.nntt.gov.au/ILUAs/Pages/default.aspx

46 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 47 The story of a weed killer, cancer The Women’s Atlas The Mess We’re In – Yes Yes Yes: Australia’s and the corruption of science The Women’s Atlas Bernard Keane journey to marriage equality Joni Seager Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the November 2018 The Mess We’re In: How Our Politics Yes Yes Yes: Australia’s journey to marriage equality Corruption of Science Went to Hell and Dragged Us with It NewSouth Books Alex Greenwich and Shirleene Robinson Carey Gillam Bernard Keane ISBN 9781742236186 November 2018 November 2017 August 2018 www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/ NewSouth Books Island Press womens-atlas/ Allen & Unwin – www.allenandunwin.com www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/yes-yes-yes/ www.newsouthbooks.com.au/books/whitewash_islandpress/ Crikey correspondent Bernard Keane explains This survey of global data illustrates the status Yes Yes Yes, written by two advocates intimately involved in the struggle capitalism, identity and Why Everything Is In Whitewash: The Story of a Weed Killer, Cancer and the Corruption of of women worldwide and the diversity of their for marriage equality, reveals the story of how a grassroots movement won Awful. A tide of populism and xenophobia is Science, Carey Gillam uncovers one of the most controversial stories in the experiences. hearts and minds and transformed a country. history of food and agriculture, exposing new evidence of corporate influence. sweeping the western world. Disillusioned voters The book provides a moving account of some of the people who worked Through infographics, the atlas portrays are turning to political outsiders and increasingly It’s the pesticide on our dinner plates, a chemical so pervasive it’s in the to achieve marriage equality. It locates intimate, personal stories and how women are living across continents and rejecting the liberal economic solutions of out- air we breathe, our water, our soil, and even found increasingly in our own community-driven experiences of campaigning alongside the broader cultures – the advances that have been made of-touch elites. Despite having access to more bodies. Known as Monsanto’s Roundup by consumers, and as glyphosate social and political context to tell the full, extraordinary story of just how and the distances still to be travelled. Issues information than at any time in human history, by scientists, the world’s most popular weed killer is used everywhere the marriage equality movement succeeded in achieving a fairer and more covered include: gender equality, literacy and we are turning our backs on experts, evidence from backyard gardens to golf courses to millions of acres of farmland. For equal Australia. information technology, feminism, the culture of and facts themselves in a new Era of Electronic decades it’s been touted as safe enough to drink, but a growing body of beauty, work and the global economy, changing Ignorance. Many warn darkly of a repeat of the Yes Yes Yes captures the passion that propelled the movement forward, evidence indicates just the opposite, with research tying the chemical to households, domestic violence, LGBTQ+ rights, chaos, misery and war of the 1930s. weaving together stories of heartbreak, hope and triumph. It is based on cancers and a host of other health threats. government and power, and motherhood. personal memories and more than 20 interviews with key figures and How did it all go so wrong? The Mess We’re Gillam uncovers one of the most controversial stories in the history of everyday advocates from across Australia. It covers the movement’s origins Joni Seager is Professor of Global Studies at In explains how a perfect storm of historical food and agriculture, exposing new evidence of corporate influence. She in 2004, when the Marriage Act of 1961 was amended to exclude same-sex Bentley University in Boston, a geographer and developments has left us fearing that a Dark Age is introduces readers to farm families devastated by cancers which they believe couples, through to the unsuccessful High Court challenge, a public vote global policy expert. She is consultant to the UN fast approaching. How the triumphant economic are caused by the chemical, and to scientists whose reputations have been in 2017 and the Parliamentary aftermath. on gender and environmental policy. philosophy of neoliberalism has failed us and smeared for publishing research that contradicted business interests. “The Women’s Atlas puts inequality into clear, provoked a backlash that is sweeping it aside. “A wonderful record of a huge and heart-warming moment in Australia’s Readers learn about the arm-twisting of regulators who signed off on the confronting perspective and inspires us to do more How the internet is rewiring our economies, our history,” says Magda Szubanski. chemical, echoing company assurances of safety even as they permitted for all women,” says Rosie Batty, domestic violence media, our culture and even our own brains. How Alex Greenwich is an Independent MP for Sydney and Co-Chair of higher residues of the pesticide in food and skipped compliance tests. And, campaigner and 2015 . politics has become a hollowed-out industry of Australian Marriage Equality. Prior to entering politics, Alex was a in startling detail, Gillam reveals secret industry communications that pull self-interest rather than a public service. And how, prominent LGBT rights activist and the National Convenor of Australian back the curtain on corporate efforts to manipulate public perception. together, they’ve unleashed a wave of anger and Marriage Equality. Shirleene Robinson has published extensively on aspects Carey Gillam is a veteran investigative journalist, researcher and writer fear that has engulfed the world. of LGBTIQ history. She is national spokesperson of Australian Marriage with more than 25 years of experience covering corporate news. She has The book is divided into the following sections: Equality and President of Sydney’s Pride History Group. Her previous specialist knowledge regarding the rise of biotech crop technology and publications include Serving in Silence?: Australian LGBT servicemen • symptoms of chaos: a thematic history associated rise in pervasive pesticide use in our food production system. and women with Noah Riseman and Graham Willett (NewSouth, 2018), of 2016–2018 Erin Brockovich says: “Whitewash reads like a mystery novel, as Gillam and Gay and Lesbian, Then and Now: Stories from a Social Revolution • neoliberalism and its discontents skilfully uncovers Monsanto’s secretive strategies to convince countries with Robert Reynolds. around the world that its Roundup products are safe. The book unravels • (un)government a tapestry of pesticide industry tricks to manipulate the scientific truths • the internet – weapon of mass disruption about their products while placing profits above human health and • repairing the precarious crust the environment. As someone who has experienced similar actions by Former Greens Senator Scott Ludlam writes: “A corporations firsthand in my work far too often, I am hopeful that Carey’s powerful and occasionally polemical appeal to book will be a wake-up call for more transparency about the dangers reason in politics; if you’re despairing in search surrounding many chemicals in the marketplace.” of an antidote to the poison of “alternative facts”, here’s your book. Like any good political text, there’s something here to offend everyone. You’ll want to cheer, high-five and occasionally shout your disagreement, but what you won’t want to do is put it down.”

48 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 www.foe.org.au Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 49 Vandana Shiva: Hoodwinked: Shattering Illusions, How Pauline Hanson Seeding Freedom fooled a nation

Oneness vs the 1%: Shattering Illusions, Hoodwinked: How Pauline Hanson Seeding Freedom fooled a nation Vandana Shiva with Kartikey Shiva Kerry-Anne Walsh September 2018 October 2018 ISBN 9781925581799 ISBN 9781760112288 www.spinifexpress.com.au/Bookstore/ Allen & Unwin, www.allenandunwin.com book/id=313/ Pauline Hanson claims to represent the average The book is a challenge to the global corporations Australian but Kerry-Anne Walsh has discovered who continue to take far more than they will nothing could be further from the truth. Very ever give. Vandana Shiva looks at the financial few public figures can claim the level of fame, inequalities and lays out a way in which these or infamy, that Pauline does. So much so, her might be changed so that the Earth has a future. surname isn’t needed. Everyone knows her, Widespread poverty and malnutrition, an or knows of her, and nearly everyone has a alarming refugee crisis, social unrest, and passionate viewpoint about her. economic polarisation have become our lived So who is Pauline Hanson, the woman and reality as the top 1% of the world’s seven-billion- politician? Does she really stand for the battler, or plus population pushes the planet – and all its has it only ever been about her personal pursuit people – to the social and ecological brink. for power and infamy? Has she duped her loyal Shiva takes on the Billionaires Club of Gates, supporters, who have kept her in the public eye Buffett, Zuckerberg and other modern Mughals, and propelled her back into parliament because whose blindness to the rights of people, and to the she ‘speaks for them’? Pulling no punches, and destructive impact of their construct of progress, with a finely developed sense of the absurd, have wrought havoc across the world. Their single- Walsh’s conclusion is an emphatic yes. minded pursuit of profit has undemocratically Walsh uncovers the many faces of Pauline enforced uniformity and monocultures, division Hanson: her time as an accidental local and separation, monopolies and external control – councillor, her emergence as a national figure in over finance, food, energy, information, healthcare, 1996 and her resurrection in 2016, her careful and even relationships. profile-building through the media during the The author exposes the one-percent’s model of intervening years, the friends she’s used and philanthrocapitalism, which is about deploying discarded, the men who control her, the money unaccountable money to bypass democratic trail of her party and her personal finances. And structures, derail diversity, and impose totalitarian then there’s the rise of the disaffected voters ideas, based on One Science, One Agriculture who now control political destinies, and the and One History. Vandana Shiva calls for the collapse of trust in the system that has allowed “resurgence of real knowledge, real intelligence, chancers such as Hanson to flourish. real wealth, real work, real well-being”. Walsh was in the Canberra press gallery for Vandana Shiva is a world-renowned 25 years. Disenchanted with political spin and environmental thinker and activist, a leader in the nature of political reporting, she left the the International Forum on Globalisation, and of gallery in 2009 to establish her consultancy KA the Slow Food Movement. Director of Navdanya Communications. Her book The Stalking of Julia and of the Research Foundation for Science, Gillard won the 2014 Australian Book Industry Technology and Ecology, and a tireless crusader Award for the best non-fiction book of the year. for farmers’, peasants’ and women’s rights. She is the author and editor of a score of influential books, among them Making Peace with the Earth, Soil Not Oil, Seed Sovereignty, Food Security: Women in the Vanguard.

50 Chain Reaction #135 April 2019 Students Strike

Clockwise from top left: for Climate Darwin, Cairns, Melbourne, Townsville, Sydney, Melbourne, Mackay, Kuranda Action March 15, 2019