Can't Eat Coal, Can't Drink Gas - reporting the event

Some people have been busy uploading their images from today's rally in Sydney against Coal Seam Gas. Unfortunately, my images are still inside my phone, as I do not have the Mini-USB (or is it a Micro-USB?) device I need in order to download a bunch of images. Hopefully I can get one tomorrow morning. Meanwhile, I will rely on links to other people's images.


This video is good - it shows the large number of people well, and with sound it presents the atmosphere better than still images.


These images cover the main part of the rally, although I am heartbroken I am not visible in any of images. ;-)) I guess that just shows how many people were present, that I could hide amongst them, all. By the way, the Banners and Posters are great, as often they show where the people are from. That's important.


It was a good natured rally, and its good for people from all across NSW and some Queenslanders (facing the front line of the same battle) to meet and share experiences.


Tim Duddy spoke well, on behalf of the Caroona Farmers. We wish him well next weekend as a candidate for the Upper Hunter.
Cate Faehrmann was particularly forthright in her comments - good on you Cate.
Bev Smiles gave a good rallying speech too.

It was good to see Rob Oakeshott there - the Federal member for Lyne, whose electorate includes the Gloucester area, which is part of the Manning River Catchment. Amanda was pleased to see him there, as I know she has been knocking on his door in recent months. Good on you, Amanda.


The Mudgee people and their neighbours at Bylong (and the famous "Costa" who told me he grew up in Bylong) were there today. Costa certainly looks the part of a genuine "Bushie" in the "Driza-bone". The Hunter Environment mob were very well represented. Good to see Colin and Julia there, and Lance Batey and Jan Davis and heaps more I did not know. The Gloucester/Stroud people were there, as well. Gloucester Shire Councillor Julie Lyford spoke very well. Rod and Robin (the GRIP team) and Amanda Albury were there as well.


Notable absentees? The Labor Party and the Liberal Party and the Nationals. Tells you something, I think.


But, for those who might be concerned about an apparent Green political bias in the crowd - yes, probably to some extent (but you have to remember who has offered the most support for the Rivers SOS and anti-coal mining movement over the last 5 years. But, for the record, it was it was definitely NOT JUST A GREENS event.


Rivers SOS campaigners were scattered throughout the crowd, (Caroline Graham and Betty and myself travelled up together on the train). We met Dave Burgess and Sharyn Cullis on the way to the event. Graham Brown spoke well, too, which is good as he has great "cred", as a former Coal Miner. He is convinced by Newcastle Uni research that alternative energy sources are available, and that the jobs created in "alternatives" would outweigh jobs lost in mining - almost straight away. Way to go, Graham!

Coal Seam Gas extraction is poisoning waterways worldwide

Many thanks to Kim Martin who forwarded this link, saying "You must read this article". She's right.

Many environmentalists concerned about the impacts on groundwater in Australia of coal mining and coal seam gas extraction will have heard of the problems with the "Marcellus Shale" in the USA.

Now here is another report, in Vanity Fair (magazine) which will make your eyes water, and your blood boil.

This is an American story, but the situation will become the same in Australia, as it is largely American companies doing the drilling in Australia, using the same (patented) "Fracking" chemicals (hydraulic rock-fracturing technology) as are used in the USA.

• Claiming that the information is proprietary, drilling companies have still not come out and fully disclosed what fracking fluid is made of. But activists and researchers have been able to identify some of the chemicals used. They include such substances as benzene, ethylbenzene, toluene, boric acid, monoethanolamine, xylene, diesel-range organics, methanol, formaldehyde, hydrochloric acid, ammonium bisulfite, 2-butoxyethanol, and 5-chloro-2-methyl-4-isothiazotin-3-one. (Recently, in congressional testimony, drilling companies have confirmed the presence of many of these chemicals.) According to Theo Colborn, a noted expert on water issues and endocrine disruptors, at least half of the chemicals known to be present in fracking fluid are toxic; many of them are carcinogens, neurotoxins, endocrine disruptors, and mutagens. But Colborn estimates that a third of the chemicals in fracking fluid remain unknown to the public.

  While the E.P.A. under Obama is finally undertaking a new review of fracking—a 2001 review commissioned by the Bush administration was tainted by conflicts of interest and suppression of science—that report is not expected to be completed until the end of 2012.

• Source: http://www.vanityfair.com/business/features/2010/06/fracking-in-pennsylvania-201006?currentPage=all

Even Wikipedia (which always treads carefully so as to avoid being sued) says in its article on the Marcellus Shale: "While it is not clear that Cabot violated any law, it is clear that Natural gas arrived in these wells as a result of oil and gas wells."

Get that? Water wells contaminated by natural gas. Poisonous, and potentially explosive gases in your bore water.

Does the Australian Government want the Great Artesian Basin (and other groundwater supplies in Australia) contaminated with methane, or even Diesel fuel and other toxic chemicals? If not, why does it turn a blind eye to this? CSG drilling is happening right now, in NSW (near Stroud) and in the Namoi Valley and the Pilliga (part of the Great Artesian Basin) and all across central-western Queensland. The State Politicians are falling over themselves in the rush to approve as many exploration licences as they can. And the Federal Environment Minister (Peter Garrett) is refusing to intervene.
Wake up, Australia, before you destroy your precious groundwater resources, on which a vast amount of Australia's rural industries depend.

For more on the impact of the Coal Seam Gas industry on farm lands and farming productivity, please visit the Caroona Coal Action Group website. In particular check out this CSG page on that site, and follow some of the links, especially on Health Effects of CSG mining.

Please view this video linked from the original Vanity Fair story. It takes 11 minutes, but you will find the stories of these people (in their own words) compelling evidence.