14 DAY TRIAL // Tarong Power is one of the main electricity suppliers in Queensland, where it's responsible for producing some 25 percent of the demand in the region. It has three major, coal-fired plants. Two of those, Tarong and Tarong North, engulf approximately 7 million tonnes of coal from the nearby mines of the company every year. Australian environmental activists protested on Friday against increased carbon output, by chaining themselves to a conveyor belt.
The police announced 15 people were arrested, and that the factory was evacuated. The protesters said they were satisfied with the results of their actions, seeing how thousands of tonnes of dangerous emissions were prevented from reaching the atmosphere during the protest. This was the latest in a series of sustained protests, organized by various environmentalist groups, throughout Australia.
Clare Towler, spokeswoman for the protesters, told Australian Associated Press that "Australia’s greenhouse pollution is rapidly increasing, and our addiction to coal-fired power is the main cause." Indeed, the nation is responsible for some 1.5 percent of all greenhouse gases being emitted into the atmosphere every year, which means that, overall, it generates some of the largest amounts of carbon per capita of all countries.
Approximately 80 percent of the electricity requirements of the country are met with power coming from coal, thus making Australia one of the nations that rely heavily on coal. Protesters and environmental groups say that the situation is unacceptable and that new energy sources need to be looked for immediately.
To back up their words, in June, activists staged a six-day long protest at Newcastle coal terminal, the largest port for coal in the entire world. Simultaneously, they also protested at other power plants, as well as in front of the Prime Minister's residence. Representatives of action groups say that they will continue expressing their disapproval, by any means possible. However, they hope that the situation can be resolved peacefully, without any more incidents between the police and the protesters.