The new faces of anti-coal activism

The blockade at Maule’s Creek Coal Mine in NSW made the news last week when religious leaders and affiliates from the Australian Religious Response to Climate Change (ARRCC) were arrested for blocking the entrance to the mine. It stands an example of the lenghts people from all walks of life are now going to to protect our environment.

Front Line Action on Coal (FLAC) is the first blockade camp of a coal mine in Australia’s history. The camp has been in place for over a year now and is committed to team work and non-violent direct action to protect Lead forest and nearby farm land and water resources from coal mining.

Leard State Forest includes the most extensive and intact stands of the nationally-listed and critically endangered Box-Gum Woodland remaining on the Australian continent. The forest is home to 396 species of plants and animals and includes habitat for 34 threatened species and several endangered ecological communities. Two open-cut coal mines are already operating. A third open-cut coal mine which will destroy more than half of Lead Forest has been approved and is expected to begin production in 2015.

A number of groups including 350.org, Lock the Gate Alliance, Nature Conservation Council of NSW and Greenpeace are involved in these actions and they are looking for  for support for the next stage of the campaign starting on March 28. See how you can get involved.