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Shoot: Shale Oil Mining Impacts Great Barrier Reef
GP01HRL
The Whitsunday Islands are bordered by the Great Barrier Reef. The region is one of the natural wonders of the world. Queensland Energy Resources Ltd (QERL) is proposing to mine the McFarlane oil shale deposit on the Goorganga Wetlands, just 10 kms from the pristine Great Barrier Reef. Such mining would have catastrophic impacts on the reef, consuming vast amounts of water, causing toxic leaching and creating air pollution from waste rock and water. Shale oil is one of the most environmentally damaging ways of fossil fuel extraction and is also a major climate changer. This project would create up to 40 million tonnes of greenhouse gases yearly. Along with the local threat of a shale oil mine, the Great Barrier Reef will suffer from remote emissions. A national shale oil industry would also be disastrous for local people and for the economy, as agriculture and tourism industries are already threatened by the impacts of climate change. Based on figures from The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) it is estimated by government, media and environmental activists that export coal expansion plans in Queensland would create additional global greenhouse pollution equal to 125% of Australia's total current emissions; or the same as the CO2 pollution from 65 average sized coal-fired power stations. Australia is considered by environmental activists as one of the world's highest per capital polluters and exports more CO2 than is emitted domestically. In 2006/7, Australia exported around 243 million tonnes (Mt), 30% of the world's total coal exports, equal to 656 Mt of CO2.
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26 Jul, 2008
Test Drilling Site for Oil Shale
25 Jul, 2008
Test Drilling Site
25 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Goorganga Wetlands
25 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Goorganga Wetlands
25 Jul, 2008
Test Drilling Site
28 Jul, 2008
Activist Paint Message on Coal Ships
26 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Great Barrier Reef
26 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Great Barrier Reef
26 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Great Barrier Reef
26 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Great Barrier Reef
26 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Great Barrier Reef
26 Jul, 2008
Great Barrier Reef Aerials
26 Jul, 2008
Humpback Whale
25 Jul, 2008
Humpback Whale
26 Jul, 2008
Aerial of Great Barrier Reef
26 Jul, 2008
Whitsunday Islands
22 Jul, 2008
Portrait of John 'Charlie' Veron
22 Jul, 2008
Portrait of John 'Charlie' Veron
25 Jul, 2008
Portrait of Suzette Pelt
24 Jul, 2008
Tourism at Airlie Beach
24 Jul, 2008
Airlie Beach Harbour
24 Jul, 2008
Able Point Marina
25 Jul, 2008
Canoeing
25 Jul, 2008
Snorkeling
25 Jul, 2008
Tony Fontes Gives Diving Lessons
25 Jul, 2008
Tony Fontes Gives Diving Lessons
24 Jul, 2008
Billboard on Caravan
24 Jul, 2008
'Save Our Foreshore' Billboard
24 Jul, 2008
Proserpine River Eco Tours
24 Jul, 2008
Proserpine River Eco Tours
24 Jul, 2008
Proserpine River Eco Tours
24 Jul, 2008
Striated Heron
24 Jul, 2008
Crocodile
24 Jul, 2008
Crocodile
24 Jul, 2008
Egret in Tree
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