The Earth before money. And the Australian judge rejects the coal mine
Environment — di Valentina Neri
“It would be in the wrong place at the wrong time”: with these words, an Australian judge put an end to the plans for a new coal mine.
The Earth before money. And the Australian judge rejects the coal mine
“It would be in the wrong place at the wrong time”: with these words, an Australian judge put an end to the plans for a new coal mine.
No luck for Rocky Hill, the open-cast coal mine that was due to be dug in the Hunter Valley, Australia. The government of the state of New South Wales had already withheld its approval for the project, concerned about the serious negative consequences it would have had for the nearby town of Gloucester. As reported by The Guardian, mining company Gloucester Resources had appealed, but the appeal was rejected on Friday 8 February by Chief Judge Brian Preston.
A coal mine "in the wrong place at the wrong time"
The judge put on record that the mine in the Gloucester Valley, with its unacceptable burden on the ecosystem and the local community, would have been "in the wrong place at the wrong time." "The wrong place, because an open-cast coal mine in this natural and cultural landscape, near the homes and farms of many people, would cause significant landscape and social impact."
"The wrong time," he continued, "because the CO2 emissions from the mine and its coal products would lead to an increase in total greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere, at a time when, in order to meet the globally agreed climate targets, what is urgently needed is a drastic and rapid reduction in emissions. These terrible consequences must be avoided. This project must be stopped." The judge underscored the commitment Australia undertook by signing the Paris Agreement on climate. In the face of a responsibility of this magnitude, it matters little that the emissions associated with the specific Gloucester project are a drop in the ocean compared with the global total: "The global problem of climate change must be addressed through a multiplicity of local actions," he wrote.
Gloucester sets a landmark precedent
A "hugely significant" decision, according to David Morris, head of the Environmental Defenders Office (a non-governmental organisation for environmental protection), which represented the area's residents in court, united in the committee Groundswell Gloucester.
In itself, Morris clarified, this ruling refers specifically to a single, circumscribed case, so legally it is unlikely to be invoked in other proceedings, since the specific circumstances will inevitably differ. That does not change the fact that the landmark decision on the Rocky Hill mine could "profoundly influence" the approval of future fossil fuel projects. Local authorities and decision-makers, he commented, will think twice in future before granting a licence for a new mine — aware that, even in the eyes of the law, betting on coal is an anachronistic and irresponsible choice.