Mt Owen coal mine expansion a climate disaster

MEDIA RELEASE - 21 January 2015

The Greens NSW mining spokesperson Jeremy Buckingham today said the application by global mining giant Glencore to allow an additional 92 million tonnes of coal to be extracted from their Mt Owen coal mine in the Hunter Valley would be a disaster for the climate, if approved, and called for a plan to transition away from coal to renewable energy.

“It is tragic and irresponsible that the expansion of coal continues to be considered when scientific warnings about climate change are only increasing in their certainty and concern, when there is a global over supply of coal and when renewable energy technology is available,” said Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham.

“92 million extra tonnes of coal will represent a significant contribution to greenhouse gases and should not be approved. NSW should be planning a transition away from coal to clean, renewable energy.”

“Only two weeks ago scientists published a study in Nature that concluded that in order to avoid dangerous climate change, 95% of Australia’s coal resources must stay in the ground.”

Contact: Max Phillips - 9230 2202 or 0419 444 916

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