Biofuels are not renewable energy. Current production of agriculturally derived fuels is unsustainable and is damaging ancient forests and unique ecosystems in Australia and across the Asia Pacific region.

Friends of the Earth Brisbane extended our campaign reach this month by taking a clear message to Europe that agrofuels (biofuels) are not a solution to climate change and is driving the Queensland hairy nosed wombat to extinction. Friends of the Earth has been building its campaign position to combat the expansion of the industry, an industry that delivers E10 (ethanol and petroleum blend) to unsuspecting motorists that have been sold the lie that biofuels are clean and green.

Agrofuels brings together land-clearing, increased use of agrotoxins (chemical fertilisers, herbicide, pesticide, etc), and the merger of agriculture and energy production to form a destructive mix to further exacerbate global warming, species loss and toxification of our land and water supplies.

This month Derec Davies travelled to Brussels, the political centre of Europe to share recent research findings with 15 media agencies from the EU.

Friends of the Earth has welcomed the call from Greens senator Sarah Hanson-Young for Australia to create a new visa category for Pacific Islanders affected by climate change.

“We strongly support Ms Hanson-Young's call for Australia to do more on this issue” said national liaison officer for FoEA Cam Walker.

“As a major per capita greenhouse gas emitter there can be no doubt that Australia owes a 'carbon debt' to the developing nations of the planet. We must quantify this debt and negotiate ways to settle our bill for the disruption our lifestyles are causing to the planet.

“We owe it to poorer countries to transform our pollution dependent economy by converting to renewable energy, greatly ramp up our support to help affected communities adapt to the changes that will come with global warming, and recognise and accept at least some climate refugees.

“After many years of mean spirited behaviour by the Howard government in international climate negotiations, Australians had hoped the ALP would act with honour in the Copenhagen climate negotiations. However, the paltry 5% target that we offered locks many island nations into rising sea levels for decades to come.

“Accepting climate refugees must be a central part of a meaningful response to climate change.

“We acknowledge the leadership of Senator Hanson-Young on this issue and urge the major parties to consider this significant proposal”.

For interview contact:
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth
0419 338 047

 Friends of the Earth successful delivery of the People's Assembly at Queensland's Parliament House on Wednesday brought together hundreds of farming families and environmentalists to Queensland Parliament - united in their opposition to coal and coal seam gas mining on prime agricultural lands and nature refuges.

The peaceful protest combined the strength and the passion of the farming and environmental movements of Queensland to put pressure on the State Government to protect farming land and nature refuges from the encroachment of all forms of coal mining and the potential poisoning of waterways.

The rally began with a a procession of children on ride-on tractors, representing the future of farming in Queensland's Darling Downs, and ended dramatically when attention turned to the roof of the Parliament, as two members of Friends of the Earth unfurled a large banner with the words: "Don't undermine our farms".

Environment organisation Friends of the Earth has expressed dismay at the announcement of Prime Minister Gillard’s much anticipated climate change policy.

“Climate science tells us clearly that action is needed now, not at some future date. There is unprecedented support for action on climate change in the community, and the majority of people want leadership on the issue. That means adopting strategies to drive down our greenhouse emissions rather than spending millions of dollars on yet another talk fest and investment in status quo technologies such as Carbon Capture Storage and Biofuels”.

The policies being proposed by the ALP this morning will not bring down Australia’s greenhouse pollution, and ties Australia into the construction of new coal fired power stations, and the use of unsustainable biofuels.

A spontaneous community protest interrupted Julia Gillard’s climate change announcement at the University of Queensland this morning.

Friends of the Earth spokesperson Drew Hutton appeared yesterday on Stateline to outline the reasons for our call for an end to Queensland's dangerous experiments with coal seam gas and underground coal gasification. As Mr Hutton says in this interview, "our beautiful state is in the process of being wrecked and turned into an industrial waste land by government irresponsibility."

It has been a busy three months around the FoE house with many new faces and exciting initiatives. Thanks to a couple of dedicated FoE workers our fantastic new website and ebulletin is live and providing up to date information on our important work.

What a great year for our campaigns, because of your generous financial support our volunteer teams have been able to continue their great work for the environment. Thanks so much. The key activities in the newsletter and on the website to look for:

Friends of the Earth Brisbane has today expressed deep disappointment in the Bligh Government's position on the Resource Super Profits Tax.

"It is high time governments taxed mining companies appropriately," said Friends of the Earth Brisbane spokesperson, Eleanor Smith, "The resources belong to us, we bear the environmental and health costs of these industries and yet as it stands the Queensland Government gives all the royalties they earn and then some straight back to the coal industry in infrastructure and other services."

"We're really glad the Federal government is standing up to the mining industry and imposing a super profit tax, it's a shame the Queensland Government won't stand up and support it" said Ms Smith

According to media reports the Queensland Resources Council have met with Premier Anna Bligh and Treasurer Andrew Fraser, successfully persuading them to take a stand against a strong Resource Super Profits Tax.

"The Bligh Government lobbied for greater concessions for mining companies under the Emissions Trading Scheme and now they're at it again, siding with the big polluters over the people of Queensland".

"We're concerned about where the revenue from this tax will be invested. When you look at the environmental and social costs of mining, especially the climate change impacts of coal mining, it's clear we need to phase out that industry. We need a tax on mining that funds a just transition of our economy away from fossil fuel energy and dirty jobs to sustainability. As the state with the largest mining industry in Australia we should be doing some major planning for a future without coal mining."

"Today we are calling on all Queenslanders to remind Bligh and Fraser they represent us not the coal industry".

For more information see the Friends of the Earth Australia action alert

Submitted by steve.skitmore on Fri 4 Jun 2010 4:21pm Posted in

• Coal
• Corporate
• Energy
• Mining

Community group, Friends of the Earth Brisbane, has welcomed news today that mining giant, Xstrata, will suspend operations in Wandoan, but blames the company's poor planning for the failure of the project and not the Resource Super Profits Tax. 

The Wandoan Coal Project is a climate killer”, said spokes person for Friends of the Earth Brisbane, Eleanor Smith. “At 30 million tonnes of coal per year, it was to be one of the biggest coal projects in the world and add millions of tonnes to our carbon debt.”

We've been watching this project for a number of years and could see that it was not viable without the inflated coal export prices we saw during the boom. Xstrata are using the Government's Resource Profits Tax as a scapegoat to cover up for their own poor planning” said Ms Smith. 

Xstrata have gone into Wandoan and absolutely decimated that community. Landholders have left, leaving schools and local businesses under pressure. A creeping death has taken over the community which was once a vibrant rural hub,” said Ms Smith who visited the community as part of a research tour of coal affected communities in 2008.

Friends of the Earth supports a tax on mining super profits, but believes the proceeds should be used to build a just and sustainable future that doesn't depend on fossil fuel extraction and use.

The Xstrata case shows that we cannot trust these companies with our future. We simply must move towards sustainable industries that have been shown to provide more jobs, and decent jobs at that!” said Ms Smith

Read the Six Degrees report on the impacts of coal on rural communities here.

On 28th April, the Queensland branch of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom presented its inaugural Peace Women Awards to four outstanding women. The award in the NGO category was presented to Wanita Limpus, Secretary of the Kiribati Australia Association, a partner with FoE Brisbane in the Climate Frontlines campaign, with the following commendation:

'Wanita Limpus is well known in Brisbane circles for the work she has done to highlight the vulnerability of small island states in the Pacific to the ravages of climate change and to advocate for climate justice. In particular, Wanita has done much to build mutually beneficial relationships between Australia and her original homeland of Kiribati, a small island state in the central Pacific Ocean comprised entirely of atolls. Her support for Kiribati includes:

1. Providing resources for the islands’ schools
2. Founding the Kiribati Australia Association
3. Assisting students in the Kiribati Australia Nurses Initiative
4. Speaking out and raising awareness about the impact of climate change.

In many environmental, development and social justice and human rights circles, climate change is now considered a cross-cutting issue with some of the most severe impacts being experienced by women and children.’

On 13th March 2010 five women aged from 37 to 69 years old began walking to Canberra to take a message to the Prime Minister. The message conveys the hopes and dreams of the Brisbane community and Indigenous leaders, asking that we maintain our nuclear free future.

The message stick will be formally received by Indigenous Leaders of the Australian Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the 25 May 2010. The message stick asks Mr Rudd to protect our natural environment for our children, grandchildren and their great grandchildren. “Country is important to all of us, particularly with climate change and governments considering dangerous nuclear energy” states June Norman whilst sitting on the road side outside Port Macquarie.