Those of us who remain uncommitted to any party and vote according to policy not loyalty want jobs too, but at what cost? THE LATTE LOGIC
IDON’T drink soy lattes, nonsoy lattes or garden- variety lattes, nor do I relate in any way to the general population that our mayor clunkily dubbed “coffee drinkers in Brisbane” in the paper the other day.
I’m a Townsville tea drinker who gives a rats about jobs and clean energy but am now blanketed under the “loony leftist” tag, dragged out at every turn by anyone with a dinosaur mentality regarding emissions and our changing climate.
When did caring for the future of our land, our ocean, future generations and yes, jobs – sustainable ones – become such a liability?
Childish name- calling is a puerile attempt to brainwash the population into thinking a handful of promised jobs in an industry that nobody is interested in funding or backing is the way to go forward.
Should those of us who prefer our oceans full of marine life, our air clean and breathable, our food untainted by chemicals and our water table uncontaminated and not rising at unprecedented levels join some kind of AwarenessAnonymous group?
“Hello, my name is ***** and I used to call myself ‘ green’ until it was hijacked by politicians who have frankly done the cause for a clean planet no favours at all.”
Those of us who remain uncommitted to any political party and vote according to policy, not loyalty, want jobs too, but at what cost?
To be able to ask, “Is this the best way for us to move forward?” is responsible, not “loony”.
What is far more deserving of criticism is focusing solely on one specific issue in our region – jobs – and pretending that a coal mine will not only solve all our woes, but that the cumulative effects, namely climate change and health issues, won’t affect us.
Not only have banks stopped funding new coal mines, boards of directors that support the industry may be liable for damages down the track.
Is it any wonder China, India and the US are closing coal mines and investing in renewables?
But hey, don’t worry, Queensland will get on board!
I don’t need to go on about the damage coal mining does to the miners themselves. New cases of black- lung have surfaced in Queensland, yet where is the concern for a new generation of miners exposed to the same risks? JOBS! is the cry.
A remote centre staffed by how many?
Sun Metals is visionary in its planning for future growth, yet the Adani- or- die supporters have drunk the Kool- Aid and are bucking the global trend away from dinosaur industries. What about the battery factory, and the millions allocated from the Works for Queensland program? Local jobs right there, all someone has to do is submit a project, and yet we persist in supporting this poisoned chalice.
Do you hear any farmers calling for this behemoth that will guzzle 26 million litres of water a day from their water table?
Adani has said they would ship Queensland coal to their plants in India despite the Government there unveiling a new plan that “focuses heavily on renewables”.
Meanwhile as the heated atmosphere is melting our ice caps and causing rising sea levels, responsible countries including ours have signed up to stem emissions, not add to them.
With new projects set to start in our region, we don’t need this Trojan horse. We deserve better, smarter, sustainable industries and, for once, let’s leave the “loony lefty” label out of it.