By Hollie Harris
Under the banner of “OPERATION REEF DEFENCE”, Sea Shepherd’s flagship the M/Y Steve Irwin, will travel up the east coast of Australia to Abbot Point, mooring in Laguna Bay off Noosa Main Beach.
In opposition of the Adani Carmichael coal mine, rail link and coal port, the massive ship will make history in Noosa, while sending a loud environmental message.“Our position will be made clear – Australia will not trade the Great Barrier Reef with one of the world’s biggest and most destructive coal mines” said a representative of Sea Shepherd.
The 59 metre M/Y Steve Irwin will sail into Noosa’s Laguna Bay at 9.30 on Tuesday 31 July escorted by a public flotilla including Noosa Coastguard. She will moor in the bay outside the shark nets. this is a unique opportunity to be a part of history.
Join the events of the day, no matter what your age or interest, there will something for everyone –
10.30 – 4.30 Sea Shepherd Australia – Managing Director, Jeff Hansen and crew land on the beach by small support vessel (RIB), next to the first rock wall to the sound of drums
Welcome to Country by Lyndon Davis then Welcome by Noosa Mayor Tony Wellington.
Media interviews with Steve Irwin in background.
School children meet the captain and crew.
Gazebo stalls on the beach for Environmental groups, Vegan Sausage Sizzle and Kababs, Music, Sand Sculpture, face painting and more.
All other crew landings and departures will be by crossing the bar, arriving at the jetty in the Woods.
Head along to the Evening Event -Q&A Public Forum at Peppers Resort Noosa 6.30 – 8.30pm
Tickets TBA
Facilitator: Mayor Tony Wellington. 6 Panelists from, Sea Shepherd, Stop Adani, Seed Mob, Lock the Gate, Australian Conservation Association and Australian Youth Climate Coalition.
Why Stop Adani?
Climate change threatens not only our oceans but our very way of life.
Adani expects to produce 2.3 billion tonnes of coal over 60 years, mainly for export to India, whilst pumping 4.7 billion tonnes of planet warming greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Mining, burning and exporting coal is the key contribution Australia makes to this
global crisis.
Australia is the largest exporter of coal in the world. We literally export climate change to the world.
If it goes ahead, Adani’s mine would be Australia’s biggest ever coal mine and one of the largest in the world.
The Great Barrier Reef
Australia’s much-loved natural icon, the Great Barrier Reef, is home to thousands of reefs, hundreds of islands and over 600 types of corals, colourful fish, molluscs, starfish, plus endangered turtles, dolphins, whales and sharks.
But the reef is under serious threat.
Development of the proposed Carmichael Adani coal mine, rail link and coal port would require a massive dredging program – right through the heart of the reef – and bring an extra 500 coal ships through the Great Barrier Reef each year. Burning the coal, no matter where in the world, will worsen climate change which is already causing the reef to bleach and die.
Unprecedented bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2017 resulted in mass coral mortality. 30% of the coral is now dead, thanks to climate change, which coal is largely responsible for.
By 2034, the extreme ocean temperatures that led to the 2016 and 2017 bleaching events may occur every two years.
The return period for global bleaching events has decreased from 27 years in the 1980s to only 5.9 years now.
Adani’s new coal will only exacerbate these impacts, signing the death certificate for our Great Barrier Reef.
