Australia: Christmas Elves deliver coal to Queensland Premier in climate protest

Christmas Elves and Farmers delivered 2 sacks of coal and 300 Christmas Cards from Brisbane residents to Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh on the 21st December protesting further coal mining expansion in nature refuges and farmland.

Toowoomba Farmer and Friends of Felton spokesperson Rob McCreath was at the event, and says that without action from the Government, both his farm and the entire Felton valley will soon be destroyed by coal mining.

"This is an emergency. The Queensland Government must act now to protect farmland and the environment from destruction by mining," said Mr McCreath.

"Bligh deserves nothing but coal in her stocking this Christmas, for allowing coal mining to expand into nature refuges and our best farmland and for ignoring the climate impacts of this dirty industry," said Friends of the Earth spokesperson Bradley Smith.

The protesters sang christmas carols with a pointed message on coal and climate in the Foyer of the Executive Building.

"The Premier has an opportunity to take real action on climate change, right now, this Christmas. Just protect our good farmland and nature refuges from the rapidly expanding coal industry," implored Mr Smith.

"We want to know why the Queensland Government continues to put coal mining first when it is destroying our agricultural resources, our biodiversity and our climate," Mr Smith said.

Full report at Six Degrees: Coal spills in Executive Building as Elves, Farmers confront Bligh over farmland

Other recent Australian climate actions in response to the failure of the COP15 climate negatiations include:

• forty climate activists closing down the rail line into the world's biggest coal port at Newcastle on Sunday December 20 for seven and a half hours. Newcastle is located on the east coast of Australia about 100km north of Sydney, and is the largest coal port in the world. (Indybay: Australia: Activists take Climate action by Blockading Coal Port)
• immediately following the end of the climate talks in Copenhagen, Friends of the Earth activists took to the streets and bridges of Brisbane, denouncing the failure of the negotiations and imploring community members to take action. (Six Degrees: Copenhagen Failure: Brisbane Demands Action)