Please Save the Great Barrier Reef Ecosystem: Stop Great Barrier Coal!

This video presents “Reef Under Threat!”:

In the following letter, the Avaaz team is asking for our help to:

Increase the pressure on Fred Hochberg, Chairman of the United States Export-Import Bank, and demand he halt funding for Great Barrier Coal which could be obtained by mining magnates building one of the world’s largest coal ports on top of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem (a World Heritage Area) in Australia:
- We have only days to act — he’s in Australia for meetings right now.

Please click on the “Sign The Petition” banner in the letter below to join the call to save the reef
- and Avaaz will deliver our voices to Hochberg

At the present time of this blog posting, 411,654 people have signed
- Please help us get to 500,000 signers by signing the petition in the Avaaz”s letter below and forward it to everyone:

“Dear friends,

Australia could let mining magnates build an enormous coal port on top of the Great Barrier Reef! But a bank owned by the US public is key to the project and global pressure could cause the bank to pull out. The bank’s chairman is in Australia for meetings right now — click below to bring a global call for reef protection straight to him:

Australia could let mining magnates build one of the world’s largest coal ports on top of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem — opening access to 8 billion extra tonnes of planet-killing coal and risking the survival of this entire amazing world heritage site.

Activists in Australia are pressuring the government and UNESCO is speaking out, but a bank owned by the US public is key to the project. Global pressure on the US bank now could bring international shame and spotlight environmental issues in the middle of the US election season. If they pull out, the entire crazy plan could be shut down for good.

Let’s up the pressure on the bank’s chairman Fred Hochberg and demand he halt funding for Great Barrier Coal. We have only days to act — he’s in Australia for meetings right now. Click below to join the call to save the reef and Avaaz will deliver our voices to Hochberg:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_great_barrier_coal_mine_global/?bkyeWbb&v=17170

The enormous coal port project would push the already vulnerable reef closer to the brink by constructing an export terminal inside its waters — and by flooding the market with 8 billion more tonnes of coal exports. It would allow up to 20 ships each day to travel over this pristine area, shuttling dirty coal from inland Australia to China. We saw the kind of damage these ships can cause in 2010 when a ship ran aground, leaving a 3km gash in the unique reef.

Right now, the proposal is facing hurdles after UNESCO reported that coal development is damaging the reef, and the Australian government has intervened by calling for a review of the environmental assessment. If we can cut the funding off at its source we can bring another blow to the plan — and help stop the entire mining operation.

The US Export-Import Bank is already embattled within US politics and wants to avoid any further controversy. A massive outcry right now could stop them from destroying the most spectacular underwater scenery in the world. Sign now and Avaaz will deliver the message straight to Hochberg:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/the_great_barrier_coal_mine_global/?bkyeWbb&v=17170

Millions of Avaaz members across the world have fought for our planet — raising our voices at climate change negotiations in Copenhagen and Rio and securing wins to protect our oceans in Australia and the Amazon in Brazil. Now, let’s come together again to protect the majestic Great Barrier Reef from mining greed.

With hope and determination,

Emma, Allison, Emily, Ricken, Paul, Wissam and the whole Avaaz team”

“MORE INFORMATION

Burke slams “shambolic” reef mine approval (ABC)
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-05/burke-labels-reef-mine-approval-a-shambolic-joke/4053188

Gina Rinehart’s Alpha coal mine halted over Great Barrier Reef fears (Herald Sun)
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/gina-rineharts-alpha-coal-mine-halted-over-great-barrier-reef-fears/story-fn7j19iv-1226384699070

Rinehart confident of GVK approval (LiveMint.com)
http://www.livemint.com/2012/07/02001724/Rinehart-confident-of-GVK-appr.html

Tell US Ex-Im Bank: Don’t use tax payer dollars to destroy the Great Barrier Reef (Huffington Post)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mary-anne-hitt/tell-us-exim-bank-dont-us_b_1757638.html

Tea Party Picks Losing Fight Over U.S. Export-Import Bank (Bloomberg)
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-05-16/tea-party-picks-losing-fight-over-u-s-export-import-bank.html

Three kilometres of Great Barrier Reef damage, 20 years to mend (The Age)
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/three-kilometres-of-great-barrier-reef-damage-20-years-to-mend-20100413-s7p8.html ”

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