In response to your article, expressing the concern of residents, over coal seam gas being extracted in this area – I want to emphasise that this is indeed true. I am personally, extremely worried at the prospect of the long-term health and viability of South Eastern Queensland (and elsewhere too), being put at risk by such a dangerous and volatile form of mining.
It is unforgivably reprehensible, that our governments – both Federal and State (and both major political parties) – are continuing to encourage the expansion of such a dangerous industry, without even considering holding an inquiry into the long-term impact of the toxic chemicals, used as part of the extraction process. But, as with other gross acts of negligence and misconduct in the past – these leaders undoubtedly figure that they will be long out of the picture, politically – before the clear aftermath of this process becomes apparent to the majority of citizens – and the real suffering starts to show in the mainstream.
According to my knowledge of coal seam gas extraction (I’m not a scientist – but a writer and radio presenter), the chemicals released in the process of gas extraction include both radioactive and highly carcinogenic materials. And, as has been demonstrated by some investigative journalists in Australia already plus the legacy of this process in America, annotated in the Gasland documentary, the mining of coal seam gas is extremely unstable and unreliable, and what happens is that the chemicals from this “fracking” process (which releases the gas from the coal seams), ends up polluting the water supply – our water supply, for drinking and farming. When such pollution occurs, especially if it were to be in our Artesian Basin, which is currently under threat by this process, the damage would be permanent: forever. Hence, bore water would be rendered toxic and useless, and countless farms, both for livestock and irrigation, would have to be abandoned forever.
This pollution can be so serious that water (ie, what was once drinking water), for example can be set on fire, when infected by gas or as demonstrated in the Gasland documentary, which uses current real life examples of this horrendous damage where entire water systems, including all adjacent land, can be killed, as the gas and all related chemicals bubble to the surface in creek banks, destroying all animal and plant life.
I don’t want this to happen in Warwick or anywhere else in Australia, or the world, for that matter. Currently most words in the media are being twisted by economic arguments that are hollow to say the least, given that a great number of these gas companies are owned overseas. The only economic benefits for this country are short-term and at the cost of so much land that feeds us, being destroyed. The jobs that this industry produces are small in number, compared to other industries, and the only real benefit is to be had by governments, in the form of royalties propping up what seems to be otherwise, a floundering two speed economy, and a debt hangover from the Global Financial Crisis while we, the citizens, are put at huge risk by this incredibly dangerous process.
To me, this race to get the gas out of the ground as quickly as possible, represents a last ditch effort by industries and governments to grab the last major dollars from this kind of practice before fossil fuel energy is completely superseded and discredited in the face of effective new, environmentally friendly technologies and before the first really noticeable examples of climate change (eg, rising sea levels, destruction of the Great Barrier Reef) become so apparent, that community opinion will have irreparably shifted away from supporting any endeavour like this, forever.
Coal seam gas extraction needs to be stopped, permanently.
Thank you for printing the “No Mining” article and for showing an interest in the concerns of the community.
Julian Gibbs, Warwick
