Well said, Yasmin Catley ('Port calls for crackdown on protesters', Newcastle Herald 26/5). Professional protester Zack Schofield has now been apprehended twice and returned to Australia. Is he going back for a third go or is he saving his energy for blocking Newcastle Harbour? What a dilemma. Maybe he and his friends might not get returned after the next stunt.
Last week's story did not mention that coal burning is the major cause of the extreme weather driving forest fires and flash flooding. The article said that Newcastle Port exported 154 million tonnes of coal last year. Attributional science is now able to calculate how much that coal contributed to local flood and fire damage. In these circumstances, how long before the Port of Newcastle loses its social licence to export coal?
