Oz protest site under threat
p2pnet.net news:- Online freedom of speech is being seriously challenged in Australia where the mainstream mining industry is using copyright laws to try to shut down an environmental protest site.
“The NSW Minerals Council has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on a TV, print and billboard advertising campaign and launched a website extolling the virtues of mining,” says the Sydney Morning Herald.
The campaign’s slogan is “Life: brought to you by mining”.
But the members of Rising Tide, a grassroots group of Newcastle residents campaigning against “human-induced climate change,” say:
“Newcastle is already the world’s biggest coal port. The NSW Government and coal companies want to double it!
“The NSW Government is now considering a massive expansion of Newcastle coal exports, including a proposed new coal terminal at Newcastle, expansion of an existing terminal, and many proposed mines, including the Anvil Hill open-cut proposal.”
Rising Tide hosts were forced to remove it within 24 hours of its launch, “after the Minerals Council issued a notice under the Copyright Regulations 1969 complaining the content and layout infringed copyright,” says the SMH, going on:
“Rising Tide remade the website, using its own photographs and layout. However, the council lodged a second complaint. ‘They are trying to silence us,’ said a Rising Tide member, Steve Phillips. ‘We have issued a counter-notice rejecting the Minerals Council’s spurious claims. [It] now has 10 days in which to take the matter [to court]‘.”
Newcastle exporters about 80 million tonnes of coal per year and, “As such, we are a major source of global greenhouse pollution, fueling global climate change,” says Rising Tide. “If the most catastrophic impacts of climate change are to be avoided, Newcastle coal exports are going to have to be addressed, and fast.”
But, “The council’s chief executive, Nikki Williams, said its complaint was not an attempt to silence Rising Tide,” says the story, quoting her as stating:
“It is a community awareness campaign … it is about establishing a fair voice for the mining industry; it is simply a matter of the facts,” referring to, “the benefits flowing from the industry such as jobs, cheap electricity and export revenue.”
Also See:
Sydney Morning Herald – Industry closes anti-coal website, March 5, 2007
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
March 5th, 2007 at 12:35 pm
I believe that the theory of human induced global warming is a bunch of baloney. With that said, Rising Tide has a RIGHT to publish and broadcast its opinion. Hosting their website in Russia, Germany, Sweden, or other country out of reach of the Australian government would be a good idea. Maybe it is time to use this so called globalization to benefit the small guy for a change.
March 7th, 2007 at 5:55 am
hey, nice write up.
I’m keeping track of all media including mass media, and a couple of law blogs and other blogs here: http://eco101.wordpress.com
cheers
naught101