Environment Suffers, as World Heritage Site is Bombed By American Military 22nd July, 2013.
What unbelievably awful actions on the part of the American military, whose Harrier Jets have just dropped four bombs into the sacred Great Barrier Reef. This is a protected area a little larger in size than Italy. It is the largest coral reef in the world, and the whole of the ecology of the sea-world is dependent upon its survival.
Thanks to Lachlan for this photo, taken 2011.
Radio NZ News at 12.30 has just given over a report on this latest environmental abuse by the American military – the shocking abuse of this precious world heritage site, namely, the Great Barrier Reef of Australia.
The Great Barrier Reef has been bombed by the American military US7 Fleet, who is currently training with the Australian military.
Apparently, four bombs were dropped on the Reef today, the excuse being that the planes were running out of fuel, and the pilots needed to make the planes lighter. This hardly seems a credible reason to me – ensuring that you have enough fuel for the task ahead is number one consideration, one would think, especially for military-minded men. Or are they just stupid? Makes me wonder if there is another, as yet hidden, reason for why this bombing has occurred? Mining interests? There are plenty of international greedy oil giants waiting for the opportunity to pounce on the wealth beneath the coral.
On the right to protest at sea: John Key, who is New Zealand’s Prime Minister of the extremely right wing would-be fascist National government, has just made protests at sea illegal in New Zealand, so that these greedy oil giants and other mining interests can go ahead, at his invitation, without any threat by protestors. If people protest any mining activity in our waters from now on, then they will be arrested. Laws are steadily being changed to make protest in protection of our New Zealand environment an illegal activity.
Environmentalists have pointed out the madness in allowing a foreign power to do their military training on Australian shores. Foreign powers, especially military powers, do not usually have the same regard for the environment as that shown by the local people. I hope that this is not an omen of more Big Brother disasters under Kevin Rudd’s new regime. Reporters have been talking on radio today, saying that Keven Rudd’s government, although Labour, indicates a move to right-wing politics.
Postscript on 21st August, 2013, a month after the above article was written:
My suspicions were correct. This bombing is no ‘accident’. The Australian Government has just announced that it intends to allow oil drilling in the vicinity of the Great Barrier Coral Reef. Read Merrilyn’s new post on the issue, and sign up on Avaaz to protest against drilling and mining of the Great Barrier Reef.
http://merrilynhope.com/sign-to-save-the-australian-great-barrier-coral-reef-from-mining/
You can go directly to the Avaaz site to protest against mining of the Great Barrier Coral Reef:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/australian_coal_disaster_global_rb/?bPHMWdb&v=28173
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