This afternooon, a friend and I were taking a post-lunch walk down a thriving shopping district in Victoria Park. We were strolling casually on the pavement, discussing the perils of identity politics in the context of Jordan Peterson, a Canadian psychologist famous for his views on postmodernism and contemporary conservatism.
After crossing a set of lights, we sighted two young girls chatting ahead of us, and as we passed, one of the girls to my left stopped me. What follows is my best estimation of the ensuing conversation:
‘Oh hey, good to see you’re here,’ said the girl. She looke- You know what, I’m not going to describe her appearance, other than saying she was young, perhaps 20 years old.
I stopped in my tracks. Confusion reigned; I looked at my friend questioningly, then back at the girl.
‘Hi… I’m sorry, do I know you?’ I asked, somewhat awkwardly.
She replied with words I don’t recall – I was probably distracted by both the strange nature of the situation and my own inept attempt at addressing it.
‘Might I ask,’ She added, ‘how old you guys are?’
Sensing an opportunity to regain some of my lost composure, I asked her to guess.
She paused. ‘I’d say 24?’ I let my surprise show, and corrected her with 25.
‘Oh great, just within my age range!’
What? This definitely caught me off-guard again, but she quickly continued:
‘Have you heard of Greenpeace?’
I suppressed a grin. Having just been interrupted during a discussion about identity politics, the timing was certainly amusing. I can’t actually recall having been stopped by political activists outside of an educational institution, so I played along.
‘Yeah,’ I said.
‘Have you guys heard about what’s happening in the Great Barrier Reef?’ she asked.
Ah, I see where this is going. Having read occasional articles relating to the Reef as of late, I ventured a guess.
‘Coral bleaching, right?’ I replied, assured of my accuracy.
‘Besides that though,’ she said. ‘Did you know they’re building a coal mine on the beach?’
I admit; my friend and I were prepared to meet any dubious or questionable claims with an greater scepticism than usual owing to our previous conversation, but this was just golden. Instantly, an image appeared in my mind of a colossal coal station, billowing black smoke from unseen orifices into a deeply azure sky, sitting clumsily on a public beach while concerned revellers shielded wide eyes from the rapidly disappearing sun.
I needed to make sure I had heard her correctly.
‘A coal mine is being built on the beach?’ I prompted.
‘Yeah that’s right, by the Great Barrier Reef,’ she confirmed.
I looked down at a folder under her arm.
‘Do you have any proof of that?’ I asked.
She hesitated, before pulling a pamphlet from her folder.
‘I have this pamphlet,’ she said.
It didn’t really answer my question, but I took it, presuming that the proof I sought lay inside. With the pamphlet open and my friend peering over my shoulder, we began to search for the part describing this coal mine on the beach.
After a few seconds of searching, she helped me out.
‘I think it’s on the back page,’ she said.
I flipped to the back, and began the search again. I scoured every word – it was a small pamphlet, so only a couple of paragraphs – but I couldn’t find anything associated with this mine. I looked up at her, and just as I did so, a colleague of hers arrived. I had completely forgotten about the other girl from the beginning of the encounter, and I wasn’t aware where she had gone, but this new arrival was a bloke, somewhat older than the girls. From the concerned look on his face I presumed he was coming to see what was up.
‘Hi there,’ I said as he stopped by me. ‘There’s a coal mine being built on the beach I hear.’
‘That’s right I believe, yes,’ he replied.
I looked back at the girl. This was hardly the decisive proof that I was looking for, so I handed the pamphlet back to the girl.
‘I’ll have to do some research,’ I said, trying for a polite smile.
‘You have a great day,’ she said as she accepted the pamphlet back. I bade her good day in return, and my friend and I turned and left.
The mine she was referring to is known popularly as the Adani Carmichael coalmine, and it has been controversial in Australia to say the least. The controversy is, upon cursory research, seemingly well-founded – there appears to be issues predominantly regarding the environment and the impact the mine will have, which could end up either directly or otherwise damaging the Great Barrier Reef.
I’m not going to get involved with the arguments for and against the mine – that is beyond the scope of this post. What I will say, however, is this: there is no coal mine being built on the beach. The Adani mine is proposed for construction in the Galilee Basin – see this article by the ABC for a map, or this article by the Australian Marine Conservation Society, both which state clearly where the mine – should it go ahead – will be built. If you can’t be bothered checking, know this: it’s a long way from the coast.
The issue I have isn’t with the sentiment of these Greenpeace reps – they are representing the interests of one of Australia’s greatest environmental treasures, indeed the world’s, and are to be commended for it.
They are, however, effectively spreading misinformation – and it shows how causes that appeal to our sense of justice still need to be approached objectively. Ask for proof; presume that it may be entirely false until shown otherwise. A similar concept – ‘innocence until proven guilt’ – underpins our democratic judicial system.
So again, whether you believe this coal mine is a threat or an opportunity, make sure that in the process you believe in the truth, and in cold, hard factual evidence.
TJDempsey 