The coal loading company should have simply accepted the court's decision concerning the fine and tightened security. Why did they think they had a hope of getting a half mil out of those guys?

All the action did was give our corerspondent a reason to draw attention to an otherwise forgettable effort by a tiny group of activists to stop a coal export operation for a time.

It also gave her an excuse to add a couple of items to the industry's indictment. Lung cancer? Asthma? Our well informed correspondent is confusing CO emissions (which are undoubtedly rising) with particulate pollution over cities which has been falling over decades.

Curmudgeon, as far as I understand it, the mining process kicks up dust and teh dust is the pollutant that causes asthma. There was a very good TV program that looked at coal minings impact in the Hunter Valley last year and a local GP's study that featured would support this.

Hopefully the case won't succeed. I'm not a lawyer but it could have wider reaching implications for anyone who want's to take issue with a company or the Government that just this case. Imagine if suddenly the council approved a huge block of flats against it's own policy across the road from you and you knew that the person who had approved it from the council had been sleeping with the developer - this scenerio may not be to far removed from reality given what happened in NSW not so long ago.

So after failing to get the media's attention by the usual methods you and your neighbours chain yourself to a bulldozer as work begins. There is no safety issues as the workers are alerted straight away. Strapping yourself to your front gate while legal to publicise the issue just won't cut it! It stops the work for half a day. You manage to get the media and public's attention. Outrage ensues and the project is stopped. But if this coal mining case is successful then if you are charged and found guilty of trespass, then the company, even if you were in the right about the flats being built may be able to hit you for compensation. TBC

Or what about when something is clearly unethical and should be stopped at all costs. A company in Canada was hoping to get approval to mine and ship Asbestos to the third world, even though it's not legal to use it in Canada, where they would have some chance of controlling the hazards associated with the material. There would be fat chance of making sure it was used safely offshore. This was simply about greed, not community benefit. I think that anyone who blockaded such a thing would be a hero. But if such a case happened in Australia and this coal case succeeds, it might be open slather on people acting in real public interest.

Environmental issues at Hazelwood power station in Victoria which needs to be shut down because of it's emmissions would not have got publicity without people entering the grounds. Some old Growth forest would not be there if it weren't for people prepared to take direct action while the courts and public opinion took time to decide in their favour.

The coal mining industry is getting a lot of support from the various Australian Governments. That means that through the government they are getting support from the taxpayers. If some of those taxpayers and Australian citizens want to challenge the industry, they should be able to do so without fear of the industry using it's huge financial advantage against them.

"If it wasn’t coal; leaving in its wake destroyed farmlands and aquifers, lung cancers and asthmas from the particulate dust and exporting with it, the huge potential for climate changing pollution, then you’d be proud of his contribution to our prosperity."

Gosh, yes. If only it was inert rock, that wouldn't burn, couldn't run fires and cookers, couldn't produce hot water, warm homes, factories and office buildings, keep power stations running and provide heat and light for millions of people; if only it wouldn't extend the working day and allow people to read, play games and carry out their hobbies at night instead of huddling in the dark. If only he was exporting something utterly useless and valueless, then we could be proud of Shaun Stears; alas, as it is, we hang our heads in shame.

Sell people something that they want? How DARE he?!

JL Deland - dust from coal mining causing asthma??

Bbbwwwhahahahah!

Is there, in fact, any evidence of any increase in particulate pollution over settled areas due to coal mining, or coal loading, and never mind the Hunter valley TV program. What about the atmosphere in the immediate vicinity of the coal loaders or coal mines? You may find an increase, but you also won't find any homes.

In fact, as you should have been told long along, there is a theory that the cleaner air is supposed to cause more asthmas. Something to do with immune systems not being challenged, but I have only a vague grasp of it myself. Its findable online. I know the green fraternity hate this inconvenient theory but there it is..

As noted particulate pollution in urban areas has been falling for decades, for reasons that have nothing to do with coal mining. Think just how many house still have fire places (probably long walled up), and imagine what the atmosphere would have been like when all those fireplaces were being used. Remember also that heavy industry has been resited and cleaned up.

These are all long-standing trends which would have also been a major factor in all the areas covered by your program. Sorry but the astham business is straight, green fantasy.

I'll leave my comments on the morality of civil disobedience to another time.

http://www.smh.com.au/environment/mine-air-pollution-breaches-safety-limits-20100713-109ij.html

Phrases like civil disobedience are used when one disagrees with the cause. As JLDeland wrote, how many native forests would be standing without the efforts of environmental groups sometimes including very public protests like the Franklin Dam. How many more polluting activities and environmental disasters without these sorts of activists, even if one does not always agree.

The farmers and citizens of the Liverpool Plains protested about the risk of increasing coal mining in the area due to potential effects on groundwater and they were not tarred as 'greenies' but in effect the 'sit ins' were the same.

Expecting the protestors to pay back half a million is pushing it uphill a bit. Hope it doesn't turn into another corporate embarrassment such as the doomed and infamous McLibel case.