Is this the image of hope for the Australian quarry economy?

This image was in a special coal promotion section of The Australian earlier this year, with the headline "hope of sustained growth" or something like that. This is slightly ironic, seeing that Australia's dependence on coal (our electricity is 90% coal powered), and our rapidly expanding coal exports represent our biggest contributions to climate change (and hence are the opposite of hope). The promotional images of mining always seem to be silhouettes against magnificent sunsets (created through all the particulates from the coal dust, that create so many health problems for locals).

What is hopeful is the growing movement to overcome coal dependency throughout the Hunter Region and beyond, most visible in the campaign to save Anvil Hill from an open-cut coal mine. The most recent indication of this is the vote by Newcastle City Council to oppose coal mining (or something along those lines). The locals involved in this campaign are so energetic and inspiring!!!

Dennis Shanahan, the political editor of The Australian has called anti-coal mine campaigners 'green jihadists', whilst harping on about the 'jobs versus the environment' false dichotomy ("Green jihad a disastrous idea", 10/11/06). This is despite the fact that his boss, Rupert Murdoch, has changed his position on climate change, seeing it as an important issue to confront.