Seventy-five year-old Barb Nielsen was so concerned about the impact of climate change that, on January 14, she locked herself to a guard rail outside Adani’s headquarters in Townsville. She was protesting against the company’s new Carmichael coalmine and government support for Adani.

“I know that new coal is the last thing the world needs. I want to make my case clearly and directly and so brought it to the front door of Adani’s headquarters in Queensland” Barb said.

“I locked on outside Adani’s door to emphasise the critical importance of the issue. We are already seeing the effects of fossil fuel-driven climate change in record temperatures, bushfires, cities choking on smoke, and water shortages in Queensland towns. I am concerned that we are heading toward 2.3 – even 5 degree temperature increases, which would make our world unliveable for the young people of today, and the potential loss of the Great Barrier Reef.”

Barb was supported by her husband of 47 years, Richard, who had been arrested the previous week at Hastings Deering site in Mackay (see Activists target monster machine maker).

An ex-teacher, Barb stands by the saying ‘With the privilege of knowing comes the duty to act’.

The grace and strength of her action outside Adani’s headquarters was an inspiration to fellow activists at the action, the media and even to the dozen police attending the scene,

Please use Barb’s example to consider taking similar action. Contact https://frontlineaction.org/take-action/ to find out how this can be done.

Finally, in somewhat of a record breaker, the first FLAC Facebook page referring to Barb’s action reached by 38,455 people and had 242 comments and 281 shares. Onya Barb!