Doctors for the Environment Australia along with health professionals from around the country have joined together outside Commonwealth Bank Head Office in Sydney today to publicly demonstrate their opposition to Adani’s Charmicheal mine. The action proceeds next weeks board meeting, at which they are urged to rule out funding the Adani Carmichael mega-coal mine.

“Coal dust causes silicosis” says Lynn Seville from the NSW Nurses and Midwives Association, “And we know that the coal mines have been very, very badly managed from work health safety perspective, and they are already showing higher incidences of silicosis as a result of coal mining in Queensland because of the work health safety being so poor.”

“I feel as a health worker, I am compelled to speak out against the Adani mine. The Adani mine is a dereliction of duty and governance by both the major parties. Governments have a fundamental responsibility to do the best for our communities. What this mine represents is the negligence of the government to look forward to developing renewable energies and supporting renewable technologies.”

With recent cases of black lung presenting in QLD, doctors, nurses and health professionals are concerned not only about the immediate impacts of coal on health, but also the massive impacts on climate change and also the effects of air pollution from mining, transporting and burning this coal.

Newcastle Rheumatologist and Chair of Doctors for the Environment, Dr John van der Kallen stated, “I see this as my duty to be here today. My reason to be here today is to protect my family, my friends and my patients, because what we do now is going to have significant impacts on their futures.”

The burning of coal emits hazardous air pollutants, including particulate matter, sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide, mercury and arsenic. Australia has one of the most carbon intensive and polluting electricity supplies in the world, with around 80% of electricity generation coming from coal.

For more information on health and coal visit Doctors for the Environment Australia