Adani and the War Over Coal

by Quentin Beresford

Overview

Coal is the political, economic and cultural totem for debates about climate change. This searing book takes apart the pivotal role of the Adani Carmichael mine in the conflict over coal. We see the rise of a fossil fuel power network linking mining companies, mining oligarchs, the big four banks, right-wing think tanks, lobby groups, the conservative media and all sides of Australian politics. On the other side, we have one of the biggest social movements ever seen in Australia in the form of #StopAdani uniting to try to save the Great Barrier Reef, native title rights, and to fight the corrupt politics of coal. Looking into the social, environmental and economic elements of this big fight, as well as the background of Gautam Adani himself, this book tells the full story of one of the lightning rod issues of our time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781742244228
Publisher:	UNSW Press
Publication date:	11/01/2018
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	972 KB

About the Author

Quentin Beresford is a former journalist and now a professor of politics at Edith Cowan University. He has published many books, most recently The Rise and Fall of Gunns Ltd, which won the Tasmanian non-fiction prize, and was shortlisted for the Ashurst business award and other prizes.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 The great coal rush 8

Chapter 2 India's coal baron 29

Chapter 3 The coal wars begin 57

Chapter 4 Coal nation: The triumph of coal over climate 82

Chapter 5 Coal before coral: Sacrificing the Great Barrier Reef 98

Chapter 6 In the shadow of Joh: Adani and Queensland politics 130

Chapter 7 The Abbott government and 'standing up for coal' 165

Chapter 8 Malcolm Turnbull: The price of power 200

Chapter 9 'This huge black hole': The fight over native title 233

Chapter 10 The legal challenge from 'greenies' 256

Chapter 11 The banks under attack 282

Chapter 12 The end game? 312

Conclusion 357

Notes 366

Bibliography 381

Acknowledgments 395

Index 397

Editorial Reviews

"Adani and the war over coal lifts the lid on a farrago of lies, deceit and brute cronyism infesting two great democracies." — Bob Brown


"There are many big, bad projects the fossil fuel industry is pushing across the planet, but the Adani coal mine may be the biggest and stupidest of them all. To understand the roots of this debacle, and to remind you why it's necessary that we fight relentlessly to kill this project, this book is necessary reading." —Bill McKibben, author The End of Nature

From the Publisher