NEWCASTLE Australia (Reuters) - Hundreds of protesters on Friday joined environmental activists from a dozen South Pacific countries attempting to halt shipping at the world's largest coal export terminal in eastern Australia by forming a blockade with canoes, surfboards and kayaks. The action at the entrance to the Port of Newcastle briefly interrupted ships heading to open waters under a police marine escort but failed to bring any coal vessels to a halt.
Nonetheless, organisers from the 350.Org environmental group said it underscored concerns that the burning of coal mined in Australia was having devastating effects in the South Pacific. Some experts say climate change will cause rising sea levels and higher tides that will swamp lower-lying Pacific islands and present other challenges such as coral bleaching and an increase in storms and cyclones. "This is important today because we are here to highlight the effects of climate change across our islands," said George Nacewa, a 350.Org activist from Fiji.
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