China's Demand For Coal Threatens Koalas

[Omaha Steve]

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Australian environmentalists say a Chinese company’s plan to build a massive mine in the marsupial’s Australian habitat will push it closer to extinction.



(Photo: DeAgostini/Getty Images)


http://www.takepart.com/article/2015/05/06/koalas-face-new-threat-chinese-coal-mining

May 06, 2015 By John R. Platt

John R. Platt covers the environment, technology, philanthropy, and more for Scientific American, Conservation, Lion, and other publications.


Australia’s iconic koalas have had a rough go lately.

The cuddly marsupials have lost thousands of acres of their eucalyptus tree habitat to development and forest fires. On the ground, they all-too-frequently get attacked by dogs or run over by cars. Heck, they’re even dealing with outbreaks of sexually transmitted diseases.

As if all of that weren’t enough, now they have a new threat on their paws: A massive open-pit coal mine proposed by the Chinese company Shenhua.

Planned for construction in the state of New South Wales, the coal mine would take over more than 2,000 acres of prime koala habitat and thousands of additional acres of agricultural land. The area is reported to be home to about a thousand koalas, which are already suffering from heat waves and drought. The region held more than 12,000 koalas less a decade ago.

Shenhua said any koalas impacted by the mine will be able to migrate to new habitat. Any animals that don’t move on their own, the company said, would be picked up and transplanted.

FULL story at link.