Dirty Power: If We Hate Coal So Much, Why Is There So Much Coal?

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If you’ve ever wondered why so many Australians oppose coal, but coal keeps coming out of the ground, then a new short film by Greenpeace’s investigative unit is probably going to help shed some light for you.

But be warned, it’s short and sharp and very dense with information, and it’s probably going to leave you feeling nauseous. At the very least angry.

Dirty Power is a collaboration between one of the world’s foremost environmental organisations, one of the nation’s best investigative journalists, and one of the country’s most talented film-makers.

Says a Greenpeace spokesperson: “Dirty Power tells a compelling story of the coal industry at the centre of a network of influence with industry, media, lobbyist and political arms, designed to further its interests and block action on climate change.

“Case studies of the impact of the network that the report looks at include Adani’s groundwater approval, the $444 grant to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation, and the favourable treatment of Trevor St Baker’s coal assets.

“The report is based on investigative work by journalist Michael West and Simone Marsh, who we brought on to conduct interviews with dozens of political staffers, executives of external lobby firms, and resources sector analysts; uncover previously hidden details about the identity and background of federal ministers’ parliamentary staff; and analyse publicly available information about listed companies and their operatives.”

Chris Phillips is behind the film-making, and on that front, this short film is a pretty stunning example of condensing an enormous amount of very complex information into a short format that is easy to follow.

You can watch it below, and follow Greenpeace Australia Pacific here. And you can find out more info about Dirty Power and the coal industry here.