We have been discussing the horrific environmental record of the administration of Prime Minister Tony Abbott. This includes the decision to dump millions of tons of waste into the Great Barrier Reef. The move that led to international outcry including official condemnation from UNESCO. However, it is the campaign by Ben and Jerry’s that raised the ire of Abbott’s Environment Minister Andrew Powell. The company founders have been leading an effort to save the reef from the destructive policies of Abbott. Powell calls such a campaign only “propaganda” and wants Australians to stop eating the ice cream. It was a curious suggestion given the Abbott Administrations effort to ban environmental boycotts.
Ben and Jerry’s recently withdrew its very popular Phish Food ice cream to protest the damage being done to the reef by the Abbott Administration. The founders went to Australia to increase awareness and hand out free ice cream. It appears that that is far more worrisome for the government than UNESCO.
Powell proclaimed that “Another company has signed up to the campaign of lies and deceit that’s been propagated by WWF. The only people taking a scoop out of the reef is Ben and Jerry’s and Unilever. If you understand the facts, you’d want to be boycotting Ben and Jerry’s.”
In the meantime, the Queensland and federal governments are continuing with their plan to dump three million cubic metres of dredge spoil in the marine park and World Heritage area to facilitate a coal port expansion.
Source: Brisbane Times