Hi,
This doesn't have anything to do with astronomy, but I thought that the other side of the story should be told as it probably won't make it into the media.
My Brother works as a geologist for a contract exploration firm that it currently working on the Caroona Coal Project which is being carried out by BHP. There has been quite a bit of local media attention for the project with farmers protesting against the project. I've got no problem with them protesting, and as far as I'm concerned they probably do have a legitimate cause.
My problem is that they have taken this protesting way too far. Last week my Brother was working within 20m of a drilling rig when one of the protestors flew low overhead in a crop duster and dumped a whole heap of pesticides on the guys doing the drilling
. He got some chemicals on himself but nothing like the drillers. As well as potentially poisoning the drillers they were only meters away from the top of the drilling rig. If they'd have hit this they would have killed themselves and potentially all of the drillers
.
What these protestors have to realise is that these people are just doing their jobs, with families at home to feed etc. The protestors have a beef with BHP and the Government, NOT the people on the ground. As a result of this as far as I'm concerned they have lost all sympathy from me for their cause. Fight your cause but do it the right why.
Sorry to rant but this made me angry and I needed to get it out there.