Happy snappers capture 'Save Anvil Hill'

Lee speaking at the Anvil Hill protest outside Governor Macquarie Tower on the Friday before the Anvil Hill weekend.

Yesterday on a mild winter's day I sat in a paddock in the Upper Hunter for forty-five minutes with about 500 people while a helicopter buzzed overhead. We sat together in lines and shapes forming giant letters that spelt out 'Save Anvil Hill' while the airborne photographers snapped and videoed our message.

Anvil Hill, the site of one of the 22 proposed new coal mining projects, has become the line in the sand for the growing movement committed to reining in dangerous climate change. The strong showing at this protest reflects the growing understanding that if we are going to be serious about climate change we need to phase out the coal industry and that means no new coalmine at Anvil Hill.

I sat with my fellow protesters - we formed the letters in Anvil - and looked across the treeless paddocks. We were all feeling buoyant after a great weekend on the property of the Withers' family.

Although spirits were high there was a clear understanding that we were in for a long campaign on this issue. The federal and state governments are still in lock step in their support for the coal industry.

Saving Anvil Hill from the ravages of an open cut coalmine and keeping that coal in the ground would be a great victory. But win or lose the movement to phase out the coal industry will grow and become the cornerstone of the climate change campaign. As the mining and burning of coal causes more than 40 percent of Australia's greenhouse gas emissions this is where the action has to be if we are to put a check on global warming.

This is a big battle. We are up against mining companies that make profits in billions of dollars. BHP Billiton, just one of the mining multinationals bringing havoc to local communities in NSW coal fields, made $8 billion dollars in just six months of the 2005-6 financial year.

The other side is powerful, cashed up and well connected.

But what makes me feel hopeful is that awareness is growing and that awareness is the foundation for progressive change. It is not too long ago that the Greens and the environment groups that warned of the climate change dangers were ridiculed and now barely a day goes by when this problem is not centre stage in the media.

Change will come. The problem with this campaign is that time is running out. We need to quickly reduce the world’s greenhouse gas emissions if we are going to avoid the dangerous temperature rise that thousands of the world's scientists have warned of.

So as we sat together in the Withers' paddock under a winter sun, we were relaxed but there was also a sense of urgency. We shared thoughts on the next stage in the Save Anvil Hill and the no new coal projects campaign.

These events give me a great energy boost. There were people at this protest from across the state ready to go out and organise and build a powerful voice of commonsense on coal and climate change.

Time is short but we can only do our best. As I walked back to our camp after our human 'Save Anvil Hill' sign I watched a large mob of kangaroos hop across the cleared paddocks to the edge of the woodlands. These animals always give me a thrill. Life is pretty good around Anvil Hill. We just have to keep it that way.