Colonial arrogance has an ugly face. It stings and stinks. Every year since the 1989 closure of the Panguna Mine, BCL has not relented in forcing its return to re-open the Panguna mine in Central Bougainville. Each time there is talk about its return to Bougainville, it evokes horrific memories of the war people continue to live with to this day. It continues to conjure fears of their experiences of the recent civil war and the possibility of another one, and to their minds, it will be far more devastating than the first one. Everyone feels that, says it, thinks it and believes it!
In what is seen as the first stage of Rio Tinto’s exit altogether from coal the company has sold its 40 per cent stake in the Bengalla mine in NSW’s Hunter Valley to New Hope Corporation and restructured its Coal & Allied joint venture with Mitsubishi Development. Rio Tinto is also negotiating the sale of its two other Hunter Valley mines and may be open to selling its remaining Queensland metallurgical coal mines. In late 2014 Rio Tinto sold its Benga project in Mozambique – which it bought for US$3.7 billion – for just US$50 million. It has also been attempting to sell its minority stake in SouthGobi Resources which has coal exploration projects in Mongolia.
Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg’s demeanour has shifted from hunter to haunted. The abrasive South African-born, Swiss-based, London-domiciled, Australian citizen suddenly has found himself in unfamiliar territory; vulnerable and under attack.
Glencore boss Ivan Glasenberg’s demeanour has shifted from hunter to haunted. The abrasive South African-born, Swiss-based, London-domiciled, Australian citizen suddenly has found himself in unfamiliar territory; vulnerable and under attack.
Embattled miner and commodities trader Glencore Plc called on delegates meeting for a global climate summit later this year to adopt a policy that recognises coal as an important energy source.
