L'humanité auraaura consomméconsommé lundilundi lala totalitétotalité desdes ressourcesressources queque lala planèteplanète peutpeut renouvelerrenouveler enen unun anan etet vivravivra doncdonc "à"à crédit"crédit" jusqu'au 31 décembre,décembre, aa calculécalculé l'ONGl'ONG GlobalGlobal Footprint Network, relevantrelevant queque cece momentmoment survientsurvient dede plusplus enen plusplus tôttôt chaquechaque année.année.

LeLe lundilundi 8 aoûtaoût marquemarque pourpour lala TerreTerre lele "jour"jour dudu dépassement"dépassement" ("earth overshoot day" enen anglais).anglais). AA partirpartir dede cettecette date,date, "nous"nous vivonsvivons doncdonc àà crédit",crédit", écriventécrivent GlobalGlobal Footprint etet lele WWF dansdans unun communiqué.communiqué.

PourPour sesses calculs,calculs, GlobalGlobal Footprint prendprend notammentnotamment enen comptecompte l'empreinte carbone,carbone, lesles ressourcesressources consomméesconsommées pourpour lala pêche,pêche, l'élevage, lesles cultures,cultures, lala constructionconstruction etet l'utilisation d'eau.

EnEn 2015, lele "jour"jour dudu dépassement"dépassement" étaitétait survenusurvenu lele 13 août.août. LaLa datedate "avance"avance inexorablementinexorablement depuisdepuis lesles annéesannées 1970", relèventrelèvent lesles ONG.

EnEn 1970, ilil n'était survenusurvenu queque lele 23 décembre.décembre. Depuis,Depuis, sasa datedate n'an'a cessécessé d'avancer: 3 novembrenovembre enen 1980, 13 octobreoctobre enen 1990, 4 octobreoctobre enen 2000, 3 septembre enen 2005, 28 aoûtaoût enen 2010.

"Pour"Pour subvenirsubvenir àà nosnos besoins,besoins, nousnous avonsavons aujourd'hui besoinbesoin dede l’équivalent dede 1,6 planète"planète" parpar an,an, relèventrelèvent GlobalGlobal Footprint etet WWF.

"Le"Le coûtcoût dede cettecette surconsommationsurconsommation estest déjàdéjà visible: pénuriespénuries d'eau, désertification, érosionérosion desdes sols,sols, chutechute dede lala productivitéproductivité agricoleagricole etet desdes stocksstocks dede poissons,poissons, déforestation,déforestation, disparitiondisparition desdes espèces",espèces", déplorentdéplorent lesles ONG.

"Vivre"Vivre àà créditcrédit nene peutpeut êtreêtre queque provisoireprovisoire parce queque lala naturenature n'est paspas unun gisementgisement dansdans lequellequel nousnous pouvonspouvons puiserpuiser indéfiniment",indéfiniment", soulignent-elles.

LesLes émissionsémissions dede CO2, lele principalprincipal gazgaz àà effeteffet dede serre, sontsont lele plusplus importantimportant facteurfacteur dede dépassement: elleselles représententreprésentent "60% dede notrenotre empreinteempreinte écologiqueécologique globale",globale", précisentprécisent lele WWF etet GlobalGlobal Footprint.

SelonSelon lele rapportrapport annuelannuel sursur l'état dudu climatclimat ("State of thethe Climate"), unun documentdocument rendurendu publicpublic mardimardi auquelauquel ontont participéparticipé 450 scientifiquesscientifiques dudu mondemonde entier,entier, lesles émissionsémissions dede gazgaz àà effeteffet dede serre ontont atteintatteint desdes niveauxniveaux recordsrecords enen 2015.

LaLa communautécommunauté internationaleinternationale s'est engagéeengagée àà lala ConférenceConférence dede ParisParis sursur lele climat,climat, enen décembredécembre dernier,dernier, àà réduireréduire lesles émissionsémissions dede gazgaz àà effeteffet dede serre afinafin dede jugulerjuguler lele réchauffementréchauffement climatique.climatique.

D'après GlobalGlobal Footprint, enen 2030, si lesles émissionsémissions mondialesmondiales dede CO2 nene diminuentdiminuent pas,pas, l'humanité auraaura engloutienglouti sonson "budget"budget écologique"écologique" dèsdès lele 28 juin.juin.

TheThe youngyoung orangutanorangutan lookslooks backback atat herher rescuersrescuers beforebefore clamberingclambering overover herher steelsteel cagecage andand intointo thethe trees,trees, swingingswinging fromfrom handhand toto handhand andand hanginghanging upside down.down.

Five-year-old primateprimate Elaine, coveredcovered inin fuzzyfuzzy cinnamon-coloured hair,hair, waswas oneone ofof twotwo critically endangeredendangered Sumatran OrangutansOrangutans releasedreleased backback intointo thethe wildwild Tuesday.Tuesday.

BothBoth femalefemale apesapes werewere rescuedrescued afterafter beingbeing keptkept asas petspets byby villagersvillagers inin Aceh provinceprovince onon Sumatra island.island.

Elaine andand four-year-old Reipok Rere spentspent nearlynearly twotwo yearsyears learninglearning toto fendfend forfor themselvesthemselves atat aa rehabilitation centrecentre andand "forest"forest school"school" beforebefore beingbeing returnedreturned toto thethe wildwild atat Pinus Jantho ForestForest Reserve.Reserve.

TheThe healthyhealthy pairpair havehave joinedjoined nearlynearly 120 otherother orangutansorangutans freedfreed fromfrom captivitycaptivity atat thethe conservationconservation site,site, saidsaid thethe Aceh naturalnatural resourcesresources conservationconservation agency.agency.

TheThe rescuerescue isis aa rarerare spotspot ofof brightbright newsnews forfor thethe critically endangeredendangered species,species, whichwhich hashas seenseen itsits habitathabitat shrinkshrink drastically overover thethe pastpast fewfew decadesdecades largelylargely duedue toto thethe destructiondestruction ofof forestsforests forfor logging,logging, paper,paper, palmpalm oiloil andand mining.mining.

AA stringstring ofof fatalfatal attacksattacks onon thethe greatgreat apesapes inin recentrecent hashas beenbeen blamedblamed onon farmersfarmers andand hunters.hunters.

PlantationPlantation workersworkers andand villagersvillagers areare sometimessometimes knownknown toto attackattack thethe animalanimal becausebecause theythey seesee itit asas aa pest,pest, whilewhile poacherspoachers alsoalso capturecapture themthem toto sellsell asas pets.pets.

InIn thethe forestforest undergrowthundergrowth ofof northernnorthern Corsica, twotwo wildlifewildlife rangersrangers openopen aa cagecage toto revealreveal aa striped,striped, tawny-coated animal,animal, oneone ofof 16 felinesfelines knownknown asas "cat-foxes" inin thethe areaarea andand thoughtthought toto bebe aa newnew species.species.

"We"We believebelieve thatthat it'sit's aa wildwild naturalnatural speciesspecies whichwhich waswas knownknown butbut notnot scientifically identifiedidentified becausebecause it'sit's anan extremelyextremely inconspicuousinconspicuous animalanimal withwith nocturnalnocturnal habits,"habits," sayssays Pierre Benedetti, chiefchief environmentalenvironmental techniciantechnician ofof thethe NationalNational HuntingHunting andand WildlifeWildlife OfficeOffice (ONCFS).

"It's"It's aa wonderfulwonderful discovery,"discovery," hehe tellstells AFP, holdingholding thethe felinefeline -- calledcalled "Ghjattu volpe" inin Corsican -- foundfound inin Asco forestforest onon thethe FrenchFrench MediterraneanMediterranean island.island.

WhileWhile resemblingresembling aa domesticdomestic catcat inin somesome ways,ways, thethe ring-tailed felinefeline measuresmeasures 90 centimetrescentimetres (35 inches)inches) fromfrom headhead toto tail,tail, hashas "very"very wide"wide" ears,ears, shortshort whiskerswhiskers andand "highly"highly developed"developed" caninecanine teeth.teeth.

OtherOther distinguishingdistinguishing featuresfeatures includeinclude thethe stripesstripes onon thethe frontfront legs,legs, "very"very dark"dark" hindhind legslegs andand aa russetrusset stomach.stomach. TheThe dense,dense, silkysilky coatcoat isis aa naturalnatural repellentrepellent forfor fleas,fleas, ticksticks andand lice.lice.

TheThe tailtail usuallyusually hashas twotwo toto fourfour ringsrings andand aa blackblack tip.tip.

"It's"It's theirtheir sizesize andand theirtheir tailtail thatthat earnedearned themthem thethe namename 'cat-fox' acrossacross thethe island,"island," sayssays Benedetti.

TheThe animalsanimals areare foundfound inin aa remoteremote habitathabitat wherewhere therethere isis "water"water andand plantplant covercover offeringoffering protectionprotection againstagainst itsits mainmain predator,predator, thethe goldengolden eagle,"eagle," sayssays Carlu-Antone Cecchini, ONCFS fieldfield agentagent inin chargecharge ofof forestforest cats.cats.

UsingUsing nonviolentnonviolent methods,methods, thethe ONCFS hashas sincesince 2016 capturedcaptured 12 ofof 16 felinesfelines seenseen inin thethe area,area, releasingreleasing themthem againagain afterafter aa quickquick examination.examination.

Now,Now, theythey say,say, theythey hopehope toto havehave "this"this catcat recognised andand protected"protected" withinwithin twotwo toto fourfour years.years.

- LegendLegend hashas itit -

"The"The cat-fox isis partpart ofof ourour shepherdshepherd mythology.mythology. FromFrom generationgeneration toto generation,generation, theythey toldtold storiesstories ofof howhow thethe forestforest catscats wouldwould attackattack thethe uddersudders ofof theirtheir ewesewes andand goats,"goats," sayssays Cecchini.

AfterAfter yearsyears ofof playingplaying catcat andand mouse,mouse, oneone ofof thethe animalsanimals "was"was caughtcaught unexpectedly inin 2008 inin aa chickenchicken coopcoop atat Olcani inin CapCap Corse," sayssays Benedetti, whowho hashas beenbeen researchingresearching thethe speciesspecies forfor moremore thanthan 10 years.years.

ResearchResearch gotgot underunder wayway and,and, inin 2012, withwith thethe helphelp ofof aa methodmethod involvinginvolving essenceessence attractiveattractive toto catscats andand aa woodenwooden stickstick whichwhich theythey rubrub againstagainst leavingleaving tracestraces ofof theirtheir fur,fur, theythey werewere ableable toto determinedetermine itsits geneticgenetic make-up.make-up.

"By"By lookinglooking atat itsits DNA,DNA, wewe couldcould telltell itit apartapart fromfrom thethe EuropeanEuropean wildcat,wildcat, Felis silvestris silvestris. It'sIt's closeclose toto thethe AfricanAfrican forestforest cat,cat, Felis silvestris lybica, butbut itsits exactexact identityidentity isis stillstill toto bebe determined,"determined," Benedetti adds.adds.

WithWith advancedadvanced photographicphotographic andand laterlater physicalphysical traps,traps, thethe researchersresearchers capturedcaptured theirtheir firstfirst "cat-fox" inin 2016.

ThereThere areare stillstill manymany mysteriesmysteries surroundingsurrounding thethe cat.cat.

ItsIts dietdiet andand reproductivereproductive patternspatterns areare yetyet toto bebe studiedstudied butbut Benedetti hashas aa theorytheory thatthat thethe catcat couldcould havehave beenbeen broughtbrought toto Corsica byby farmersfarmers 6,500 yearsyears BC.BC.

"If"If thethe hypothesishypothesis isis true,true, itsits originsorigins areare MiddleMiddle Eastern,"Eastern," hehe says.says.

TheThe identificationidentification chipchip inin thethe neckneck ofof thethe animalanimal beingbeing shownshown toto AFP helpshelps revealreveal thatthat itit isis aa malemale ofof betweenbetween fourfour andand sixsix yearsyears old,old, alreadyalready caughtcaught aa fewfew timestimes beforebefore andand hashas aa damageddamaged eyeeye causedcaused byby aa fightfight withwith anotheranother male.male.

AfterAfter examination,examination, thethe catcat withwith oneone greengreen eyeeye andand oneone brownbrown eyeeye isis freefree toto go,go, leavingleaving behindbehind itsits GPSGPS collarcollar withwith 80 days'days' data.data.

Ecuador PresidentPresident Lenin Moreno insistedinsisted TuesdayTuesday thethe UnitedUnited StatesStates wouldwould notnot bebe installinginstalling aa militarymilitary basebase onon thethe Galapagos Islands,Islands, aa dayday afterafter thethe governmentgovernment revealedrevealed thatthat AmericanAmerican aircraftaircraft wouldwould bebe ableable toto useuse anan airstripairstrip there.there.

"There"There areare not,not, nornor willwill therethere be,be, foreignforeign militarymilitary basesbases inin thethe country,"country," Moreno wrotewrote onon Twitter,Twitter, expressingexpressing hishis commitmentcommitment toto preservingpreserving thethe Galapagos Islands.Islands.

DefenseDefense MinisterMinister Oswaldo Jarrin causedcaused aa stirstir onon MondayMonday whenwhen hehe revealedrevealed thatthat anan airair surveillancesurveillance agreementagreement signedsigned withwith Washington wouldwould allowallow USUS planesplanes toto refuelrefuel oror temporarily bebe stationedstationed atat thethe San Cristobal airport.airport.

Jarrin saidsaid thosethose planesplanes wouldwould bebe takingtaking partpart inin surveillancesurveillance toto combatcombat drugdrug traffickingtrafficking andand illegalillegal fishing,fishing, butbut wouldwould onlyonly useuse thethe airstripairstrip "once"once aa month,month, forfor nono moremore thanthan threethree days."days."

Moreno stressedstressed thatthat "aerial"aerial surveillancesurveillance isis aa jointjoint activityactivity betweenbetween severalseveral countriescountries toto protectprotect thisthis worldworld heritage"heritage" sitesite thatthat lieslies aroundaround 1,000 kilometers (600 miles)miles) offoff Ecuador's PacificPacific coast.coast.

"Peace,"Peace, sovereigntysovereignty andand nationalnational securitysecurity areare ourour legacy,"legacy," addedadded thethe president.president.

Jarrin hadhad beenbeen calledcalled beforebefore Congress'Congress' internationalinternational relationsrelations commissioncommission toto explainexplain thethe USUS agreement,agreement, whilewhile severalseveral lawmakerslawmakers voicedvoiced concernsconcerns overover Ecuador's sovereigntysovereignty andand thethe impactimpact onon thethe environment.environment.

TheThe Galapagos IslandsIslands areare bestbest knownknown forfor theirtheir uniqueunique floraflora andand fauna,fauna, whichwhich inspiredinspired naturalistnaturalist Charles Darwin toto writewrite hishis landmarklandmark 1859 studystudy onon evolution,evolution, "On"On thethe OriginOrigin ofof Species."Species."

TheyThey areare homehome toto speciesspecies ofof tortoises,tortoises, iguanas,iguanas, birdsbirds andand fishfish foundfound nowherenowhere else.else.

Ecuador's constitution,constitution, adoptedadopted inin 2008, prohibitsprohibits thethe installationinstallation ofof foreignforeign militarymilitary basesbases inin thethe country.country.

Moreno's predecessor,predecessor, Rafael Correa decideddecided inin 2007 notnot toto extendextend beyondbeyond 2009 thethe leaselease ofof aa USUS basebase inin thethe Manta fishingfishing port,port, whichwhich waswas usedused toto carrycarry outout anti-drug traffickingtrafficking flights.flights.

However,However, sincesince lastlast September,September, USUS planesplanes startedstarted takingtaking offoff fromfrom thethe southwestern coastalcoastal towntown ofof Guayaquil onon missionsmissions toto combatcombat drugdrug traffickingtrafficking andand illegalillegal fishingfishing followingfollowing aa newnew pactpact signedsigned betweenbetween Quito andand Washington.

RelationsRelations betweenbetween thethe twotwo countriescountries werewere tensetense duringduring socialistsocialist Correa's decadedecade inin powerpower fromfrom 2007-17 butbut havehave improvedimproved sincesince Moreno tooktook over.over.

Correa hashas livedlived inin Belgium sincesince 2017 andand sourcessources closeclose toto thethe formerformer presidentpresident claimclaim hehe hashas requestedrequested politicalpolitical asylumasylum there.there.

HeHe isis wantedwanted inin hishis homelandhomeland onon suspicionsuspicion ofof kidnapping,kidnapping, aa chargecharge hehe hashas dismisseddismissed asas "political"political persecution."persecution."

AA leadingleading conservationconservation groupgroup hashas warnedwarned ofof surgingsurging elephantelephant poachingpoaching inin partsparts ofof Botswana andand estimatedestimated nearlynearly 400 werewere killedkilled acrossacross thethe countrycountry inin 2017 andand 2018, accordingaccording toto aa reportreport publishedpublished Thursday,Thursday, addingadding toto conservationconservation concerns.concerns.

TheThe ElephantsElephants WithoutWithout BordersBorders researchresearch inin thethe scientificscientific journaljournal "Current"Current Biology"Biology" willwill likelylikely increaseincrease pressurepressure onon Botswana, whichwhich lastlast monthmonth sparkedsparked sparkedsparked controversycontroversy byby liftinglifting itsits banban onon huntinghunting sayingsaying itit wouldwould helphelp controlcontrol aa boomingbooming populationpopulation thatthat waswas damagingdamaging farmers'farmers' livelihoods.livelihoods.

Thursday'sThursday's reportreport notednoted aa 593 percentpercent increaseincrease inin freshfresh elephantelephant carcassescarcasses inin thethe northnorth ofof thethe countrycountry sincesince 2014, withwith manymany ofof thesethese foundfound clusteredclustered inin fivefive northernnorthern "hotspots".

"This"This evidenceevidence suggestssuggests thatthat ivoryivory poachingpoaching onon thethe scalescale ofof hundredshundreds ofof elephantselephants perper yearyear hashas beenbeen occurringoccurring inin northernnorthern Botswana sincesince 2017 oror possiblypossibly earlier,"earlier," thethe reportreport said.said.

EWB lastlast yearyear saidsaid itit hadhad identifiedidentified nearlynearly 90 elephantselephants thoughtthought toto havehave beenbeen poachedpoached afterafter anan aerialaerial survey,survey, aa numbernumber thatthat waswas vigorously contestedcontested byby thethe government.government.

TheThe expandedexpanded studystudy publishedpublished onon ThursdayThursday estimatedestimated thatthat somesome 385 elephantselephants werewere killedkilled forfor theirtheir tuskstusks betweenbetween 2017 andand 2018, withwith 156 confirmedconfirmed asas beingbeing poachedpoached lastlast yearyear alone.alone.

EWB founderfounder DrDr Michael Chase,Chase, aa co-authorco-author ofof thethe report,report, saidsaid thethe latestlatest researchresearch waswas "indisputable"indisputable andand supportssupports ourour warningwarning thatthat elephantelephant bullsbulls areare beingbeing killedkilled byby poachingpoaching gangs".gangs".

Botswana officialsofficials werewere notnot availableavailable forfor commentcomment onon thethe latestlatest research.research.

TheThe country,country, whichwhich hashas thethe largestlargest elephantelephant populationpopulation inin Africa, hashas previouslypreviously beenbeen aa havenhaven forfor elephantselephants withwith "little"little poachingpoaching reported"reported" thethe reportreport said,said, notingnoting thatthat researchersresearchers hadhad notnot observedobserved anyany poachedpoached carcassescarcasses inin aa 2014 survey.survey.

ButBut itsits 2018 surveysurvey overover aa 94,000 squaresquare kilometrekilometre (36,000 squaresquare miles)miles) areaarea foundfound 94 recentrecent carcassescarcasses andand 62 olderolder onesones thatthat researchersresearchers verifiedverified asas havinghaving beenbeen poached.poached.

TheThe researchersresearchers diddid howeverhowever findfind thatthat elephantelephant populationspopulations hadhad remainedremained broadlybroadly stablestable betweenbetween 2014 andand 2018, atat aroundaround 122,700.

LastLast month,month, Botswana PresidentPresident Mokgweetsi Masisi liftedlifted thethe country'scountry's five-year banban onon elephantelephant hunting,hunting, citingciting increasingincreasing "conflicts"conflicts betweenbetween humanshumans andand elephants".elephants".

ThisThis decisiondecision provokedprovoked anan outcryoutcry fromfrom environmentalenvironmental protectionprotection organisations.

Botswana's abundantabundant wildlifewildlife hashas mademade itit aa popularpopular luxuryluxury safarisafari destinationdestination andand tourismtourism isis thethe secondsecond fastestfastest growinggrowing sectorsector ofof thethe country'scountry's economyeconomy afterafter diamonddiamond mining.mining.

Australia approvedapproved ThursdayThursday thethe constructionconstruction ofof aa controversialcontroversial coalcoal minemine nearnear thethe GreatGreat BarrierBarrier Reef,Reef, pavingpaving thethe wayway forfor aa dramaticdramatic andand unfashionableunfashionable increaseincrease inin coalcoal exports.exports.

Queensland's governmentgovernment saidsaid itit hadhad acceptedaccepted aa groundwatergroundwater managementmanagement planplan forfor thethe Indian-owned Adani Carmichael minemine -- thethe lastlast majormajor legallegal hurdlehurdle beforebefore constructionconstruction cancan begin.begin.

TheThe project,project, fiercely debateddebated forfor almostalmost aa decade,decade, comescomes asas investorsinvestors andand eveneven energyenergy companiescompanies areare movingmoving awayaway fromfrom fossilfossil fuelsfuels amidamid concernconcern aboutabout thethe climate.climate.

OpponentsOpponents warnwarn itit willwill createcreate aa newnew generationgeneration ofof coalcoal exportsexports -- whichwhich willwill bebe burnedburned inin India andand ChinaChina -- contributingcontributing toto furtherfurther degradedegrade thethe planet.planet.

TheThe vastvast openopen cutcut minemine isis slatedslated toto produceproduce upup toto 60 millionmillion tonnestonnes ofof coalcoal aa year,year, boostingboosting Australia's alreadyalready vastvast exportsexports byby aroundaround 20 percent.percent.

CoupledCoupled withwith thethe constructionconstruction ofof aa railwayrailway link,link, itit couldcould openopen upup aa swatheswathe ofof Queensland toto furtherfurther exploitation andand newnew miningmining projects.projects.

"If"If allall thethe coalcoal inin thethe Galilee BasinBasin isis burntburnt itit wouldwould produceproduce 705 millionmillion tonnestonnes ofof climateclimate pollutionpollution eacheach year,year, whichwhich isis moremore thanthan 1.3 timestimes Australia's annualannual pollutionpollution fromfrom allall sources,sources, includingincluding cars,cars, industry,industry, energyenergy andand agriculture,"agriculture," saidsaid thethe AustralianAustralian ConservationConservation Foundation.Foundation.

InIn thethe emissionsemissions stakes,stakes, Australia isis aa minnowminnow comparedcompared toto thethe bellowingbellowing economieseconomies ofof ChinaChina oror thethe UnitedUnited States.States.

ButBut itsits rolerole asas thethe world'sworld's largestlargest coalcoal exporterexporter givesgives thethe countrycountry outsizedoutsized influenceinfluence inin thethe climateclimate stakes.stakes.

ConservationistsConservationists alsoalso saysay thethe minemine threatensthreatens locallocal vulnerablevulnerable speciesspecies andand meansmeans coalcoal willwill havehave toto bebe shippedshipped fromfrom aa portport nearnear thethe WorldWorld Heritage-listed BarrierBarrier Reef.Reef.

SupportersSupporters saysay itit willwill bringbring thousandsthousands ofof much-needed jobsjobs toto ruralrural Queensland.

- PoliticsPolitics andand marketmarket forcesforces -

Adani indicatedindicated constructionconstruction workwork wouldwould beginbegin withinwithin daysdays andand lastlast aroundaround twotwo years,years, allowingallowing thethe firstfirst lumplump ofof coalcoal toto bebe soldsold aroundaround 2021.

"We"We areare lookinglooking forwardforward toto gettinggetting going,"going," saidsaid locallocal companycompany executiveexecutive Lucas Dow.

Thursday'sThursday's decisiondecision drawsdraws aa lineline underunder aa rancorousrancorous debate,debate, whichwhich reachedreached boilingboiling pointpoint duringduring thethe latestlatest AustralianAustralian generalgeneral election.election.

ThatThat votevote tooktook placeplace amidamid discussiondiscussion ofof brutalbrutal droughts,droughts, floodsfloods andand wildfireswildfires thatthat hadhad highlightedhighlighted thethe country'scountry's susceptibilitysusceptibility toto climateclimate change.change.

VictoryVictory forfor thethe incumbentincumbent conservativeconservative LiberalLiberal PartyParty hadhad virtuallyvirtually assuredassured thethe projectproject wouldwould gogo ahead.ahead.

InIn Queensland, votersvoters swungswung hardhard toto thethe governmentgovernment fearingfearing aa LaborLabor governmentgovernment wouldwould curbcurb miningmining projectsprojects andand costcost themthem jobs.jobs.

Still,Still, debatedebate isis likelylikely toto continuecontinue -- andand somesome believebelieve thethe minemine isis notnot yetyet aa certainty.certainty.

WhileWhile thethe Queensland statestate approvalapproval willwill permitpermit preliminarypreliminary construction,construction, thethe firmfirm mustmust obtainobtain somesome federalfederal approvalsapprovals beforebefore itit cancan beginbegin extractingextracting coal.coal.

TheThe companycompany willwill alsoalso stillstill havehave toto contendcontend withwith lowlow coalcoal pricesprices andand aa globalglobal shiftshift toto renewablerenewable energy,energy, whichwhich couldcould makemake thethe projectproject lessless profitable.profitable.

FinancingFinancing hashas alreadyalready beenbeen aa problem,problem, withwith thethe companycompany rejectedrejected byby manymany fossil-fuel-wary institutionsinstitutions andand forcedforced toto fundfund itself.itself.

OnOn WednesdayWednesday Norway's US$1 trilliontrillion sovereignsovereign wealthwealth fundfund -- thethe world'sworld's largestlargest -- becamebecame thethe latestlatest investorinvestor toto announceannounce aa withdrawalwithdrawal fromfrom stocksstocks likelike Australian-linked BHP andand Rio Tinto.

ButBut Adani -- ownedowned byby billionairebillionaire IndianIndian businessmanbusinessman Gautam Adani -- hashas beenbeen determineddetermined toto presspress ahead.ahead.

"The"The wayway wewe havehave configuredconfigured thethe minemine andand futurefuture plansplans makemake economiceconomic sense,"sense," insistedinsisted Dow. "It"It willwill endureendure throughthrough thethe priceprice volatility typicallytypically ourour industryindustry sees."sees."