Rio Tinto on Campus and why YOU should care
Lately you might have seen a bit of environmental activism around campus with the messaging around Rio Tinto off campus, but what does that mean?
Rio Tinto is an Anglo-Australian mining company which is a major contributor to climate change, also known for their destruction of an ancient Indigenous historical site in Juukan Gorge. They own a plot of land with a research facility hidden at the back of La Trobe so we can't see what our VCH’s really think of the climate crisis. This comes as the university will consistently try to sell a greenwashed and progressive agenda shining the spotlight onto things like installing hand dryers instead of directly addressing one of the biggest polluters and contributors to the climate crisis owning a piece of land on our campus.
Located at 1 Research Ave, Bundoora VIC 3083, hidden away at the back of our leafy campus sits a research facility for Rio Tinto. Rio Tinto is one of the biggest polluters in the world and though they will try to sell you that they are the future of renewable energy they have consistently ignored countries environmental protocols when mining in their land with the company being condemned and divested from by the Norwegian government for their action in the Grasberg mine, Indonesia. Not just this but they make up one of the 100 companies as found by the Guardian, that commit 71% of all the pollution in the world. All the while they contribute in such a massive way to our climate crisis, they benefit from our stem students' time and labour researching in their facility. We as students shouldn’t just have to accept the constant greenwash and actionless words from the University.
Rio Tinto Destruction Historical Site:
The first nations people of this country are a part of one of the oldest and longest continuing cultures in human history. In 2020 an expansion of the Brockman 4 mine was planned to run into a historical site located in the Juukan Gorge. Despite calls from local indigenous groups such as PKKP (Puutu Kunti Kurrama people) Aboriginal Corporation to not demolish the site, Rio Tinto went ahead anyway with the expansion and destroyed the site. Rio Tinto later apologized, and the CEO and two executives of the company resigned in response. An apology was issued only after they destroyed the site to exploit value from the land, an action which requires an apology should not be repeated, but Rio Tinto have shown repeatedly that they do not care for local people's values but the profits of their shareholders.
2021 Serbian protests and links to Bundoora research facility
The 2021–2022 Serbian environmental protests centered around Rio Tinto building mines in the Jadar Valley despite mass protests and outcry from the people of Serbia the Rio Tinto went ahead with a project that environmental groups across the world condemned for being ecologically exploitative. This basis for the mine opening was studied and researched here at La Trobe. While the world is warming, we have a facility on our campus which has contributed to destabilizing foreign countries with environmental exploitation and destruction. We as students should not stand idly by while we watch companies and governments with little regard for the environment tell us it's okay or for our own personal responsibility to figure out while a handful of companies contribute to 70% of our world's emissions.
Rio Tinto should not have a place on campus while they continue to exploit the environment for their own gain while majorly contributing to the climate crisis that we face. You as a student have power in your voice and if you want to show your support and join the fight for climate change get in contact with the La Trobe Student Union and their Social Justice Officers.
If you want to join the fight for climate justice sign up here, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/10MGuNjnTlusQFrqY86naJV2R7H3uWmdtTKNTCufvNdI/edit#responses