Issue and Opponent: Australia’s Whitehaven Coal Company continued to support coal mining, which is detrimental to the environment. A project of theirs, the coal project in Maules Creek, had already drawn years of community outcry and protest due to the damage caused to the Leard State Forest and numerous cultural sites around the county.
Dilemma Action: Activist Jonathan Moylan sent out a fake email wiping out close to $314 million of Whitehaven Coal’s stock value. He wrote the email falsely claiming that the company withdrew its $1.2 billion loan to the Maules Creek coal project.
Outcome: Jonathan Moylan pled guilty to the charges, of which he was offered a $1000 recognizance if he maintained good behavior for two years. There was a negative result as the construction went along anyway.