Reshuffle paves the way for Aviation expansion.

UK Climate Policy is in a unique situation in that the overall aim: emissions reductions of 80% by 2050 is already written into law. During times of economic difficulty when Growth is THE issue it is significant that policy out of political fasihion is given some support by a legally binding emissions reduction law.

Exactly how much the support UK Climate Change Act provides environmentalists with is about to be tested. Cabinet has just be reshuffled and Justine Greening the Transport Secretary with an anti-heathrow expansion position is on here way out while and old coal miner from the north of england is on his way in.


There is a lot of history in the battle over aviation and climate change (past blog coverage here). And it looks likely that this fight is back on. I wonder how much of this battle is going to be over planning concerns and how much is going to come down to the inherent incompatibility between airport expansion and the govornments legally binding emissions targets.

1. Can The UK Fly More Without Breaking Climate Change Targets? (Guardian 6th Sep 2012)
2. Boris Johnson's Heathrow warning after Justine Greening's move (BBC, 4th Sep 2012)

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

UK aviation policy and climate change.

A quick update on aviation and climate change.

Two relavent reports came out at the end of 2009. Most importantly the Committee on Climate Change report on aviation, but also, the Transport select committee report.

1. Committee on Climate Change Report "Meeting the UK Aviation Target"
2. House of Commons Transport Select Committee "The Future of Aviation"

More globally we have a policy measures update from the Pew Centre for Global Climate Change and an update on the latests climate science pertaining to aviation.

1. Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Aviation and Marine Transportation: Mitigation
   Potential and Policies, Pew Centre for Global Climate Change.
2. Aviation and global climate change in the 21st century.
   

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

June 1st Climate Rush: No New Coal, Trains not Planes

Several hundred climate change activists took part in a Pedal Power Bike Rush organised by the 'Climate Rush' around London yesterday evening (Monday 1 June 2009) demanding the UK government take effective action to counter climate change.


























Related:

• Evening Standard
• Indymedia

More on climate rush:

• Climate Rush Website
• Climate Rush Twitter
• Climate Rush Photos
  

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

UK Climate Policy?

Things are getting tough for Ed Miliband. It looks like fudging the issues isn't the same as providing leadership.

• Do you want nuclear power--asks industry? Pay for it, they say!
• Are you serious about climate change--ask climate campaigners? Dont give us a 70% polluting coal plant they demand!
• But that was easy, are you going to deal with transport emissions? Don't expand heathrow then!
  

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Richard Briers supports Airplot

Via Greenpeace

We've been busy building an allotment on the Airplot, and today Richard Briers came to help us open it and declare the third runway plans "lunacy".

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

EUROFLASHMOB : 6 Airports Across Europe!

The day of the Eurovision song contest: 12 noon, Saturday 16th May 2009

12 noon - on the dot! - flash your red t-shirt in the departures section of Heathrow Terminal 1

Flash Heathrow! Flash Paris! Flash Frankfurt! Flash Amsterdam! Flash Brussels! Flash Dublin!

Each airport will sing Eurovision classics from the past (song-sheets provided!)

Join us! Bring your friends, wear a red t-shirt, bring instruments, download your favourite eurovision song onto your ipod or phone, wear a silly hat or wig, dust off your dancing shoes! Let's party!

Now for the serious bit: airport expansion is seriously bad for local people, increased noise, air pollution, and especially the climate. The aviation industry want to expand airports across the UK and Europe, but opposition is huge, and the scientists are telling us we have to drastically cut emissions if we are to beat climate change. Flashmobs are a fun way to highlight the real opposition there is to expansion at airports across Europe. Here's another big chance to show our opposition to a 3rd runway at Heathrow.

See you in Departures at Terminal 1 at 12 noon on the dot!

All over by one o'clock.

Tell BAA to get in tune! No Third Runway!

www.euroflashmob.eu

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Hethrow Expansion Update

Two important developments with regards the planned expansion of Heathrow have occoured today.

Firstly, the govornments plan to spin and spin and get the expansion done, has been leaked:

Must read: govornment spin plan over heathrow leaked RT@greenpeaceuk http://tinyurl.com/cek8pv

Also, guardian has "Heathrow Runway Dealt Massive Blow":

Planning application cannot be lodged before general election, meaning Tories could scrap scheme.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Plane Stupid disrupt Aberdeen Airport (video)

3rd March - Nine young protesters from the climate action group Plane Stupid Scotland have this morning shut down Aberdeen airport by setting up a golf course on the taxiway. They have surrounded themselves with fortified security fencing whilst another group are occupying the roof of the terminal building and have unfurled a banner reading, “Nae Trump Games with Climate Change”.

The peaceful protest began at 02.15am this morning whilst the runway was closed. Plane Stupid aims to prevent the scheduled reopening of the runway at 5am. The group intends to maintain its blockade for as long as possible to prevent the release of thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Photos from heathrow demo.

I noticed that the story by AP covering the demo at downing street this week was associated by a photo which suggested it was a green party event, it wasnt.

Here is a set of photos giving and idea of who was there and what there message was.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Flying Matters 2009 Game Plane Leaked (PDF download)

A copy of Pro-Aviation lobby group flying matters has been leaked to Greenpeace.

The Greenpeace summary is here.

The document as a pdf is here.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Heathrow Expansion: Only if Labour Are Re-Elected

From John Stewart at HACAN:

BAA has confirmed that it will take them at least 18 months/2 years to work up detailed plans for a 3rd runway, a 6th terminal, any new approach roads, and the new flight paths which will be required. That means they will have nothing ready this side of the next General Election (due, at the latest, June 2010). And, as we know, both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats have said they would scrap plans for a 3rd runway, if elected. This was confirmed in the debate initiated by the Conservatives on 28th January.

So it looks like labour are going to risk there re-election simply for this runway, thats remarkably stupid...if i was being generous i`d say that the purely economic evidence is contested. Its a climate disaster and the local hate is so why are Labour soooo commited?

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

City Airport Demo--York Hall: Thurs 5th March

Fight the Flights, who oppose more flights at City Airport, will be holding a demo outside York Hall, 5-15 Old Ford Road, Bethnal Green E2 9PJ where the Mayor, who supported a 50% increase in flight numbers at City Airport, will be holding a People’s Question Time.

The time of the event: 7.00pm – 9.00pm (doors open at 6.00pm). The time of the demo is to be confirmed but is likely to around 5.30/6.00pm. Check our website. If you want to go in, book your tickets:


http://www.london.gov..uk/gla/pqt/20090305/

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Heathrow Demo: 5:30pm Thursday 19th Feb opposite Downing Street

3rd runway - no way !

Thursday 19th February 2009 5.30 to 7.00 pm

Opposite Downing Street (Westminster tube)

Speakers include John Mcdonnell MP, Susan Kramer MP, Jean Lambert MEP

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Ed Miliband and A Govornment of Hypocrites

The Plane Stupid activists dressed in t-shirts reading:

'Ed's Popular Mobilization Team'

referring to Miliband's call late last year for 'Popular Mobilization' on the issue of Climate Chang. Flyers listing the 34 airports planned for expansion within the UK were handed out to the audience, demonstrating the apparent lack of government resolve for tackling the environmental issues that are crucial for safe-guarding our future. Demonstrating their disapproval of the governments un-democratic pandering to corporate interests, the audience made paper aeroplanes, which took flight in the direction of Ed Miliband.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Anti- Heathrow campaigners to meet airport residents from Clydebank, Paisley, Cramond, Aberdeen.

Communities from all across Scotland are co-ordinating and mobilising to halt airport expansion, with a little help from the 'Heathrow Ladies.'

Key figures from the attention grabbling campaign against Heathrow expansion will be touring Scotland to meet with communities fighting expansion plans at Scotland's main airports.

Next week two of the 'Heathrow Ladies' – Maggie Thorburn and Geraldine Nicholson – will speak at public meetings in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

• Monday 16th February-Glasgow University Union Reading Room 1.00pm Clydebank Town Hall Lecture room 7.00pm
• Tuesday 17th February- Cramond Davidsons Mains Parish Church 7.00pm
• Wednesday 18th February-Edinburgh Chaplaincy Centre Bristo Square 6.30pm
• Thursday 19th February-Aberdeen Arts Centre 7.00pm

The tour has been organised by PlaneSpeaking .

The tour has been timed to coincide with scrutiny by the Scottish Parliament of the National lanning Framework which may give the green light to expansion at Glasgow, Edinburgh, berdeen and Prestwick airports.

PlaneSpeaking spokeswoman Tilly Gifford said,

"We are delighted that the 'Heathrow Ladies' are coming to Scotland. They will meet both local communities and activists, telling their stories and sharing their experiences."

Tilly added,

"Communities, environmental groups and individuals across the country have become frustrated with the refusal of those in power to acknowledge the impact of aviation expansion on climate change and the extra noise it will mean for so many local people. What will really interest people is the way that the Heathrow campaigners have developed a radical, high-profile campaign which many believe we see off the plans to build a third runway."

Geraldine Nicholson is a mother of three young children who will find herself living 100 yards from the third runway if it is built at Heathrow. Together with other local people, the majority of them women, she formed the No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG). Geraldine now chairs
the organisation. She will tell the story of how a group of localpeople have taken on the might of BAA.

Maggie Thorburn has lived under the flight path to Heathrow for nearly 30 years. During that time she has seen BAA and successive governments break a series of promises about expanding the airport. She will explain how the experience has radicalised her to the extent that, despite having a walking disability, she is prepared to take direct action to stop further expansion at Heathrow.

John Stewart, who chairs the coalition opposing expansion at Heathrow, will also be part of the tour for three days (Monday –Wednesday). Last year he was voted 'the UK's most effective environmentalist'.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Dye letters in the snow: spend the night in jail!

On Sunday 8th Feburary 2009 a radical attempt was made to spread a message. I say radical, based on the police response. Being arrested for trying to get a message across--how, i hear you say, where these delinquents communicating? Ehh, well, they had some food dye and they diluted it and they wrote thier message in the snow. And it wasnt the deadly yellow snow that Frank Zappa warned us all about, it was blue snow.

They had the teremity to write 'plane stupid' and 'you fly, they die' half a mile from the airport. We arent talking about runway invasion here, we are talking about a farce. In England that would be wrongful arrest, i`m not sure about north of the border.

Related:

1. Anti-aviation campaigns in scotland.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Climate Rush gets chained to Parliament

The govornment didnt want a vote on Heathrow. Previously Plane Stupid had been informed that 'decisions are made in the house of commons, noton the roof'. However, in reality a cushy backgrrom meeting between a couple of ministers and BAA is where decisions are really made...the govornment really dont want to let democracy mess up there plans.

This became somewhat more difficult when the concervatives put forward a proposal that the govornments airport plans be scrapped. So in the end, there was a vote of sorts...albeit with a 3 line whip, and several resignations; you cant be part of the govornment if you are voting against a 3 line whip. The govornment won by 16 votes.

Actions by both HACAN's early morning protest and the Climate Rush 10:30am...did however show to MP's that the pressure isnt going away. This airport isnt going to get built, at some point the govornment will accept that.

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Labour politicians 'not too pleased' about Heathrow.

News Flash: Labour Politicians are Developing a Conscience!

It's quite an interesting thing to see. Principled politicians. To be honest, this dosent suprise me as much as it suprises some people, but nice to see none the less.

Firstly, Labour MP Andy Slaughter, has quit his govornment job in order to continue his campaign against Heathrow.

Secondly, Labour councilor Cllr Mark Ereira-Guyernd is a party member member of over 20 years and he has given up trying to be a Labour MP swapping over to the Green Party.

Thirdly, Labour MP Virendra Sharma quit an unpaid government post to fight the plans.

These Labour Party members have set a great example for all those within the Labour Party who are opposed to Heathrows expansion. The next question is, will these MP's vote there conscience or there career. Labour Party whips have been strenuously trying to hold the party line.

[update: in the end, labour won the by 19 votes with only 28 of labour mp's who stated there opposition, voting that way]

Related:

• A good article in The Telegraph

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Statement on the reasons why i committed aggravated trespass at Stansted Airport

Home del.icio.us Digg This!

Land Purchase + Climate Rush Heathrow: Video

There where many developments in the battle against heathrow yesterday. The climate rush held a "dinner at departures".




Also a video by the Guardian

Then it was announced that Greenpeace had organised a purchase of a key piece of land needed for the construction of the third runway! The clever bit about this is that the ownership of the land is being futher subdevided and everyone has to be contacted before a compulsory purchase can be made.

Leo Murray of Plane Stupid was on Newsnight (21 min in) talking about the ongoing battle against govornment hipocrisy.

Meanwhile, a decision looks likely to be delayed as both cabinet ministers and Labour back benchers worry about re-election and increasing already high local pollution levels.

All in all i`d agree witht aviation website domain-b "heathrow expansion plans under seige"

Home del.icio.us Digg This!