I know I am supposed to be getting on with my Forest School portfolio, but I HAD to post about this!
Go-ahead for new Heathrow runway
Unbelievable. Simply unbelievable.
Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon has announced government approval for a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport.The plan is for a new runway, allowing the annual number of take-offs and landings to increase to 605,000 by 2020 and 720,000 by 2030 - up from 480,000 today. The development would result in the loss of around 700 homes, including the entire community of Sipson and Heathrow Primary School.
According to Sir David King, former chief scientific adviser to the government, the runway would over time come to be seen as a 'white elephant'. Long before investment in it were repaid, demand for flying will have fallen away as pressure to reduce carbon increases and competition with other forms of travel grows. The downturn is already forcing people to find substitutes for air travel. This pattern will continue, he suggests.
A Greater London Authority (GLA) report suggested Heathrow would even now breach the EU regulations on levels of Nitrous Oxide due to come into force in 2010. Extra flights would only make this worse.
Even the Environment Agency admits that with a third runway, Heathrow would breach these limits.
The GLA study also found that the airport would breach noise pollution limits as a result of the extra flights.
Heathrow generates 50% of UK aviation emissions. This makes 6% of total emissions, according to Department for Transport figures.
A third runway could mean an extra 200,000 flights a year over London.
Why should aviation capacity be increased indefinitely? When will those in power wake up to the realities of Climate Change? Why should you or I have our lives blighted by the effects of Climate Change, why should poor souls in pacific islands or Bangladesh or wherever be flooded out of their homes by rising sea water?
Greenpeace are asking people to contact the Prime Minister, via their website, and express their opinion.
I have just done so.
Want to join me?
love, Compostwoman x
Grrrr it's crazy isn't it! I've been watching it on the news a lot to day. I just can't see how they can justify it? :( That poor village that'll be all but wiped out by it...madness!
ReplyDeleteAlthough I found it hard to write the letter well, I did it as honestly as I could. Hope we can get a good result for this one. There's a lot counting on it!
ReplyDeletehen
xxx
Well done! We can but try.....
ReplyDeleteI found it hard to be polite, but ( eventually) I managed it.
;-)
I am so angry! the decision made by the government is pure insanity and I have pointed this out in my letter, along with a few other (politely choice) statements regarding this decision. It infuriates me that most of us are doing our level best to improve our carbon footprints and yet the 'government' seem to be doing just the opposite... grrrrrrrrr!!!!
ReplyDeleteAnyway..(deep breath, angry subsiding!!) letter is sent.
Love Jane xxx
As I said, we can but try...I am so angry STILL! I thought I would have calmed down a bit by now...but I have not.
ReplyDeleteI volunteer for a govt quango funded scheme to reduce carbon emissions by composting, I give freely of my time to run a club for children and teach them about organic gardening, all things promoted by central govt and then they do THIS!?
WHF? Where is the joined up thinking in this?
(cue hollow laughter.....)
Glad to know our government here in Slovenia is not the only one that goes crazy!!
ReplyDeleteAnd sorry to hear about the extra bad things being planned..
Here too they help fund small schemes to teach kids to be better etc. (with small-scale money too..) and then go build incinerators or nuclear plants or such!!.. or issue directives to have all sandwiches for kids individually wrapped in plastic or such!!
So, let's hope for some sanity on an international level..
Love reading your blog!! keep it up!!
found you via Myzerowaste.com!!
Welcome Layla :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for calling by, its not a good decision, is it?