Lord Soley throws a strop

By Richard on 07/03/2008
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Lord Soley

The House of Lords is a rarefied place, where quiet debate is the order of the day, and ne'er a voice gets raised. Until, that is, Lord Soley of Hammersmith weighed into a gentlemanly debate about Heathrow's expansion.

Lord Berkeley began the debate, with the reasonable question, "Following the end of the consultation period, what are their latest plans for the third runway at Heathrow?" and the Minister, Lord Bassam, was giving the usual waffle about "strict local environmental limits" and what-not. Into the fray charged Soley, who, having declared an interest as the head of pro-expansion group Future Heathrow, said angrily:

"Organisations such as the Sunday Times and the Independent that are campaigning for the closure of Heathrow... might also stop doing irresponsible things such as giving details of how to get on to the roof of the Houses of Parliament and how to join organisations that want to do so."

Stating the obvious: pilots back expansion

By Richard on 06/03/2008
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Top gun

Are you sitting comfortably? If not, you might want to sit down for this one, because it's a shocker. Apparently pilots would like another runway at Heathrow!

Nope, I didn't expect that one either. I mean, who'd have thought it? It's almost as left-field as arms dealers voting for a war, or the government awarding itself another pay rise. You wouldn't see that coming either, would you?

Apparently pilots have been doing special flight path maneouvres to reduce emissions, and are "using their professional skills in a number of other ways to minimise fuel consumption, cut emissions and reduce noise." Sounds great guys, but it's just greenwash. How about leaving the planes at home, eh? That's the only sure-fire way to cut emissions...

"We are not impressed"

By Anonymous on 06/03/2008
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Lalala

Not us talking, but the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, in a report published today which roasts the government's record on a host of green issues. What they are so particularly unimpressed by in the above quote is the Treasury's half-baked explanation for their refusal to even work out how much the VAT tax rebate to aviation is actually worth each year.

Since its inception in 1997, with a mandate to keep a watch on the Treasury's progress towards keeping its promises on climate change and the environment, the EAC has been an annoying voice of reason within the House of Commons. Why can't they ever say anything nice? Oh wait, no I get it. Today's report has plenty of interesting criticisms to make of the Treasury's many diverse and abject failings with regards to climate change, but the Committee seems especially underwhelmed by this government's approach to the problem posed by aviation emissions. As they've been saying for years now, "Aviation is the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, its contribution to global warming is enhanced through releasing emissions at altitude, its growth is being fuelled by largely inessential journeys (especially short-haul journeys, where there are rail alternatives), and it is very lightly taxed (notably aviation fuel is untaxed internationally)."

Plane Stupid Gloucestershire: Staverton airport expansion plans dropped

By Richard on 04/03/2008
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Staverton airport 1

Plane Stupid campaigners joined forces with the Green Party and South West Air Action at the Gloucestershire County Council Scrutiny Committee meeting, succesfully forcing Cheltenham Council to abandon their expansion plans for Staverton / Gloucestershire airport.

The Council had tried to keep its plans secret, declaring that their review of the expansion proposal for Gloucestershire Airport closed to the press and public. The airport expansion proposals had been accepted by the Cheltenham Council Scrutiny committee, who along with Gloucester Council own the airport. Campaigners expexted another rubber stamping excercise. Not to be daunted, 20 protesters turned up determined to hear the debate - and made their contributions during an unprecedented question time.

Edinburgh airport: runway climate change

By Anonymous on 03/03/2008
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Plane Stupid Scotland logo

It’s official now. Whilst BAA are busying themselves with "community consultations" regarding Edinburgh airport expansion, Ryanair have been signing the contracts and smoothing the runways for their expansion in 2008-9. Last week the BBC News reported that Ryanair is investing £70 million in expansion at Edinburgh airport over the coming year.

I imagine the communities around the airport, in the pathway of the runways and the pollution, have been notified. The announcement included the aim of creating 1,200 new jobs. But for those who cringe upon hearing well-rehearsed company lines of ‘economic boost’ without any thought on social and environmental implications these arguments may not sit comfortably. Indeed, for all those who hold any stake in the health of Scotland, what we are left thinking is this:

Thank you for flying

By Anonymous on 03/03/2008
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Thank you for flying

Amongst last week's astonishingly supportive media carnival, there could be heard a lonely voice denouncing our actions on the roof of the Commons. That voice belonged to Michelle Di Leo, of comedy aviation industry lobby group Flying Matters.

Flying Matters are the leading purveyors here in the UK of the kind of 'discourse' analysed by the boffins in my last blog; in some respects they are a bit like Plane Stupid's Evil Twins, regularly popping up in the papers and on telly saying outlandish things in support of their industry's expansion plans. Like the luminaries celebrated in the 2005 feature film Thank You For Smoking, Flying Matters' main purpose is to mislead policy-makers and the public about the harm caused by their client industry.