Custard, not guacamole

By Joss on 06/03/2009
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I bet Mandy was wishing it was guacamole, but let’s be clear: it was green custard. Now bookies are taking bets as to what the next dessert will be (3:1 on spotted dick). Brown managed to keep the tone nice and light:

"If anybody doubted the greening of Peter Mandelson and his willingness to take the green agenda on his shoulders we've seen it in practice on our television screens already this morning."

Ho ho ho.

Don’t get us wrong, we can see the funny side. Well, actually we were rolling around in hilarity at the pictures. But there’s a serious point here: Mandy met his best mate Roland Rudd several times in the run up to the Heathrow decision. Rudd happens to be BAA’s top lobbyist. So what deals were struck? What happened on that yacht? And why is an unelected stooge of Big Carbon deciding our future?

Plane Stupid slimes Peter Mandelson

By Richard on 06/03/2009
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Source: Flickr

6th March - Early this morning a Plane Stupid activist covered Peter Mandelson in green custard to protest his involvement in the dodgy decision on a third Heathrow runway, as he arrived at a government summit on low-carbon technology.

Leila Deen, 29, said:

"That such a clearly corrupt human being is still in government, despite being unelected, is an affront to democracy and a threat to any hope we have of stopping the impact that climate change is already beginning to have on our lives. We have a tiny window left to stop climate change. I want to tell my children that I did not stand back and applaud as Mandelson ruined our last chance."

Photos available on Plane Stupid's Flickr photostream. All photos licensed under Creative Commons.

Play Leila Deen - Custard Queen here...

"The only thing green about Peter Mandelson is the slime coursing through his veins. That Mandelson is today trying to make political capital out of climate change just days after reports that he met BAA's top lobbyist several times in the run up to the Heathrow decision is an insult to our intelligence and to our whole generation that will suffer from climate change."

"We know that Mandelson is best buddies with BAA's top lobbyist Roland Rudd, and reports suggest it was him who bullied Ed Miliband into accepting a third runway. We can't let the Prince of Darkness cast his shadow over West London."

Hoon 'hooned' in silly stunt

By Richard on 05/03/2009
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Geoff Hoon woke up yesterday and went out to give a speech to the Royal Society about the many solutions to aviation and climate change. The solution, of course, is to let everyone fly as much as they like, because technology would save us. Technology and the Emissions Trading Scheme, which, as he reminded his audience, is a real and effective cap on aviation emissions in Europe...

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The Secretary of State was cut off in mid-flow, as a loud honking noise blared out across the room. Up popped a young woman who apologised for making a racket. She'd rather foolishly forgotten to turn off her lie detector horn, which had picked up on Hoon's rather blatant fibbing. It wouldn't happen again, she promised.

Of course it did; other people in the audience had brought their lie detectors and these kept sounding as Hoon tried to give his speech. If only, he thought to himself, I'd remembered to tell the truth, instead of a bunch of nonsense that sounded good when Flying Matters told it to me. Maybe these silly stunts have a purpose after all...

Scottish blockaders up in court

By Mark H on 04/03/2009
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The nine protestors who were arrested at Aberdeen airport on Tuesday morning have spent the night at Inverurie police station and appeared at Aberdeen sheriff's court this morning. They were protesting against the short-sighted, illogical, unnecessary and environmentally damaging expansion of Aberdeen airport and other airport sites across the country.

The nine were in good spirits despite spending several hours sitting in the cold at the airport, followed by a night in the cells. They should be proud of themselves: despite media reports to the contrary (and some initial confusion at our end), when asked to pack up by the police because an air ambulance needed to take off they did so and handed themselves in. The managing director of the airport confirmed that the protest "wasn't a significant delay" to the ambulance.

No one has the right to call these young men and women dangerous or irresponsible. If our elected officials had their moral courage then perhaps we wouldn't be headed towards a climate crisis with heads collectively buried in the sand. When they get out of police custody they should all be given a hearty great metaphorical pat on the back. Unless, of course, you see them in person; then they deserve a great big warm hug. Big up, one and all.

Plane Stupid Southampton: why we did it

By Richard on 03/03/2009
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This morning seven people from Plane Stupid Southampton were charged after setting up a climate refugee camp across the entrance to Southampton airport. Pete Barker, one of those arrested, describes why he felt compelled to take direct action to stop climate change:

Once again I’m sat on the train to Southampton with my heart pounding, this time its for my first ever court appearance, but two weeks ago we were here steeling ourselves for direct action at the airport. We wanted to wake people up to the kind of things we can expect from climate change and challenge BAA, the owners of Southampton airport, to do something for the victims.We had even set them on the way by formally submitting a planning application for a Change of Use.

Plane Stupid Scotland shuts Aberdeen airport

By Richard on 03/03/2009
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Source: Flickr

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.

Photos available for download and media on our Flickr site: www.flickr.com/photos/planestupid.

The activists entered the runway by cutting the fence and scaled the roof climbing ladders. Dressed as Donald Trump, sporting wigs and golfing attire, with crazy golf clubs and balls, the group are ‘putting’ on the tarmac. The banner on the fencing erected by the group reads “Plane Stupid Scotland Golf Open 2009”.

Donald Trump is supporting the expansion of Aberdeen airport where his super-rich friends will arrive to play golf on his controversial golf course. BAA Aberdeen said they welcome Donald Trump's Golf Course. Like Alex Salmond, Trump wants to bulldoze over democratic opposition to environmentally damaging projects like airport expansion. Both Trump and BAA’s plans face fierce local opposition.

One of the activists on the taxiway, Jonny Agnew, 22, from Edinburgh, said:

“We have been failed by the generation of Donald Trump and Alex Salmond. Despite a catalogue of scientific reports warning them that they can’t keep on with aviation growth – even if that hinders their ability to jet in for a weekend of golf – they continue with disregard for all of us, who will end up dealing with the impacts of the climate crisis.”

He added:

“The reality is that our generation’s future is vanishing so that people like Donald Trump and his super-rich friends can jet into Aberdeen for a round of golf. The expansion of this airport just cannot go ahead."

Another, 24 year old Tilly Gifford, a social worker from Glasgow, said:

“Alex Salmond wants to let the Spanish shareholders of BAA, Donald Trump and his super-rich American friends concrete over Scotland and its efforts to stop runaway climate change.”

She added:

“Arctic ice is melting, the sea is already rising and experts warn the world’s rainforests could collapse. Our generation is already starting to feel these impacts as the warming kicks in so it’s obvious that it’s going to need to be us that urgently puts the brakes on expanding unnecessary airports.”

The campaigners chose to close Aberdeen after the Scottish government gave its backing to the expansion of capacity at the airport by 1.5 million passengers by 2015. Aviation is Britain's fastest growing source of emissions, already amounting to at least 13% of the UK's climate emissions.

With plans in the Scottish government’s ‘National Planning Framework’ for growth at Scottish airports including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen - as well as Heathrow and Stansted - experts from the Tyndall Centre for climate research say aviation policy alone will scupper any chance the UK has of hitting its climate targets.

25 year old Dan Glass, a community worker from Glasgow, said:

“We’re here to say it cannot happen, and our generation won’t let it happen. The scientists tell us we've got seven years to make emissions peak then drop, and if we fail, the people on this runway and their entire generation, and our children, willl live with the consequences. That's why we’re doing this.”