London City Airport - the verdict is out

By Wiz on 20/01/2011
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Source: Flickr

If the discovery of various undercover cops within the climate movement over the last few weeks has not yet destroyed any last scraps of faith that you had in our supposedly 'democratic' system, then perhaps todays news will help finish it for good.

Despite an outcry from local residents in Newham who suffer from noise and air pollution on a daily basis, despite Newham Council's failure to consult local residents and surrounding boroughs on the impacts of expansion, and despite the fact that airport expansion of any type is in total opposition to the governments legally binding climate change commitments, the High Court has today refused to quash Newham Council's decision to allow London City Airport to expand its operations by 50%.

The failure of the legal system to stand up for the public good and against short sighted corporate interest has once again been made clear. For the residents of Newham, expansion will mean more noise and more pollution in one of the poorest areas of the whole of the UK. Yet many of the people who will suffer most as a result of the negative impacts of expansion were never even asked for their opinions. Not the residents of Newham. Not the surrounding London borough. And certainly not the populations of the developing nations which will be hit first and foremost by a changing climate.

Never has the need for direct action been so great. Our political system is not designed to deal with the threat of climate change. Worryingly, it is also increasingly helping to support the interests of large companies over the human rights of citizens. Once again, the law has served as a testimony for why direct action is a necessary course of action. LCA may today have won in the courts, the real battle is far from over.

Reacting to the decision, chair of local campaign group Fight the Flights Anne-Marie Griffen said:

"We are desperately disappointed by this decision. London City Airport already causes major disturbance and pollution to people living locally - the disappointment we feel at this outcome will be shared by thousands of residents across East London who are severely affected by London City Airport's operations but were not consulted about expansion.

Without clear guidelines to local councils on aviation expansion, the emissions targets set have no hope of being met. Fight the Flights is currently taking legal advice as to whether to appeal".

Police infiltration revelations proves we are a threat to governments and corporations

By Anonymous on 16/01/2011
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Source: Flickr

The Mark Stone case is shocking but police attempts at infiltrating the environmental movement are frequent. Plane Stupid Scotland had their own experience of this when they exposed the police's spy-recruiting tactics that attempted to infiltrate Plane Stupid.

They did this with the use of a spy-cam and recordings from a mobile phone. In 2009, Strathclyde Police confirmed on multiple occasions that the names of the two police officers did not feature on any of their databases. To get any answers as to who the 2 spooks were, they've been locked into a bureaucratic ping-pong ever since.

On the 3rd March, Plane Stupid Scotland shut down Aberdeen airport, cutting greenhouse gas emissions and drawing attention to the social and environmental impacts of their expansion plans. Afterwards, two men attempted to spy on Plane Stupid's activities, by offering one activist, Tilly Gifford, cash for information. The conversations were recorded and then exposed to the mainstream media. We still don't know who they are!

There is a range of unpleasant options as to who might have been harassing and monitoring Plane Stupid in 2009: The National Public Unit Intelligence Order, Confidential Intelligence Unit - both reporting back to the private company Association of Chief Police Officers. Or corporate espionage a la C2i?

Strathclyde Police have remained uncooperative, so it went all the way to the Scottish Information Commissioner. A request simply for the officer's date of commission within Strathclyde Police force was refused. Tilly was told to take her case to the Court of Session (the Scottish version of the Supreme Court), or drop it. She would have been liable for up to £20,000 in court costs - an epic financial risk for an apprentice farmer, researcher and a ceramicist.

The police need to start talking. We need answers. Silence is not acceptable.

Should we want to know what information Mark Kennedy was gathering and for whom, to know who appoints such considerable Police resources to monitor the always peaceful environmental movement, to know who decided to pull the plug on an entire prosecution case, to know who the men slinking around with brown envelopes and dark glasses claiming to be Strathclyde Police actually are, and we find all processes prohibitively expensive or opaque, where do we turn to?

Towards a demand for a full inquiry, not lead politically, nor carried out by the police, but in front of a judge. Towards the awareness of links between big financial interests and policing, the businesses we target have social and environmental consequences as massive only as the money they have behind them.

We can turn to the knowledge that, in the environmental justice movement, we're onto something - the reason we're being so heavily targeted is that our impact is real and effective.

The climate is saved!

By Barry on 11/12/2010
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Or is it? NO is the answer! The final day of negotiations at the COP16 conference in Cancun came to an end today. The solution - a non legally binding agreement to shield the world. That's right, we're going to save the world again with words and not deeds.

Not only is the agreement not legally binding, it's also an agreement to aim for an emissions pathway that - even if by some miracle it is met - would mean a 4 degrees C average global temperature rise. For more on what this means: http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/369/1934.toc

Do not be fooled by the media messaging. One of the first paragraphs on the BBC sums up the situation: 'The draft documents say deeper cuts in carbon emissions are needed, but do not establish a mechanism for achieving the pledges countries have made'.

Do not believe the hype. The time for action is still now, that is direct action led by those impacted on the ground. Don't put your massive inflatable hammers away yet, buy a d-lock, get some super glue, get into an affinity group. As the students have shown in London this week, we can show governments and big business that we will not let them trample all over us.

Business as usual is not an option. We have to directly intervene to stop emissions ourselves. Let's join the dots between all the different struggles going on right now and fight together for social justice, environmental justice and of course justice for the climate.

Manchester Plane Stupid vow to fight on

By Joe on 10/12/2010
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Two Manchester Plane Stupid activists who blockaded the road entrance to the World Freight Centre of Manchester Airport have been found guilty of obstruction of the highway. The group remain united and have vowed to continue the fight against the aviation industry.

The two defendants, Mark Howarth and Amanda Walters, had pleaded not guilty to the charge on the grounds that their obstruction of the highway was a reasonable use of the road considering the significant impacts on local homes and globally in contributing to climate change - caused by the proposed expansion of the airport. The court heard how the defendants had tried other means of redress prior to the protest action in May 2010 but that these methods had been ineffective as of yet in halting airport expansion.

On Monday, nine other defendants involved in the protests pleaded guilty and received fines and costs averaging around £340 each.

Speaking after the case, defendant Mark Howarth said:

"The battle against airport expansion at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick was won because ordinary people came together, joined forces and took on the aviation industry. We've linked up with residents in Manchester and Heathrow and we'll continue to challenge Manchester Airport's expansion plans".

The public campaign 'Manchester Airport on Trial' lives on and the defendants have received support from all kinds of different people and communities including support from Independent journalist Johann Hari, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas, Labour MP John Mcdonnell and Conservative Party MP Zac Goldsmith. The 6 who went airside and used armtube lock ons round the wheel of a plane will stand trial seperately for aggravated trespass in Feburary 2011.

Day one of Manchester Airport on trial

By Joe on 06/12/2010
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There was a huge show of support for defendants at Trafford Magistrates Court this morning for the opening day of Manchester Airport on Trial.

Despite freezing temperatures people from all walks of life came down to the courthouse to wish them well. Pete Johnson one of the residents whose home faces demolition joined the supporters and defendants outside the courthouse with colourful banners. The case has galvanised support from a broad range of supporters from local members of the public, local groups, academics, barristers, writer and journalist for the Independent Johann Hari, and prominent national politicians such as Heathrow Labour MP John McDonnell, Green Party MP Caroline Lucas and Conservative Party MP Zac Goldsmith.

Eleven local campaigners were in court facing charges of obstruction of the highway. Nine of the eleven pleaded guilty unable to bear the cost of a trial and were sentenced at 1pm today. The court heard now the protest had been a 'response to a flawed planning process' and the 'democratic process being thwarted'. The judge handed out fines of an average £300 each before opening the prosecution.

Ali Garrigan, from Manchester Plane Stupid said:

"Today the defendants have taken responsibility for the protest, been accountable for their actions and will pay their fines. Meanwhile, Manchester City Council refuses to take responsibility for the emissions from the airport by excluding them from its Climate Change Action Plan and the aviation industry gets a free ride by paying no tax on it fuel."

The trial continues tomorrow and is set to be an interesting day. Amanda Walters and Mark Howarth, the two defendants pleading not guilty, will be asked to tell the court what effects the expansion of the airport will have both locally, such as on the residents at Hasty Lane, as well as internationally in terms of CO2 emissions and climate change.

Local councillor Martin Eakins will also be speaking to highlight the local democratic deficit and resident Pete Johnson from Hasty Lane will talk about the threat to local homes.

For daily updates check out www.manchesterairportontrial.com

Environmental justice website launched

By Joe on 06/12/2010
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Welcome to the amazing Environmental Justice website that has just launched: http://environmental-justice.com/

Over the past year a movement has developed using creative and empowering methods to highlight the deep-seated reasons we need to take action today. The reality that climate change, poverty and pollution aren't a mistake - fossil fuel industries and the politicians who turn a blind eye to their impacts rely on the unequal burden place on ourselves and our communities to uphold unequal power in the UK today.

So We Stand - a people's movement organising for empowering social change to develop multiracial politics and self defence strategies to better our lives and communities - are calling for individuals to listen to the voices, witness the images of how we are forced to live and watch the videos of different stories and then more importantly - stand up to take action.

From Heathrow to Grangemouth to Merhyr Tydfill this is just the start. Through this project we realise that we are not alone in this fight. In order to tackle these growing problems we must join the dots between social and environmental problems. We have lived for too long while greed and addiction to profit has brutalised our way of life. Those days are long gone and we must fight for justice, a way of life free from poverty, climate change and pollution.