Richard's blog

Two environmental activists from the climate action group, Plane Stupid Scotland, have climbed onto the roof of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to protest against plans for expansion of Scottish airports.

Adam Weymouth, 23 and Matilda Gissord, 23, got on to the roof of the Parliament at about 9am this morning and unfurled a large banner which carries a parody of the Trainspotting design, "Choose Life." The banner reads, "Plane Stopping: Choose the future. Say no to airport expansion."

From the roof of the parliament, Adam Weymouth, said:

"We are facing a runaway climate threat but the Scottish government's reaction is to triple air traffic and expand Glasgow and Ediburgh airports whilst conveniently excluding aviation from the Scottish Climate Bill. The climate scientists have made it clear - we have to stop airport expansion. That's why we've taken it to the top."

Photos by Alice Myers.

Since late summer 2007, an employee of a corporate espionage agency has been trying to infiltrate Plane Stupid. Toby Kendall, who works for C2i International, a "special risk management" firm, thought he was undercover in our London group, gathering information on what we're up to. Instead we've been feeding the 'revenge movie' obssesed mole false information, which he's been reporting to the aviation industry for months.

After last year's Camp for Climate Action new activists began turning up to London Plane Stupid meetings. Most were perfectly normal people angry at the expansion of Heathrow airport. But one newbie didn't fit in with the rest - Ken Tobias, an Oxford graduate who claimed to have just got back from China. Something about him just wasn't right.

Check out our mole hunt gallery for more photos.

Has the Minister bitten off more than he can chew? Beleagured Jim Fitzpatrick, already under fire for letting BA and BAA cock up the opening of Terminal 5, was attacked by MPs during a Commons debate on the third runway.

The debate has many classic moments, but can you top this for Parliamentary panto:

Jim Fitzpatrick: ...despite the criticisms of some, I am firmly of the view that this consultation — albeit on a subject that many feel passionately about — has been conducted in an exemplary manner.

Someone save us from the macho world of regional airport development, where self-important men throw their weight around. We've already delighted our readers with tales from the North, where BMI has been blackmailing local businesses into using their overpriced flights (or risk losing them forever!). Now Stobart Air, a haulage and freight company, say they will leave Carlisle airport if they can't have their cake and eat it too.

Stobart Air boss Andrew Tinkler wants to build new haulage facilities and threw in a new runway and other goodies to sweeten the deal. Although the expansion was unpopular with many locals, the Council was interested but wanted the new runway built first, to stop Stobart going back on its word. They also placed restrictions on traffic, noise, wildlife habitats and the number of flight allowed per day - a total of 63 restrictions.

All this was too much for Tinkler, who stormed out of a meeting with the Council last week, declaring that if he couldn't have expansion his way, he'd up and move to Widnes instead! This shock announcement led bored hacks at the local paper to commence fretting about all the jobs that would be lost - just as Tinkler revealed that he was going back to the negotiating table. The saga continues - who will blink first?

Breaking news from the boys in blue: the Tory leadership have edged closer to a sensible policy on airport expansion, declaring yesterday that the economic and environmental case had not been made for the third runway at Heathrow.

Shadow aviation secretary Theresa Villiers told the Evening Standard that "The Government is set on building a third runway regardless of whether key economic and environmental questions are answered. However, they have failed to make the case."

Hats of the the Fossil Fools Day crowd - they sure know how to pull off a day of action. Across the UK, Australia and North America protestors took direct action against the root causes of climate change:our addiction to fossil fuels.

Protests shut down Citibank and the Bank of America for funding dirty energy, as well as a new coal plant in North Carolina. In the UK, direct action saw a gas terminal in Norfolk closed for business, E-on's HQ in Nottingham and an open-face coal mine in Wales. An Esso station in Plymouth got occupied, while Rising Tide occupied Land Rover's advertising agency.

On the South Bank, subvertisers launched a fake product from E-on: carbon capture and storage water (you have to watch their film!). There were also loads of marches and assorted fluffiness. All in all, too much to describe here: check out www.fossilfoolsday.org.uk for loads more stuff!

For all its bluster and greenwash, the airline industry can't seem to shake its reputation for putting profit before the environment. This latest story will do the industry no favours: Flybe have been using every trick in the book to boost passenger numbers, including laying on free flights and offering to pay actors to pose as passengers.

Normally I'd be railing at them doing something so ridiculously un-environmental, but dig a little deeper and an even more incomprehensible story comes to light. The airline was pushing its passenger numbers up in order to escape a £280,000 penalty from the airport, owned by Norwich City Council, which punished the airline if it failed to get 15,000 people into the air.

While everyone has been laughing at BA boss Willie Walsh and his unfortunate boasting about T5 moments before it all went tits-up, Flying Matters campaigner Davy Lewy was running his mouth off about the glory of T5.

In an interview with the Toronto Star just before it all went wrong, Lewy got carried away, telling the journo that we should "[R]ejoice that as of today, with the launch of Terminal 5, the chances of losing your luggage have been greatly reduced."

Ha ha ha! I hope that's some consolation to the thousands who ain't flying anywhere, thanks to BA and BAA's failure to fix the baggage handling system in time for the big day...