letter to my MP - third runway
Dear Angela Smith
I would like to express my anger about the proposed third runway at Heathrow airport. I am angry because this plan tells me that the government do not care about the UK’s contribution to climate change, and that any promises they make to do with the slowing of global warming are merely token.
The Government claim to have accepted that Global Warming is a real and terrible problem for us, and that we need to act. How can I see their agreement for a third runway as anything but hypocrisy or utter ignorance? We need to be reducing flights (and use of cars – here we see similarly ridiculous and hypocritical plans for widening the M1). How can any of us believe that it is worthwhile turning off our lights, turning appliances off standby, or cycling to work when these are rendered pointless in a country where 800,000 flights may take off every day from one airport (according to aviation Minister Gillian Merron) .
Aviation is apparently responsible for 13% of Britain’s global warming emissions (Government’s own figures – discussed, for example, by Airport Watch: http://www.aef.org.uk/downloads/CO2statementMay07.doc). I can recommend George Monbiot’s ‘Heat’ as the place to read about what the consequences might be for our world if we do not cut our emissions drastically and fast. Have you read it?
It seems that the argument that we need airport expansion for our economy is not sound (Government report: Transport and the Economy,1999). Moreover, the noise will be unbearable for thousands of people in the area (Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England, Department of Transport, October 2007).
Please can you answer the following questions:
Where do you stand on this issue? If you support the third runway, please can you explain why, and tell me how you feel this represents the needs/ opinions of the people who elected you? And how you reconcile this with the results of the government reports cited in this article (I am sure you have read them).
If you do not support the third runway, please tell me what action you have taken to prevent it.
Please tell me what you are doing personally to reduce your carbon footprint.
I feel I am trying hard to do my bit by not driving (I cycle to work), I use washable nappies for my son, I try to buy second hand clothes where I can, I travel by train rather than plane. This is not enough.
What do you do?
Thank you very much,
Harriet Cameron
I would like to express my anger about the proposed third runway at Heathrow airport. I am angry because this plan tells me that the government do not care about the UK’s contribution to climate change, and that any promises they make to do with the slowing of global warming are merely token.
The Government claim to have accepted that Global Warming is a real and terrible problem for us, and that we need to act. How can I see their agreement for a third runway as anything but hypocrisy or utter ignorance? We need to be reducing flights (and use of cars – here we see similarly ridiculous and hypocritical plans for widening the M1). How can any of us believe that it is worthwhile turning off our lights, turning appliances off standby, or cycling to work when these are rendered pointless in a country where 800,000 flights may take off every day from one airport (according to aviation Minister Gillian Merron) .
Aviation is apparently responsible for 13% of Britain’s global warming emissions (Government’s own figures – discussed, for example, by Airport Watch: http://www.aef.org.uk/downloads/CO2statementMay07.doc). I can recommend George Monbiot’s ‘Heat’ as the place to read about what the consequences might be for our world if we do not cut our emissions drastically and fast. Have you read it?
It seems that the argument that we need airport expansion for our economy is not sound (Government report: Transport and the Economy,1999). Moreover, the noise will be unbearable for thousands of people in the area (Attitudes to Noise from Aviation Sources in England, Department of Transport, October 2007).
Please can you answer the following questions:
Where do you stand on this issue? If you support the third runway, please can you explain why, and tell me how you feel this represents the needs/ opinions of the people who elected you? And how you reconcile this with the results of the government reports cited in this article (I am sure you have read them).
If you do not support the third runway, please tell me what action you have taken to prevent it.
Please tell me what you are doing personally to reduce your carbon footprint.
I feel I am trying hard to do my bit by not driving (I cycle to work), I use washable nappies for my son, I try to buy second hand clothes where I can, I travel by train rather than plane. This is not enough.
What do you do?
Thank you very much,
Harriet Cameron
posted by harry at
12:05
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