The Independent made an astounding claim yesterday – that circumstances were favourable for airport provision.
From The Independent, which regularly reports the consequences of greenhouse gas emissions, the statement came as quite a shock.
Excessive emissions are causing climate change, one of the greatest threats we face. Climate change is already harming the lives of millions of people across the world and more flights will increase emissions and raise temperatures more quickly.
The Independent’s leader was prompted by London Mayor Boris Johnson’s proposal that an airport be built on the Thames Estuary, described as a daydream by the Guardian today, an opinion echoed by the RSPB. The suggestion came before his Tory colleague, shadow transport secretary Theresa Villiers, mooted a new rail link into London replace third runway plans at Heathrow.
The Thames Gateway is earmarked for substantial development and green spaces on land, and the wildlife of the estuary itself, will be one of the selling points. Laws safeguard the estuary because it hosts up to 300,000 birds in winter, some of them rare species.
Those laws won’t just go away and neither will the birds. The threat of bird strike to planes could be huge; the re-creation of the estuary’s wildlife habitats elsewhere – a legal requirement if an airport were built – would be next to impossible. Where could you put them?
We have to reduce our emissions but if we allow flying to increase, what other cuts will we make? Rationing car fuel? Limiting our heating in the depths of winter? There was a proposal yesterday to ration meat and milk. Which of us is prepared to do that?
If we cover the natural world with concrete, we will have forced those sacrifices on future generations and destroyed their environment as well.
The Independent's leader is here
And the Guardian's comment here