Nottingham Plane Stupid group formed
Biggles | 16.04.2007 08:44 | Climate Chaos | Sheffield
Rembering the dead
The decision to form the group came after workshop discussions about the Government’s Aviation White Paper, which plans a massive growth in air transport with a near trebling of passengers by 2030. This will require the building of the equivalent of at least two new Heathrow airports.
According to the House of Commons Environmental Audit committee “if aviation emissions increase on the scale predicted by the Departments for Transport, the UK’s 60% carbon emission reduction target will become meaningless and unachievable.”
While Nottingham Plane Stupid’s direct actions will not be limited to Nottingham East Midlands Airport, the plans for its expansion highlight the pressing need for action.
NEMA, in its recently published master plan, set out their objectives of increasing air cargo at the airport 6 fold between 2004 and 2016 and an almost doubling of passenger traffic in the same period. In addition to the massive increase in aircraft CO2 emissions, this expansion will lead to an enormous growth in passenger cars and heavy trucks driving to and from the airport (it is no coincidence that the M1 is currently being widened to 4 lanes and a bypass is planned for Kegworth – paid for by taxpayers not NEMA).
If you believe that a habitable planet takes a higher priority than cheap air travel and all year round strawberries and would like to help fight this madness then get active with Nottingham Plane Stupid.
Plane Stupid website: www.planestupid.com
Biggles