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Manchester Plane Stupid disrupt aviation industry conference

Manchester Plane Stupid | 16.06.2009 14:56 | Climate Chaos

Campaigners disrupted an airport industry conference today using rape alarms tied to helium balloons . The protesters from the group Manchester Plane Stupid entered the Manchester Central conference venue (formerly GMEX) and sent five bunches of helium balloons reading 'Happy Retirement' to the top of the ceiling where they remained with the alarms ringing. This occurred at exactly the time when the industry delegates were posing for a photo shoot for the launch of a new carbon reduction scheme at European airports which will not include emissions from aircraft.

Balloons
Balloons

Going in
Going in

alarms on the ceiling inside
alarms on the ceiling inside



Banner outside
Banner outside

Runway Hazard Management
Runway Hazard Management


Tuesday 16th June 2009

Outside, protesters held a banner outside the entrance reading,
“Aviation Industry Conference – Climate Criminals Inside”.

The group were protesting against the aviation's growing contribution to climate change. Aviation currently accounts for around 13% of the UK's greenhouse gas contribution.

Megan Sims from Manchester Plane Stupid said, “The airport industry is recklessly pushing ahead with expansion plans across the UK and Europe despite all the warnings about climate change. We cannot pursue this growth agenda if we are serious about tackling global warming.”

“Their latest back-patting exercise is yet more greenwash from the airport industry. They provide the growth of the facilities for aircraft to operate and encourage more flights, more emissions and more climate change.”

The three day conference was being hosted by Airports Council International.[1] The conference was suspended whilst house staff struggled to remove the floating alarms from the ceiling.

[1]  http://www.aci-europe.org/
[2]  http://www.planestupid.com/
[3]  http://www.stopmanchesterairport.blogspot.com/

Manchester Plane Stupid
- e-mail: manchester@planestupid.com
- Homepage: http://www.planestupid.com/

Comments

Hide the following 2 comments

Waste of time

16.06.2009 21:30

"The conference was suspended whilst house staff struggled to remove the floating alarms from the ceiling. "
No it wasn't, the session had finished and the delegates were about to leave for coffee, all it meant was that the house staff, who are not connected to the organisers, had to work through their lunch hour to clear the balloons, the conference was completely unaffected.
Well done, you really saved the planet with that one...

Hungry

Hungry... for change.

17.06.2009 12:40

err yeah sure fella.

"The invasion came as the second session was closing and just when the first ten airport operator groups to sign up to ACI Europe's Airport Carbon Accreditation Scheme (ACAS) joined together on stage for a formal signing ceremony. The ACAS,according to ACI Europe, is "a demonstration of European airports' committment to addressing their environmental impact, by reducing carbon emissions for airport operations, with the ultimate goal of being carbon neutral".

Carbon neutral, yeah we'll just forget about the hundreds of jet planes surrounding the building. I guess the aim was to highlight how the aviation industry is attempting to Greenwash the climate issue, so think the irony is on you.

A*