On December 13th 2006 Aberdeen Campaign Against Climate Change held a demonstration outside the Town House in Aberdeen where councillors were considering the planning application for an extension to the runway of Aberdeen Airport. Twenty people took part in the protest. Disappointingly, the application was approved by a large majority.
Demonstrators outside Aberdeen Town House
The campaigners held large banners saying "Short haul flights fuel climate chaos", "Global justice not global warming", "Stansted's council said No!, so should you". They also handed out leaflets to passers by. Prior to this, the group had sent a Christmas card to each councillor asking for them to vote against the application.
A detailed 3 page report on why airport expansion was not good for the climate was also given to each councillor. The British Airport Authority had been claiming that the airport expansion would allow quieter, more efficient aircraft to use the airport. The report, written by members of Aberdeen Campaign against Climate Change, explained why these claims are not relevant. For example, the planned increase in air traffic would far outweigh any gains in aircraft efficiency. A longer runway allows heavier, noisier, more polluting aircraft!
The planning application, made by BAA, had been deferred four weeks earlier at a meeting of the Council’s planning committee. The three councillors who asked for the decision to be deferred, at this earlier meeting, made reference to the many emails they had received on the subject. They said that many of these mentioned that the airport expansion should not go ahead due to the impact of aviation on climate change.
However, only 6 councillors voted against the planning application at the meeting on the 13th December and more than 30 voted for it.
The good news is that the issue of climate change and aviation was raised in the local media due to the group's efforts. A picture of their protest was on the front page of the Aberdeen Press and Journal with the airport expansion referred to as "controversial".
A detailed 3 page report on why airport expansion was not good for the climate was also given to each councillor. The British Airport Authority had been claiming that the airport expansion would allow quieter, more efficient aircraft to use the airport. The report, written by members of Aberdeen Campaign against Climate Change, explained why these claims are not relevant. For example, the planned increase in air traffic would far outweigh any gains in aircraft efficiency. A longer runway allows heavier, noisier, more polluting aircraft!
The planning application, made by BAA, had been deferred four weeks earlier at a meeting of the Council’s planning committee. The three councillors who asked for the decision to be deferred, at this earlier meeting, made reference to the many emails they had received on the subject. They said that many of these mentioned that the airport expansion should not go ahead due to the impact of aviation on climate change.
However, only 6 councillors voted against the planning application at the meeting on the 13th December and more than 30 voted for it.
The good news is that the issue of climate change and aviation was raised in the local media due to the group's efforts. A picture of their protest was on the front page of the Aberdeen Press and Journal with the airport expansion referred to as "controversial".
