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COMMENT ON POLL SHOWING 67% SAY NO ACTION ON AIR TRAVEL NEEDED |
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16th July 2007
 Comment re: a poll by Citizen and Echo shows that 67% of people consider no action should be taken to cut the development of air travel. Letter to press also below adapted from press release.
Cllr Philip Booth, a Stroud District councillor, spokesperson for
Gloucestershire Green parties and campaigner against the expansion of
Gloucestershire Airport said: "I hope this poll is not a reflection of
the general populations views because if it is, it shows we still all
have much work to do. Oil is already becoming more expensive as
reserves are reduced and the science of climate change is clear. We
cannot countenance any further expansion of aviation: it is the
economics of the madhouse to suggest otherwise. If aviation is allowed
to grow at current projections it will account for all permitted
greenhouse gas emissions, across all sectors, by 2045."
Philip Booth said: "Our Government rather than listen to its own
scientists prefers to massively subsidise the industry and plans
expansion of airports. World Development Movement calculates that this
years subsidy to UK aviation is £10.4 billion! The average salary of
passengers using British airports is £48,000 and the proportion of
lower income households who fly has shrunk since 2000 despite prices
falling. We should also not forget that the people who are being hit
first and hardest by climate change are among the poorest on earth."
Philip Booth said: "The changes ahead mean that nothing short of a new
human era is in the making. The choices we make now will determine
whether the birthing is successful. People are starting to recognise
the need for urgent action on climate change, but we still haven't
created a positive debate to ensure everyone understands why change is
needed. Brown or Cameron cannot even pretend to be green or fit to run
our economy until they recognise basic economic realities and end
aviation expansion. We urgently need some more green voices being heard
if we are to bring about the changes needed."
Letter to paper when article appeared (18/07/07):
Your poll shows a worrying 67% consider no action should be taken to
cut the development of air travel (18/07/07). If this is true we are
failing to get across the catastrophic consequences if we don't make
deep cuts in CO2 emissions now. As noted in the article if aviation is
allowed to grow at current projections it will account for all
permitted greenhouse gas emissions, across all sectors, by 2045. It
makes no sense to let Staverton expand so that the rest of our economy
has to cut emissions even further.
The science of climate change makes action now imperative, but we also
know oil is increasingly becoming more expensive as worldwide reserves
run out. Yet our Government and seemingly many local councillors prefer
to continue business as normal.
We should not forget that the people who are being hit first and
hardest by climate change are among the poorest on earth yet the
average salary of passengers using British airports is £48,000 and the
proportion of lower income households who fly has shrunk since 2000
despite prices falling. Our Government continues to subsidise UK
aviation: the World Development Movement calculates this years subsidy
is a whopping £10.4 billion!
Brown or Cameron cannot even pretend to be green - or fit to run our
economy - until they recognise basic economic realities and end
subsidies to aviation and airport expansions. It is the economics of
the madhouse to do otherwise.
Cllr. Philip Booth, Stroud District Green party,
Stroud District councillor for the Randwick, Ruscombe and Whiteshill ward,
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