No 3rd runway: Alistair McGowan joins Airplot

Land earmarked by the government for a 3rd runway at London's Heathrow airport has been bought from under the noses of ministers by a coalition of celebrities, scientists, politicians and green campaigners.

Here comedian Alistair McGowan explains why he joined the Airplot to stop Heathrow expansion.

Category:

Nonprofits & Activism

Tags:

• heathrow
• airport
• 3rdrunway
• climatechange
• alistairmcgowan
• airplot
• greenpeace

[mixmatosis]

I've got a friend who works on the airlines and she's always telling me how many flights are taking off with hardly any passengers (some with no customers at all!!). This whole argument for a runway is a sham, WE DON'T NEED IT!

[GreenpeaceUK]

Well said. Latest figures show that passenger numbers at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted fell by 2.6% in 2008 (4.2% for all UK airports). Hardly an argument for massive expansion!

[texaspete66]

tThough why do you feel it is necessary to cut down the speed at which the aviation industry is expanding?

[GreenpeaceUK]

In terms of damage to the climate, flying is 10 times worse than taking the train. It's responsible for 13 per cent of the UK's impact on the climate (the government's figures). And it's the fastest growing source of emissions in the UK; between 1990 and 2050, emissions from aviation are set to quadruple, which scientists say could wipe out all other emissions savings we make in every other sector.

The main cause of this massive growth in the UK is the proliferation of short haul routes...

[GreenpeaceUK]

... often unnecessary domestic ones. But isn't this just the industry supplying market demand?

Well, no. The industry relies on billions of pounds' worth of subsidies from tax payers' money to keep their prices low - money that could be re-invested in rail companies.I ncreasingly, companies like British Airways are employing the tactics of big tobacco and big oil, obscuring scientific arguments with misleading figures, keeping a tight hold over government policy and relentlessly pushing for...

[GreenpeaceUK]

... for growth in an unsustainable industry.

Greenwashing, shady lobbying, hypocrisy - you name it, they're doing it. Airlines are continually demanding more - more flights, more airports, more runways, more money and promoting a culture that's more geared towards binge-flying, whatever the cost to the planet.

This reckless response to climate change has to stop. How? By ending all domestic short haul flights, capping long haul flights and halting the UK government's airport expansion plans.

[motherlodeuk]

Almost as beautiful as the hypocracy of Geoff Hoon, who apparently thinks we can have limitless air expansion, new coal-fired power stations and stll cut our national CO2 emissions by 80% by 2050 as we are pledged to do. And please remember this is not about stopping flying, it's about cutting down the speed at which aviation is expanding (which is largely to do with the enormous subsidies and tax-breaks given to the airline industry).

We have to start paying the true cost of air travel...

[dragonattack01]

At 0:25 Mr.McGowan states it will take away the air that we breath ? So what about the massive power stations that generate electric for his t.v and stage shows ? As with Sir Paul McCartneys ridiculous statement that we should all be veggie 'cos cows release methane ! Sod off, have a look at your own carbon footprints, then come back and patronise people. (I'll take it all back if Macca's gigs have been solar powered all these years and he swims across the Atlantic).......

[ecopunk66]

youre totally missing the point i'm making 'einstein!', my angle is i'm against the total fascination people have with it and the sacrifices against nature they will make to get it!

[Amitabh197802]

Yeah, and what you going to do without it? Had many handouts of free food water, clothing and shelter lately have you? Muppet.......

[ecopunk66]

and they are all places of massively high carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide levels!, and its all about one thing ''MONEY!'', cant eat it, cant drink it, cant clean with it, horrible stuff!, so stuff it up your jacksy!

[igniswizzard]

If you say that these airports dont need it, then why is Heathrow operating at over 99% capacity, with Terminal 1 operating at double its design capacity?

Plus, there may be economic downturn at the moment, but it takes many years to construct runways and terminals, which suits the uk economy perfectly towards the end of the global recession. The uk will need routes to new destinations and more connections to business and economic centres, such as Tokyo, Hong Kong and JFK.

[CaptainSlackbladder5]

Why is there no proper cycle network? If people were offered real alternatives to the plane and the car, most I believe would take them Similarly with energy, you know as well as I that any serious attempt at sustainable energy production will be derailed by conservationists. They're already limbering up to protest at the planned Severn barrages.... These as I say, are the real issues, give us a campaign we can all get behind instead of stupid PR stunts and wooly quotes about 'sustainability'.

[CaptainSlackbladder5]

Agreed, but you're not really showing a way forward with these daft attention grabbing stunts and employing hypocritical luvvies. Why is there a demand for short haul flights? Its no use blaming aviation for catering to demand... Why is the hugely subsidised, yet privatised, rail industry such a miserable failure? Why can't you travel from London to Glasgow in 2 hours via a bullet train? If the underlying issues were sorted, the problems you seem to flail against would disappear.....

[motherlodeuk]

...by 50%, and allow us a modest increase in the amount of air travel we currently enjoy. But

a) that can't happen in isolation

b) aviation can't be allowed to expand exponentially forever as has been the case for the past few years.

We are not yet in a hopeless position, and we do have choices. Unfortunately they are hard ones, but if we don't bite the bullet and take tough choices now the consequences in a few years time will be immeasurably harder, I'm afraid.