Yes, it was right that the British Airports Authority was denied the sweeping injunction it sought against eco-activists planning a Camp for Climate Action near Heathrow. Even prigs must have the right to protest.Here here! The modern evnironmental lobby is without a doubt one of the most anti-humanity movements out there. Over the weekend I heard a trailer for a show on BBC Radio 4 which simply said, and I paraphrase due to poot memory, "Is the best way to tackle climate change and environmental disaster to reduce the population of the planet?".
But no, it is not right that the anti-flying protesters are now being hailed as champions of liberty. Their campaigns are dedicated to preventing millions who wish to fly from exercising freedom and choice. Theirs is arguably the most illiberal, elitist protest movement since the French counter-revolution.
Think about that for a second, what are the possibilities? Child birthing limits? State directed abortion for people having too many children? Massive sterilisation programmes for the proles? Or worse still, mass human culling? Whichever way you look at that question, if the assumed answer is yes the political order that would exist to make it so would be utterly repellent.
I did find Mick Hume's summation of the pressure group Plane Stupid rather amusing as well though as he pointed out that when they call themselves Plane Stupid "they mean that we are stupid for boarding planes, whereas they do the intelligent thing by invading an airport with a Baptist minister and praying on the runway".
Caring about the environment is not a bad thing per se, but the hardcore eco-lobby that is increasingly being given airtime as if they're expressing moderate position is as worrying a political trend as loony islamists blowing themselves up on trains. At least withthe latter you know they probably won't gain power, but the former often receive accepting nods from the people that can make things happen.
Having said this, there might - as Croydonian pointed out to - be a plus side to decreasing the population. We might be able to convince the eco-nutters to de-breed themselves out of existence.
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Camp for Climate Action
From the 14th to the 21st of August 2007 people from all over the UK will come together to form the Camp for Climate Action at Heathrow airport. Described last year as 'Glastonbury, science seminar and protest all in one'1, we clearly have a lot to live up to. Last year this mixture of education, protest and entertainment captured the media imagination with the camp receiving unheard of news coverage for a climate change protest. At that time we focused on dirty coal2, this year the focus has changed to the ever expanding aviation industry.
Deciding to highlight aviation growth with this years climate camp was not an easy decision. But we asked ourselves: 'Where are government policies on climate change weakest and most badly needed?'. The answer is clearly the aviation industry: a heavy polluter that is highly subsidised and growing fast. Just imagine would could be done with the £9 Billion in subsides given to aviation3. That is a lot of hospitals, schools...or tax cuts! The government has climate policies that exclude aviation and aviation policies that exclude any consideration of climate change. According to a cross-party group of MPs who looked at this conflict, growth in aviation emissions are likely to entirely destroy progress made elsewhere4.
Whereas the government has shown it's rhetoric to outshine it's performance the Camp for Climate Action seeks to lead by example. The week long event will have a strong emphasis on learning, both about low carbon living and about communicating climate change. Renewable energy such as Solar and Wind will power the event, including on-site internet access, projectors and lighting5.
Heathrow was chosen as the symbol of aviation due to it's international profile and it's vast carbon footprint—larger than many countries6. It was also important to us that many local people are already strongly resisting the expansion of Heathrow, we felt a strong desire to strengthen there fight.
We have three aims:
1.To highlight government hypocrisy in pursuing both a climate plan and an entirely inconsistent airport expansion plan.
2.To support local communities i there struggle against loosing homes under the ever expanding tarmac of Heathrow.
3.To educate ourselves and all those who join us about low carbon living.
We do all this with a simple philosophy:
Climate change is our generations challenge, it must not be left to burden our children. As governments fail us the realisation is clear, action is our responsibility: we are the ones who we have been waiting for.
References:
1.http://comment.independent.co.uk/columnists_a_l/johann_hari/article1359823.ece
2.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_for_Climate_Action
3.AEF, Hidden Cost of Flying, 2003
4.Environmental Audit Committee, 2002-2004, 9th Report (Budget 2003 and Aviation)
5.http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/aims.php
6.http://bristlingbadger.blogspot.com/2007/05/heathrow-uks-worst-emitter.html
That's lovely, you posted a press release.
I see Mick's photo now has him sort of smiling, instead of sucking on a lemon..has he been taking lessons from Gordon? He has a point here, but he is still a miserablist anyway.
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