Airports Pledge

Britain's leading transport and environmental organisations are calling on the public to pledge their support to resist airport expansion as part of a campaign that will be launched on Friday 8th October at 11am on College Green, opposite the Houses of Parliament (1).

The anti-airport expansion pledge is being backed by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, People and the Planet, Rising Tide and Transport 2000, together with local protest groups HACAN ClearSkies and Swansea Airport No Expansion.

Tens of thousands of copies of the pledge will be distributed to groups and individuals across the country. People will be invited to sign up, pledging themselves to take personal action to resist airport expansion. Personal action could include anything from setting up local campaigns to taking part in non-violent direct action (2).

The pledge to take action against airport expansion increases pressure on the Blair Government from people stepping outside the mainstream political process. Yet another group of people is threatening to take to the streets to force the Government to listen to its concerns.

The pledge is a response to the Government's Aviation White Paper launched last December. The White Paper forecast a near-trebling of passengers using UK airports over the next 30 years. It predicted there could be runways built at Stansted, Heathrow or Gatwick, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Glasgow, as well as significant expansion at most of the UK's other airports.

The environmental groups are challenging the Prime Minister to back up his recent speeches on climate change with tough action to cut global emissions. Aviation is the fastest-growing contributor to global warming.

George Marshall of Rising Tide, who will be administering the pledge, said, "We expect a huge number of people will sign the pledge. There is widespread anger at the Government's aggressive plans to expand airports. It is inconceivable that people will sit back and let this happen. If the Government does not listen, I think protest, including direct action, in inevitable."

Tony Juniper, Director of Friends of the Earth, said, "The Government's go-for-growth plans for aviation must be stopped. They completely contradict Tony Blair's pledge to fight climate change and will cause immense damage to our countryside, our communities and our natural habitats."

Stephen Tindale, Director of Greenpeace, said, "Tony Blair has made climate change a key priority. Aviation is the fastest-growing contributor to climate change. If the Prime Minister is serious about tackling climate change, he has no option but to abandon any thoughts of new runways or new airports."

Ian Leggett from People and Planet said, "Tony Blair describes climate change as the world's greatest environmental challenge. But leading a Government that is committed to airport expansion is not consistent with global leadership on reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Stephen Joseph, Director Transport 2000, said, "Airport expansion has no place in a sustainable transport system. The Government should be concentrating on providing the UK with a first-class rail and bus system and particularly promoting substitution of short haul flights with high-speed rail. It is just not sustainable to go on giving the aviation industry the huge tax breaks it currently enjoys."

John Stewart, Chair of HACAN ClearSkies and one of the organisers of the pledge, said "Local communities are angry and becoming desperate. They feel the Government is not listening. Airport expansion means more flights, more noise, more pollution. I expect that local people will rush to sign this pledge."

Notes for Editors and Picture Editors:
(1). Campaigners, including heads and leading members of the organisations, will hold a 5' long plane in the shape of a pen, signing a 10' high pledge.
(2). The Pledge is not a petition. It is an invitation for people to pledge themselves to take action. The exact wording is: "In the event that the Government chooses to ignore the widespread and well-informed opposition, and refuses to back away from its expansionist policy, I will take personal action to block airport expansion and to prevent companies from supporting and funding it. People are being encouraged to sign up online at a specially-created website: www.airportpledge.org.uk

For further details contact:
John Stewart, Joint Co-ordinator of the Pledge and Chair of HACAN ClearSkies, 0207 737 6641 or 07957 385650
George Marshall from Rising Tide, Joint Co-ordinator of the Pledge, 07762 252932 (not Tuesday or Wednesday)
Greenpeace Press Office on 0207 865 8255
Richard Dyer, Aviation Campaigner, Friends of the Earth, 07940 850328
Stephen Joseph, Director Transport 2000, 0207 613 0743, Ext 105

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