I signed up to Greenpeace’s Airplot campaign as soon as I heard about it. The UK government’s plans to permit the unconstrained expansion of air travel is nothing less than environmental sabotage in the name of corporate greed. Air travel is one of the fastest-growing contributors to global warming and there are no demand constraints to inhibit that growth.
George Monbiot has written lucidly on this particular issue here.
What Greenpeace did, in partnership with three other legal owners – Emma Thompson, Alastair McGowan and Zac Goldsmith – was buy a one-acre plot of land slap-bang in the middle of the proposed extension to Heathrow airport, where the proposed, and unecessary third runway, would be located. This small piece of the village of Sipson now has over 36,000 “beneficial owners”, including myself, who have a right to be notified about any proposed compulsory purchase of the land.
To quote the Airplot website: “We’ve bought the plot at Heathrow to make sure that climate change cannot be ignored. We will challenge the proposals every step of the way – with a building a strong community to oppose the runway, creating a legal block against any planning applications or attempts to buy the land, and if necessary physically blocking construction – standing with the people of Sipson, whose 700 homes would be flattened to build the runway, to stop the bulldozers.
We have four legal owners on the deeds: Greenpeace UK, Oscar winning actress Emma Thompson, comedian Alistair McGowan and prospective Tory parliamentary candidate Zac Goldsmith. That’s the maximum number of owners we can put on the deeds, but we’re inviting everyone to join the plot as a beneficial owner and stand beside us to resist all attempts to build the runway.”
All I can say to you is that, if you care about halting the accelerating progress of climate change, initiatives such as Airplot must be part of your personal campaign. Go on, sign up, and put your foot down on a small piece of Britain that you wish to see ever above the waves.
Pat the Chooks 