Deal With IT's Secretary Victoria Nicholls writes a regular column in the East Kent Mercury :At a time when we are recovering from our wettest winter on record and the world is suffering ever more incidents of extreme weather, what is foremost in the national news this week? The debate about whether to extend Heathrow or Gatwick Airport. There is determination in the minds of the money people that one or other of these airports be extended and this at a time when we should be reducing our dependence on flying. The recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report was incontrovertible in its conclusions that action was needed now if we are to have any chance to avoid dangerous climate warming.
In relation to Heathrow, it seems like absolute madness to consider flying a quarter of a million more planes every year over one of the world’s most densely populated cities. Gatwick’s extension would affect far fewer people but why do we need these extensions at all?
There is lots of talk about ‘being at the centre of global growth’ when really, surely, we have already grown too much! We have destroyed vast swathes of this planet in our continuing search for and use of fossil fuels to keep up our extravagant, western lifestyle.
The modern need to have holiday homes that are not car journeys away but flights away has fuelled the ‘low-cost air line’ boom and has been paramount in increasing carbon emissions from flying. Why can’t we be satisfied with less damaging pastimes and travel by train, coach or car?
Victoria Nicholls. Transition Deal.
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