This is from Rachel King, who works in the Supporters Unit at Canonbury VIllas in Islington
Dateline March 26th :
This is what it's all about. Days like today. Those who know me will know I frequently I quote Harald Zindler: "The optimism of the action is better than the pessimism of the thought" and today is the perfect example of why that's true.
We won the Heathrow judicial review.
Let me just say that again because I still almost just don't believe it.
We. Won.
I've always maintained that taking action not only keeps you positive, because at least trying to do something to change what you don't like is better than just moaning about it, but also, we might just make a difference. Bringing about positive change is what it's all about after all.
And this victory is the result of a lot of hard work by a lot of people. It's not just staff at Greenpeace or the other organisations and London councils in the JR coalition. It's you guys. It's the active supporters who have been campaigning on high streets, at festivals and at fairs throughout the length and breadth of the country, talking to people about climate change and aviation, and encouraging people to take action. It's the 73,000 people who have become beneficial owners of Airplot. It's about the residents of Sipson and the other villages near Heathrow who are now one step closer to keeping their homes from being flattened. It's about people on the other side of the world who might, just maybe, not see their low-lying islands disappear under rising sea levels.
Don't get me wrong, there is still a LOT of work to do. Unfortunately there are environmental offences going on all over the world and we have to keep fighting them. But this is a huge step in the right direction.
What did my Mum tell me once? "Slowly slowly catchy monkey"! Obviously I don't want to catch any monkeys - or any other animals for that matter - but I like the sentiment: if we take one step at a time we'll get there in the end.
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