I heard a story a few weeks ago that captured what, as a campaigner on the climate team, I should be aspiring to do. It goes like this:

Saul Alinsky, the activist and community organiser who campaigned to improve the lot of the poor, black, working-class in 1960s America, took on the Kodak Company in New York for refusing to hire black workers at its factory.

Three million coconuts to get to Amsterdam? I'd rather take the train.

Over the last few months, four pilots in different corners of the world have held their breath, crossed their fingers (metaphorically) and, mid-air, flicked a switch to send a blend of kerosene jet-fuel and biofuel into their plane engines.

Not green, and not strictly regulated

Last Thursday, while approving the construction of a third runway at Heathrow, Geoff Hoon claimed he was accompanying it with what he called "the toughest climate change regime for aviation of any country in the world." Cleaner planes, tougher regulation, green slots for takeoff and landing - the secretary of state was keen to broadcast the runway's green credentials.

You can understand why it's important for Geoff to make a lot of noise about green planes and strict regulation while cheerleading for a third runway. Pursuing a policy of aviation expansion while committing to an 80 per cent cut in UK emissions by 2050 might seem like a strange thing to be doing, particularly as Lord Turner of the Committee on Climate Change ruled that there must be "clear strategies" in place to cut emissions from aviation, otherwise any cuts made in other sectors will be wiped out.

We all huddled around a tv in our press department to watch Geoff Hoon's statement in parliament. Unsurprisingly Hoon announced they would approve plans for a third runway at Heathrow. But the irony of stating that the UK would have the strictest regulations on aviation emissions and at the same time allowing the construction of a third runway was lost on what sounded like cows let loose in the Houses of Parliament - I'm assuming those were actually MPs.

Hoon said that use of the new runway would be limited to half capacity, so you've got to ask yourself why build it? With the introduction of a new high speed rail between major cities in the UK which was also supported in the speech, we could eliminate the 100,000 flights a year from Heathrow to cities less than 300 miles away. Passenger numbers at Heathrow would fall to 1990 levels, negating the need for any more runway capacity. Hight speed rail will only make a difference to emissions if it is instead of airport expansion.
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Rumours have been flying around for the last few days that the government would make an announcement on a third runway at Heathrow on Tuesday, but the BBC just reported that the government is delaying the announcement until January because of a split in the cabinet.

It’s good to see Gordon Brown is finally feeling the heat over Heathrow expansion.

With the decision on Heathrow’s third runway expected this year (honest), the atmosphere in Westminster is heating up.

Both opposition parties have come out strongly against the third runway; rebel Labour backbenchers are increasingly joining the opposition; there are signs that the cabinet is split over the decision; and the new transport secretary Geoff Hoon has called for a parliamentary debate on Heathrow expansion next Tuesday.

All of which means there are now two new opportunities for us (by which I mean you…) to intervene and make the opposition felt in the corridors of power.