airport expansion

George Osborne launched an assault on green measures in his Autumn Statement that reads as if it were written by the UK’s biggest polluters. Tax breaks for heavy polluters, renewed support for airport expansion, opening the countryside to development, more roads and a freeze on fuel duty  - all this adds up to the dirtiest budget in recent history.

Last year, the Climate 9 stopped dangerous greenhouse gases reaching the atmosphere by disrupting operations at Aberdeen Airport.

After a two week trial the law found them guilty of breach of the peace but other charges were dropped, and in the court of international opinion they received overwhelming support, which was further legitimised by expert scientific testimony.

Although there was a lovely buzz around the office following last week's wonderful announcement that the Third Heathrow runway had been scrapped, the wiser heads amongst us were quick to point out that we'd won a battle, not a war.

Our new coalition government may have made good on its pre-election promises over Heathrow, but there have been no such commitments over the 30 or so airport expansions planned for other parts of the country - and they could easily prevent us reaching our CO2 reduction targets if a significant number get the go-ahead.

Find more photos from the twinning on Flickr.

At the end of last year, Manchester Council approved proposals to expand Manchester airport's freight terminal, more proof that despite the rhetoric on climate change, it's still full steam ahead for the government's airport expansion programme across the country.

Yet, this Sunday there was more evidence that resistance to airport expansion is alive and well, and getting stronger by the day.

The proposed freight terminal at Manchester would demolish homes and destroy a large section of the historic Hasty Lane and acres of green belt. So Hasty Lane residents have teamed up with Sipson villagers - who are also threatened with losing their homes under the proposed third runway at Heathrow - and through a live video-link-up they were twinned!

We've been busy building an allotment on the Airplot, and today Richard Briers came to help us open it and declare the third runway plans "lunacy".

Join the Airplot  on the airplot website, and get all the latest news about the plot.

A plane takes off over Leeds. But plans to expand the airport have been sucessfully challenged by campaigners.

Airport expansion to be given the go-ahead despite a wave of opposition. Sound familiar? Well, this time it's not Heathrow or Stansted, it's Leeds Bradford airport, the expansion plans for which were featured on the BBC news yesterday:

"Bought for nearly £150 million, now the owners of Leeds Bradford Airport have their sights set on a £70 million expansion... The council is meeting in Leeds today and are expected to give it the go-ahead despite opposition..."

Same old story eh? Well, not this time, actually. It looks like the BBC got it a bit wrong, because yesterday the airport expansion plans were deferred by Leeds councillors, who took on board local campaigners' arguments that increased passenger numbers would lead to more traffic, more noise, and more carbon emissions - all adding up to make an expanded airport an environmental disaster zone. The plans, they said, had to be rethought.

You guys are amazing. We were hoping for a big response to our announcement that we've bought a piece of the third runway at Heathrow, but it really has been overwhelming. Over 5,000 people have already signed up as beneficial owners, and the comments, emails of encouragement, phone calls, ideas and donations have made this a truly exciting start to the plot to stop Heathrow expansion.

Copyright Billy for the image. Thanks!

On the stroke of seven o'clock, the coats and backpacks fell aside to reveal flowing white dresses, patterned waistcoats, cummerbunds, and an impressive array of picnic items. Four people who seconds earlier had been avoiding eye contact morphed into a string quartet, flourished their instruments, and began to play. Airport staff and an array of police officers looked on in slight confusion as the picnic got going.

It could only be the Climate Rush, which with impeccable timing hit Heathrow in the week where the government's decision on a third runway is supposed to be announced. Following their earlier protest at parliament, the ladies, gentlemen and street urchins of the Edwardian-inspired protest group shared sandwiches, threw beach balls around, and chatted as commuters streamed past, including perhaps a few MPs returning from their Christmas break and pondering the impending decision on Heathrow.