We know that we now have less than a decade in which to tackle the climate emergency head on. And given that (usually) a prime minister’s time in office is four years, the next prime minister holds significant sway over our climate fate.
A third runway at Heathrow has been on the cards for years now. But if it goes ahead, it will create an additional 700 flights a day, detonating a carbon bomb at the very point we desperately need to be radically cutting emissions.
On climate change, we need leadership and decisive, immediate action.
Heathrow sits in the constituency of none other than Boris Johnson: Uxbridge and South Ruislip, a suburb of west London. And it is as MP here that Johnson made the following claim to his constituents:
“I will lie down with you in front of those bulldozers and stop the construction of that third runway” ~ Boris Johnson
BREAKING: We’re in Boris Johnson’s constituency to remind him of his Heathrow promise:
“I will lie down with you in front of those bulldozers and stop the construction of that third runway” ~ @BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/H4BLhXpYfi
— Greenpeace UK (@GreenpeaceUK) November 26, 2019
But since becoming prime minister, Johnson has seemed to backtrack, saying in a recent interview he has doubts about the project but refused to rule it out.
This is just not good enough. Barely a week goes by without a weather-related catastrophe making the news. From appalling wildfires in the US and Australia to catastrophic flooding across northern counties in the UK, the climate emergency is real and we’re living it.
We have just over two weeks left until the most important election of a generation: one that could help steer us on a path towards climate safety. Make you sure you’re registered to vote.
