Campaign against Heathrow expansion and
for better air quality in West London
Richmond and Twickenham Friends of the Earth has been campaigning against expansion at Heathrow since the group started. We campaigned against Terminal 3, Terminal 4, Terminal 5 and are currently campaigning against Runway 3 and Terminal 6.
Key issues for the campaign are:
- On 27 October 2008 after much campaigning
the
Government said yes to aviation and shipping emissions being
included in the climate bill.
We will continue to ask the Government to take account of its own policies on climate change in its dealings with the air transport industry. Air travel significantly contributes to climate changing gases and is also the fastest rising source of such emissions.
- To protect local peoples' health and quality of life by
minimising air pollution in West London.
- To ensure that demand management is central to aviation policy
and that aviation policy accords with national environmental
policies.
- Together with many others in Friends of the Earth, locally and nationally, we are campaigning to reduce and eliminate the tax concessions received by the aviation industry in the form of tax-free fuel and VAT-exempt products. If such concessions were removed then the predictions for air transport growth would be lower and the Government's proposals for airport expansion would not be necessary.
In West London we are particularly concerned about air pollution.
In the White Paper published in December 2003 a third runway at Heathrow has been put on hold pending concerns about air pollution levels in the area exceeding the legal limit laid down by the EU.
If the air pollution problems can be sorted out a third runway at Heathrow would be opened by 2015/2020.
It is likely that air pollution levels are already close to the EU limits which come into force in 2009.
The pollution comes from aircraft, car traffic in West London and operations at the airport.
The current widening of the M25 in the Heathrow area will not help air pollution in West London. Over the next 20 years BAA will be cleaning up its airport operations and planes using Heathrow are likely to become about 20% cleaner, but to satisfy the EU requirements aircraft emissions would need to fall by 40% or draconian measures would be required to cut traffic levels in the area.
Other important issues are:
- The environmental impacts on wildlife habitats, biodiversity, Green Belt and other open land of more flights and more traffic in and out of airports;
- Exploring the potential of high-speed rail as an alternative to short-haul flights
- A complete ban on night flights between the hours of 23.00 and 07.00
- Ensuring the continuation of runway alternation
- Public safety and health for passengers, residents who live under the flight paths, and air traffic controllers
Take Action:
No third runway
Positive solutions:
-
making Heathrow better not bigger
read this report - High Speed North -joining up Britain - report by 2M group
- There are many benefits to businesses in flying less including cost savings, improved reputation, and time saved. Read more survey on business
Links: