Richmond and Twickenham
Friends of the Earth
campaigning at a local, regional and national level to protect our environment

Home
About us
Campaigns
    Climate
    Heathrow
    Food
   Planning
    Waste
Diary
Get involved
Newsletter
Contact
Links

Heathrow - Less expansion and more fresh air

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.

Air Pollution

If the air pollution problems can be sorted out a third runway at Heathrow could 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

contributors and copyright

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:

AirportWatch

Aviation Environment Federation

HACAN ClearSkies

Richmond Heathrow Campaign

West London Friends of the Earth