At 1030, today Saturday, Climate Change campaigners made a dramatic protest “Today Flying, Tomorrow Swimming” about the environmental cost of cheap flights:



A pile of Coal was dumped outside the Norwich Airport Shop in the Castle Mall. The sooty carbon equivalent of the 320Kgs of Carbon Dioxide gas is emitted by each person taking a cheap flight. These emissions are contributing directly to global warming and potentially catastrophic climate change. (Photos suitable for printing attached – see also at bottom of message).


Meanwhile, other protesters placed a banner reading “Flying today, Swimming tomorrow”, complete with a map of Norfolk under 5 meters of water, on the glass roof of Castle Mall above the Airport shop. (Map suitable for printing attached at bottom of message).


The N2C3 campaigners, some clad in wetsuits ready for when Norfolk becomes submerged, and others dressed as air hostesses, handed shoppers leaflets advising them to stop taking unnecessary flights, and instead travel to Europe by rail and ferry, and to take more holidays in England.



Protester statements



Dr Andrew Boswell, a UEA computer scientist, said “It is fast becoming clear that taking regular cheap flights is very damaging. Aviation emissions are increasing rapidly – soon householders and business will need to completely eliminate their carbon emissions just to continue flying. We will literally be Swimming Tomorrow in our wetsuits if Global warming melts the West Antarctica ice shelf – Norfolk will be under 5m of water. The only answer is to stop Flying Today”.



Mark Crutchley, a UEA environmental Sciences student said “Cheap flights don’t just damage the environment – they damage the region’s economy. The UK economy has a deficit of over £15 billion a year from British people flying abroad and spending money there. Of that nearly £2bn is lost to the economy here in the East”.



Christine Way, a business woman from Norwich, said “A cheap flights generates over 300 Kg of Carbon Dioxide per person – that’s like throwing 9 big sacks of Coal into the atmosphere. We recommend that people travel to European destinations by train and ferry, and that people start to take more UK holidays and enjoy our own beautiful country.”

Related material and sources

UEA Tyndall Centre study of effect of aviation

 http://www.tyndall.ac.uk/media/press_releases/tyndallpr21sep.pdf



‘Cheap flights “death knell for local/British economy”’ - The UK runs a massive economic deficit from air travel. Foreign visitors arriving by air spent nearly £11 billion in the UK in 2004, but UK residents flying out spent £26 billion abroad – a loss to the UK economy of £15 billion pounds. It is worse for regions (eg East Anglia).  http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/regional_tourism_deficit.pdf



Average Gatwick Passenger Creates 85 Kg Of Carbon – Every Flight.  http://www.carolinelucasmep.org.uk/news/Gatwick_080306.htm



Contacts:

Andrew Boswell, E:  a_boswell_2004@yahoo.co.uk T: 01603-592349 / 01603-613798



National Campaign website :  http://www.campaigncc.org



Other events around the country

Saturday May 20th is a national day of action against Climate Change with groups around the UK targeting organisations who contribute to Greenhouse Gas emissions. Alongside the Norwich event, campaigners held a “Bush in Wonderland, a Mad Emitters Tea Party" at the American Embassy, London – see  http://www.campaigncc.org/climateparty.shtml. Elsewhere actions targeting Esso, climate fairs, protests at road and airport building. See  http://www.campaigncc.org for photos and reports of these events.



About N2C3 -Norfolk and Norwich Campaign against Climate Change

“N2C3 campaigns for raised awareness of the potential effects of climate change and the changing of the actions of individuals and institutions that contribute to global warming. We monitor the climatic impact of regional and local policies and developments within Norfolk, and encourage positive action for sustainable development both by individuals and organisations. “