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The Northern Climate Rush

Manchester Plane Stupid | 13.01.2009 19:21 | Climate Chaos

Around 50 climate change activists gathered in Terminal 3 of Manchester Airport to protest against airport expansion and domestic flights. The demo mirrored the Climate Rush ‘Dinner at Departures’ protest at Heathrow’s Terminal 1 at the same time.

A copy of one of the slips that police were handing out to the demonstrators

Complete with map of 'designated protest area'

Monday 12th January 2009, Terminal 3, Manchester Airport.

The Northern Climate Rush

For VIDEO footage see

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1586371503/bctid6995110001

Around 50 climate change activists gathered in Terminal 3 of Manchester Airport last night to protest against airport expansion and domestic flights. The demo mirrored the Climate Rush ‘Dinner at Departures’ protest at Heathrow’s Terminal 1 at the same time. (

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2009/01/418105.html)

There are around 32 flights a day between Manchester and the London hubs, despite the high speed rail connection. (

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1026945_plea_to_scrap_london_air_link)

The protests at Manchester and Heathrow airports was a follow up to the first Climate Rush on October 13th 2008. (

http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/london/2008/10/410761.html). This date marked the centenary of the Suffragettes’ rush on Parliament to demand women's right to vote.

The protesters dressed in Edwardian period arrived to find Terminal 3 locked down with around 70 police officers, including Forward Intelligence Teams from the Metropolitan police. They were read parts of the Riot Act before entering a ‘designated protest area’.

Former Manchester City Councillor, Vanessa Hall, who attended the Northern Climate Rush said:

“ With the speed of intercity trains there is no longer any just or sensible reason to take domestic flights. All expansion plans, including those at Manchester and Heathrow should be shelved. Passenger numbers at Manchester Airport have been falling for at least the last 6 months.”

She added, “In a time of recession and climate crisis, government money should be spent on improvements to rail, trams, and buses, not on subsidies and infrastructure for the aviation industry.”

Aviation accounts for 13% of UK global warming emissions and is the fastest-growing source of greenhouse gases. Airlines pay no tax on aviation fuel, costing the public purse an estimated £10 billion.

Manchester Airport claims it intends to go carbon neutral by 2015 - but this will not include the emissions from the aeroplanes.

www.stopmanchesterairport.org.uk

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7823307.stm

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/s/1090071_protesters_slam_police_numbers_

www.climaterush.co.uk

Manchester Plane Stupid
e-mail: manchester@planestupid.com
Homepage: http://www.stopmanchesterairport.org.uk

Comments

Hide the following 5 comments

Protest against the trains, not the planes

13.01.2009 20:53

If these protesters really believe that there is no reason to get a flight to London rather than a train, then clearly they have not caught a train recently. They are overcrowded, often delayed, slow and expensive. If you are connecting on to a flight from Heathrow, you have to change through numerous stations in London, all of which adds to the cost. If you have a 20kg bag it is a completely impractical option.

I'm all for tackling climate change, but feel a better approach is to improve the rail service so that there would be no advantage in catching a domestic flight. Anyway, most of the 13% of UK carbon emissions coming from air travel are on routes where there is no feasible alternative to flying. Why don't we worry about power generation, where there are plenty of highly feasible alternatives but the government is refusing to adopt them, before making us sacrifice air travel?

That said, its great to see people taking action over climate change, even though I disagree with your choice of target.

John

to John

13.01.2009 22:07

Why not organize a protest against train prices, etc - one's already happened in Leeds.

unnecessar

do something rather than write comments in reply to twats

14.01.2009 01:42

John, it is you who evidently hasn't caught a train to London in a long long while. You are wrong on all counts, from my experience. Not that I have then caught a plane from Heathrow (though I do know how to get there thanks!), because that wouldn't be fair on people dying on the other side of the planet, or on future generations would it now!

Advance fares - if you've got a WAP-enabled mobile, they've got even cheaper to London, though there was no excuse before anyway. Whinge so you can do nothing apart from cause others to drown, eh.

Your figure about air travel is wrong too - these industry figures have been thoroughly debunked elsewhere, if you care (to look).

Maybe we are worrying about power generation and other things. But until people take responsibility for the impact on others of their personal choices, well, I ain't got much sympathy for your 'sacrifice' (whilst 150,000 - WHO - already each year die from human-caused - UN IPCC - climate chaos)

another twat

i hope it was a vegan lunch

14.01.2009 10:56

with up to 2 thirds of carbon emmitions world wide coming from the meat and dairy industry.

veganarchist

vegan picnic

14.01.2009 11:19

it was mostly vegan or skipped :)

as well as trains, if you have the time and patience, then megabus and national express are useful.

they rock my world at the moment.

keep not flying, folks xx

goldfish zoe
Homepage: http://www.goldfishnation.blogspot.com

UK Indymedia