Below are links to briefings on:
Heathrow legal challenge victory
26.3.2010
The report argues the case against the expansion of regional airports. There are strong arguments on grounds of the air tourism deficit losing local economies billions; on the carbon emissions generated by these airports, and the local environmental and noise implications.
Airport maps showing routes and CO2 emissions per route
Carbon offsetting
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• NEW !! Friends of the Earth have produced a report (32 pages) entitled:
‘A Dangerous Distraction. Why offsetting is failing the climate and people: the evidence'
The report exposes carbon offsetting as ineffective and damaging, and is released to mark the launch of FoE's Demand Climate Change Campaign for a strong and fair global climate agreement at UN talks - which culminate in Copenhagen in December. FoE exposes carbon offsetting as a
con which is failing to reduce, and in some cases is even increasing, carbon emissions. The UK Government is actively promoting the increased use of offsetting at the UN climate talks, including proposing a plan to carbon offset by buying up forests - which will not stop deforestation and will cause significant social harm to the people that rely on them. FoE press release 2.6.2009
The full report as well as a summary of key facts from the report, is available at http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefing_notes/dangerous_distraction.pdf (Executive Summary on pages 4 and 5). |
Committee on Climate Change:
EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS):
What % of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions are from aviation?
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New Report by IPCC authors. Globally aviation contributes 3.5% if cirrus cloud
is not taken into account, and 4.9% if it is. 21.5.2009
• The same report estimates that CO2 accounts for 6.3% of total UK emissions and
9.8% of all greenhouse gases, but excluding cirrus. Using a multiplier of 2.8
to take account of cirrus, (compared to a multiplier of 1.9 if cirrus is excluded)
the UK figure is nearer 17% than 13%. http://aef.org.uk/?p=479 |
Other items on climate change:
Briefing on Aviation and Climate Change
by T & E - (European Federation for Transport & Environment)
The report provides information and analysis on the issue of aviation and climate
change coming from policymakers, the media and interested citizens. It brings
together the findings of recent studies in light of the current political debate
and discussions taking place about a range of policy options. (2006)
Noise and Health:• Report for the GLA
- Effect of noise on physical health risk in London - part 1. (March 2008)
• Report for the GLA
- Effect of noise on physical health risk in London - part 2. (July 2008)
• Public health impact of large airports (Dutch Government - 1999)
(only the abstract is available free of charge)
• HYENA HYENA (HYpertension and Exposure to Noise near Airports study.pdf (March 2008)
CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate excess risks of hypertension
related to long-term noise exposure, primarily for night-time
aircraft noise and daily average road traffic noise.
(study, to be published in January 2010). Preliminary findings only.
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AirportWatch has produced two documents on the economic aspects of aviation. The first deals with the contribution aviation makes to the national economy, and to regional regeneration.
The second paper deals with taxation and aviation, and equity and aviation.
Before the UK commissions a high speed rail network, we should ask ourselves some big questions. Does high speed rail provide a lower carbon form of transport than its alternatives? How many of its passengers switch from lower carbon forms of travel? How has the DfT calculated the figures? What assumptions has it made? Will high speed rail only increase the numbers travelling, and will the runway slots just be used for long haul instead?
Heathrow Announcement - "Why the Government must say NO to expansion" Friends of the Earth briefing. (5 pages, pdf). January 2009.
This is a short Fact Card with useful general information about aviation, which you can download from the link. AirportWatch Fact Card
What % of the UK's carbon dioxide emissions are from aviation?
Government figures show that in 2005 aviation accounted for 13% of total UK climate change damage. That is an understatement because it is based on departing flights only: if the calculation is based on return flights by UK citizens in 2007 the figure would be nearer 20%.
The figure for CO2 alone is 6.3%, but this is multiplied by 2 to take radiative forcing into account. Currently international aviation is not included in the UK’s climate change inventory as there is no internationally agreed method for allocating such emissions between states.
Gillian Merron's reply in the House of Commons
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Carbon offsetting for flights
With more people buying carbon offsets to try and compensate for the carbon dioxide produced from their flights, the effectiveness and justification for these offsets is increasingly being questioned. The Observer article discusses the problems. The Observer - Carbon offsetting Ripoff? An article in the Sunday Times reveals that offsetting schemes involving tree
planting can take a century to remove the CO2 from the atmosphere, making them
very ineffective as a meals of reducing the climate changing effect of emissions. Offsetting your carbon footprint takes decades
Defra has announced (Jan 2007) new standards for carbon offsetting schemes. Of the estimated 60 offsetting schemes available, only four meet the government's new gold standard, and none of these are being run in the UK. The 4 companies which at present meet the standards are: Pure http://www.puretrust.org.uk
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See the useful,thought-provoking piece on Lite Green's website on this.
http://www.litegreen.com/lifestyle/99
Times of rail journeys to European destinations
The TGV is opening a new link to the east of France, in June 2007, making many
journeys further into Europe much faster. More and more journeys are now becoming
faster, and more hassle-free, than the same trip by plane. To find details of
train timetables etc, see www.raileurope.co.uk or http://www.seat61.com
Also the Telegraph article on the new journey times from 12.5.2007 including the old and new TGV times to a range of destinations.
See the list of new train times
Briefings on aviation and noise - including effects on human health
See the Aviation and Noise section
The new ‘Open Skies’ agreement between the EU and America could double the number of passengers flying the Atlantic. This would mean an extra 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 being emitted every year. Article by John Stewart, for the Ecologist magazine.
Open Skies article by John Stewart
Briefing on the OEF report on aviation's contribution to the UK economy
The original OEF study, published in 1999 by the Department for Transport. It
claimed that the aviation industry brought huge benefits to UK economy, but didn’t
factor into its calculations the tax-breaks the aviation industry receives through
tax-free fuel etc, nor the cost to the country of the environmental damage done
by air travel.
The December 2006 OEF report takes the same line. A new study, carried out for
AirportWatch in February 2007, found that the claimed economic benefits of air
travel in the Government’s Progress Report on the Future of Air Transport published
in December were largely based on a consultant’s report paid for by the aviation
industry. Despite growing concern about the impact of aviation growth on climate
change, the Progress Report confirmed the government’s determination to press
ahead with airport expansion, justifying this on the grounds of economic benefit.
Briefing on the Pre Budget Report 2006 The Chancellor announced that the doubling APD will be effective from 1st February
2007 . The intra-EU economy rate will rise from £5 to £10 and the non-economy
rate from £10 to £20. The long-haul economy rate will rise from £20 to £40 and
the non-economy rate from £40 to £80. AirportWatch's Air Passenger Duty Briefing
Including Aviation in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme Briefing on "Including Aviation in the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS)"
- December 2006 and November 2007 update Briefing on Aviation and Climate Change "Clearing the Air: The Myth and Reality of Aviation and Climate Change" - by
T & E World Development Movement - Briefing on Climate Change and Development The WDM have put together answers to the tricky questions of climate change,
especially as it affects development and poor countries. Questions like "With
all this uncertainty, shouldn’t we just wait and see before taking action?" or
"Who will suffer most from climate change?" or "Aren’t the emissions that need
to be tackled those of countries who are rapidly increasing the amount of CO2
they produce, such as China, India and Brazil?" Curbing the growth in air travel is seen as vital to help protect the poor from
the worst effects of climate change, caused by the rich lifestyles of those in
the affluent world. Inequality, flying and the global injustice of climate change - a report by the
World Development Movement (March 2007) You pay the aviation industry £173 every year... It is widely reported that
aviation pays no tax on fuel and no VAT. WDM calculates that the net impact of
these factors results in an effective subsidy to UK aviation in 2007 of £10.4
billion. ...so that the richest 18% of the UK can enjoy cheap flights... The average salary
of passengers using British airports is £48,000 ... which cause climate change
that hits the poorest people in the world. WDM report - "Dying on a jet plane" Stop Stansted Expansion have produced a response, presented to Uttlesford District
Council in August 2006, about the very severe impacts which the airport’s operations
were already having on the community and on the lives of the people who live there,
as a result of growth at the airport. It describes stress, anxiety, noise pollution,
light pollution, traffic problems and breakdown in community life. Erosion of the Community - from the SSE website Air pollution continues to be a significant threat to human health and the environment
in Europe, especially in airport adjacent regions, from both planes and local
surface transport. Local air pollution is regulated by several legislative documents
on EU level. This briefing gives information about air pollution and possible
solutions. Briefing on Air Quality around airports - Woodland Trust paper on the effect of UK airport expansion plans on ancient
woodland Who's Who at the Department for Transport (DfT) The politicians and civil servants, and the organogram showing who does what,
and who reports to whom. Department for Transport - Organisation Chart - May 2010 The DfT Ministerial Team - May 2010
How do planes compare to other means of travel - for CO2 emissions Just how damaging to the climate is air travel? Is it really much worse than
going by trian? Or by car? And just how much carbon dioxide does my flight to
Paris, or to New York, or to Rome produce, relative to my car use, or gas and
electricity comsumption? Good figures are hard to find, but we try and throw
some light on the subject. The Department for Transport has guidelines on how Consultative Committees are
run. Guidelines for Airport Consultative Committees For the facts about the contribution that UK aviation makes to climate change,
click on the link below. Go to Climate Change Briefing Sheets for more information. England Biodiversity Strategy - Towards adaptation to climate change Air travel and climate change
AirportWatch OEF Briefing (November 2006)
AirportWatch study on OEF report (Feb 2007)
Friends of the Earth briefing on the Aviation White Paper review
• The Commission's decision not to include international flights in the scheme
until one year after intra-EU flights (in 2011), and;
• the level of the cap that airlines will be subject to and the system for distributing
allowances.
• 12 September 2007: Parliament report scheduled for adoption in committee.
• 23 October 2007: Probable first reading vote on Parliament's report in the
plenary.
• 2008: Commission expected to table proposal on aircraft NOx emissions.
How an airport can damage the local community
May 2007. A report for Defra.
Planning
Planning
Climate Change Briefing Sheets
Go to the Climate Change Section
Aviation and Noise
Aircraft Noise
Find out more in the Noise Section
Air Quality at and Around Airports
Air pollution is a major issue for those who live in the vicinity of large airports. Emissions from aircraft, air-side support vehicles and airport-related traffic all contribute to a build up of potentially harmful gases such as oxides of nitrogen, carbon monoxide, VOCs (volatile organic compounds) and ozone. They also produce small particulates
Find out more in the Air Quality Section
Demand Issues
Demand Issues and Environmental Economics
Find out more in the Demand Section
Economics
Economics
Find out more in the Economics Section
Need more information?
A range of briefing sheets and other information is available within the following sections:
Climate Change Briefing Sheets
Air Quality at and Around Airports
Copyright AirportWatch, 2004