T: 020 7248 2227           E: info@airportwatch.org.uk 

What you can do

There is a great deal you can do if you are concerned about the growth of aviation, or the growth of airports

For dates of what is going on, and actions to take part in,
see the Take Action page
 
 

If you live near a particular airport:

You may be affected by its operations, the noise of planes, air pollution, the road problems associated with the airport, or fear of future expansion plans.  If so, there may be a group of concerned residents in your area, with whom we can put you in touch.  Below is a list of groups affiliated to AirportWatch.

 
 

Join other campaigning organisations, also working on climate change or aviation:

AirportWatch is an umbrella group, and many other organisations within it are campaigning against climate change, and for more sustainable means of transport.   Below are links to the websites of a number of like-minded organisations. 

 
 

Businesses - join the WWF "One in Five" Challenge, to cut flights

WWF's report, Travelling Light, has found that there is great potential for businesses to fly less while remaining productive. There are many good reasons why businesses are now flying less and making greater use of audio and videoconferencing. 
If you think your business would be interested in taking up the One in Five Challenge, or if you would like to find out more, please contact us at oneinfive@wwf.org.uk   
More details at One in Five Challenge
 
 
 

What can we do to reduce our air travel?

AirportWatch wants the growth of air travel in the UK to cease, and to stablise it at its current level.  That would not be depriving anyone of anything they have now - merely stopping our addiction to cheap travel from getting any worse.  This involves asking ourselves some tricky questions, and making difficult decisions.  More ..... 
 
 
 

"Responsible travel is the route to a happy holiday"

See the Energy Saving Trust's website for advice on a range of ways of holidaying without flying.

Train travel to Europe and beyond - these should help with your planning:
European rail network map
Comprehensive schedule of trains in Europe

Great value coach trips Eurolines

Useful Links:

 

 
 
 

Compare modes of transport, for UK journeys, using Transport Direct

The website can plan your journey for you, using whichever method of travel you want, and also give you a guide as to the carbon emissions of the journey.   Transport Direct website  and  Some sample comparisons    (The figures just give CO2 emissions - the figures for planes should be doubled, to take account of other effects of air pollutants at altitude).
 
 
 

Pledge to be free from flying for 12 months

Flight Pledge has had a new lease of life, and merged ith LowFlyZone.  The pledge enables you to undertake to reduce your flights, and awards you a certificate for doing so.  Choosing to cut your air travel is probably the single biggest step that you can take to help prevent climate change.Try the gold or silver pledges, to avoid - or reduce -  flying for a year.  LowFlyZone .....

 
 

Try train travel

For almost all journeys in England, Wales or Scotland, rail is a very acceptable alternative to flying.  AirportWatch would like to see a big reduction in internal flights in the UK, where there is a good rail service.  Taking the train probably has around a tenth as much climate changing effect as taking a plane, per passenger. See below.
 
Flight-Free Holidays.
See the Guardian's top 100 flight free holidays.   Details .....
 
 
 

Try reducing CO2 emissions with Video Conferencing

It is highly desirable for businesses to reduce emissions. The BT Video Conferencing website shows how to reduce CO2, and how avoiding travel to meetings is also more cost-effective.  You can work out the emissions of CO2 saved by replacing face-to-face meetings with conferencing, using  the calculator on their website.
 
 
 
 
 

Try holidaying in Britain

By holidaying in Britain, rather than jetting off, you'll save a huge amount of fuel and greenhouse gas emissions. You don't have to miss out on fantastic beaches either - find the best with the Marine Conservation Society's
 'Good Beach Guide' at www.goodbeachguide.co.uk  and the Blue Flag Campaign at http://www.blueflag.org/
 
 
 

Complain about misleading air travel advertisements

If you see misleading adverts by the airline industry, and you wish to complain to the Advertising Standards Authority, here is the website for the on-line complaints form. 

Advertising Standards Authority - complaints form

 
 
 

Join AirportWatch:

Contact us, tell us what you are interested in, or concerned about.  If you live near an airport, let us know which one.  We will send you our regular news bulletins (free) and any other information about campaigns or actions which you might find useful. There is plenty for aviation campaigners to do in 2010, with all airports keen to expand, and crazy future expectations about numbers of flights.  Join Us
 
 

How about carbon off-setting?  NO !

AirportWatch are not convinced by off-setting. A few of the schemes may be mildly beneficial. None has the effect of immediately removing the CO2 that your flight has generated from the atmosphere. Most offsetting is akin to the Medieval Pardons, to salve the conscience.
 
To see a tremendous spoof offsetting website, showing how daft offsettig can be, see Cheat Neutral
 
•  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).

 
 
 

Plane Stupid

If direct action (non-violent) appeals to you, against the growth of airports and of aviation, see what Plane Stupid are doing.
 
 
 

   

If you live near a particular airport:

Perhaps you live near an airport, and are either affected by its operations, the noise of planes, air pollution, the road problems associated with the airport, or fear of future expansion plans.  If so, there may be a group of concerned residents in your area, with whom we can put you in touch.  Many airports, or even airfields, have local campaigners who would welcome others who share their concerns.   Below is a list of groups affiliated to AirportWatch:

Local UK groups include:

Heathrow:
HACAN Clear Skies 
NoTRAG - (No Third Runway Action Group) - Heathrow 
2M - 2 million voices against Heathrow expansion (Wandsworth) 
Richmond Heathrow Campaign 
 
 
Stansted:
Stop Stansted Expansion 
CO2 group - Councils Opposing Second Runway at Stansted
 
 
Gatwick:
Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign 
Gatwick Can Be Quieter
 
 
Luton:
Luton and District Association for the Control of Airport Noise 
 
 
London City:
 
 
Southend:
SAEN - Stop Airport Expansion Now 
 
 
Manston
Stop Manston Expansion Group    at Manston (Kent International)
 
 
Biggin Hill:
Flight Path (Biggin Hill)

 
Birmingham:
Birmingham Anti-Noise Group 
Birmingham Friends of the Earth - anti runway campaign
 
 
Bristol:
Stop Bristol Airport Expansion Coalition 
 
 
Carlisle
South Lakeland Action on Climate Change (SLACC) 

East Midlands:
DEMAND East Midlands Airport is Now Designated 
 
 
Edinburgh:
 
 
Exeter:
and   SEEA
 
 
Glasgow:
 
 
Lydd:
Lydd Airport Action Group  
Keep the Marsh Special (Say No to Lydd Airport Expansion)
 
 
Gloucester:
CASE - Concerned residents against Staverton expansion
 
 
Newquay:
 
 
Shoreham:
 
 
Suffolk:
SSATAG South Suffolk Air Traffic Action Group
RuralPeace   - For those affected by the NATS proposals for Terminal Control North:
 
 
Wolverhampton:
Wolverhampton Airport Action Group 
 
 
Ireland
Dublin:
UPROAR - United Portmarnock Residents Opposing Another Runway (Dublin)
 
 
Belfast City (George Best)
 
  
 
If you cannot find a group on that list, contact us  (sarah@airportwatch.org.uk) and we will try and put you in touch with someone.  
 
Through a local group, you could find out more about the airport, and meet others who are also affected by it, and want to do something.  There may a variety of jobs that need to be done by the group - press work, public meetings, street stalls, researching information, admin or fundraising, contributing energy and enthusiam, technical or planning knowledge, producing leaflets or literature or a website ......... the list goes on........ You might have just the skills needed, and your contrubution would be very much appreciated.

 

So - what can we do to reduce our air travel?

There may be measures all of us can take to reduce the air travel component of our own carbon footprints.  Some of these involve difficult choices.  Try thinking about these tricky questions:

- How about reducing the amount of flying I undertake each year? 

- Is my flight really necessary? 

- Is buying a second home abroad, and travelling to and fro many times per year really sustainable?

- Could I make the journey by train? 
 
- Would a train journey really be much slower, or much less convenient?

- Could I have my holiday in the UK?

- Could I cut down on my number of foreign holidays?

- Could I have just one holiday abroad each year, and any others in the UK?

- Is my business flight abroad necessary, or could it be replaced by videoconferencing?

- Can we prevent our society becoming plane-dependent, so we are not all so hooked on cheap flights that we find it hard to do without them?

- Can we expect people in developing countries to forego cheap air travel, if we will not cut down on  it ourselves?
 
 
AirportWatch wants the growth of air travel in the UK to cease, and to stablise it at its current level.   That would not be depriving anyone of anything they have now - merely stopping our addiction to cheap travel from getting any worse.  Eventually, if we in the UK are to play our global role in reducing climate change, we need to reduce our air travel.
 
If you currently have one holiday abroad - by plane - per year, stick to that.   Don't increase it to two holidays by air, and a weekend break or two by air as well.   If you can do better, and cut your air travel from its current level, that would be great.
 
 

 

What else can we do?

Join other campaigning organisations:

AirportWatch is an umbrella group, and many other organisations within it are campaigning against climate change, and for more sustainable means of transport.   Below are links to the websites of a number of like-minded organisations.
 
Rising Tide 
RSPB 
TRANSform Scotland 
T&E - European Federation for Transport and Environment 
Carbon Info 
Shared Energy
Flight Pledge 
Planning Disaster Coalition 
www.flyingsthenewsmoking.com
 
See what they are doing on these issues, and take part in their campaigns too.  The churches are now becoming more involved in environmental issues, and are now getting active on climate change.  The Womens' Institutes and the Womens' Environmental Network are also now coming into the fray.
 
 
 

Try train travel

For almost all journeys in England, Wales or Scotland, rail is a very acceptable alternative to flying.  AirportWatch would like to see a big reduction in internal flights in the UK, where there is a good rail service.  Taking the train probably has around a tenth as much climate changing effect as taking a plane, per passenger.
 
For journeys of under about 500 miles within Europe, rail is also a good alternative to flying.  European trains are fast and efficient, the journey by Eurostar from London to Paris is about the same as a flight, and for many people, the experience of rail travel is genuinely more pleasant than that of flying. 
 
Though the flight itself if quick, there is all the getting to the airport, being made to hang around for hours in order to make you buy things at the airport, the queuing, the walking down lengthy terminal corridors, more queuing for baggage reclaim .............
 
Perhaps rail would be a realistic alternative to that flight?  Below are some rail websites to have a look at.

Eurostar connections route map  

Rail Europe 

The Man in Seat Sixty-One - useful advice about how to travel by train in Europe

UK - National Rail

The Guardian's Top 100 flight-free holidays

Transport Direct    (helps you compare means of getting to your UK destination, by car, coach, train or plane)
 
 
If you are concerned about aviation and its environmental effects:

Your main concern may be with the growth of air travel, and the environmental damage it does. This is not only climate change, but also destruction of communities, damage to habitats near airports, noise and local air pollution

Why is air travel uniquely damaging?

Air travel has the ability to be uniquely damaging, as the gases emitted by planes are released high into the atmosphere, where  they do more damage than on the ground.   Nitrogen oxides and water vapour are produced with aircraft exhaust gases, and these produce an effect perhaps twice as bad as the CO2 alone.  (The exact extent of this "radiative forcing" as it is called, is uncertain, as the science is complex and there are many different variables and components.  A multiplier of about 2 may be conservative, but is thought to be approximately correct).

Taking into account the x2 multiplier, a return trip for one person by air to New York produces about the same amount of climate changing effect as an average UK car (about 35 mpg) in a whole year's motoring.   A return flight to Rome would produce about as much climate changing effect as all of one person's gas and electricity use for a year.   The longer your flight, the more CO2 emitted into the atmosphere (though the taking off is the worse component of the flight - for emissions).

This demonstrates how easy it is - when flying - to produce a huge % of a person's CO2 output, without ever really being aware of it.  Driving 6,000 miles in a car would take a very long time, and be extremely tiring and boring.  You can produce the same emissions of CO2 in a couple of hours on a plane, comfortably sipping a glass of wine and watching a movie.

The amount of CO2 that each person's activities put into the atmosphere (heating, lighting, car use, travel, use of appliances, things we buy, services we use) is called our carbon footprint.

The UK Government has set itself a target of a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions for the country, by 2050.  With air travel growing at its current rate, (perhaps 7 - 8% per year) we are on target for aviation to contribute a higher and  higher proportion of the UK's total CO2 emissions.  Aviation emissions will continue to grow, under current government policies, while all other sectors of the economy have to cut theirs.   This is nonsense.   The UK's aviation policy, as set out in the 2003 Aviation White Paper (and confirmed at the end of December 2006), is utterly at odds with the Government's policies on climate change.  If ever there was a case of a deplorable absence of "joined up thinking"  - this is one.

 

And if all that has left you needing a bit of light relief .........

try listening to the immortal wisdom of Sir Montgomery Cecil, Chairman of "Spurt" and a true patriot .........

Video of Sir Monty in action

 
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Copyright AirportWatch, 2004