General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
SUPPORT THE BRITISH ECONOMY – STOP STANSTED EXPANSION
Stop Stansted Expansion has launched a new phase in its campaign aimed at raising awareness of the adverse impact upon the UK economy of the inexorable growth in cheap leisure flights. Figures published by the Office of National Statistics last month show that the UK tourism deficit continues to grow rapidly. During the first 6 months of this year, UK residents took 34.3 million overseas trips – almost double the number of trips to the UK by foreign visitors (17.5 million). (SSE Press Release)
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Tory green package targets short-haul flights and landfill
The Conservative party's quality of life report will this week propose a range of incentives to increase energy efficiency in the home, including sliding cuts in stamp duty to linked to carbon efficiency. Taxes on short-haul domestic flights, a doubling of landfill tax for business, and other suggestions are being proposed in an attempt to give substance to David Cameron's appeal to green voters. (Guardian)
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Should we stop flying in organic food?
Should the Soil Association withdraw the 'organic' label from produce flown in from abroad? As the public debate hots up, critics insist a ban would threaten the livelihoods of farmers in developing nations. Others are more worried about the environmental impact ... (The Guardian )
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How to beat the airport blues; fly yourself in a £1.3m private jet
Small airports across Europe are preparing for a rapid growth in private jet travel in the next five years. A mode of travel that was, until recently, the preserve of the super-wealthy has become affordable to people who never appear in any rich list. (Times)
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The aviation industry’s new pro-flying website launched
"Flying Matters" is a new coalition of pro-aviation companies, unions and associations, with the aim of seeking to "contribute to a balanced and informed debate on aviation contribution to climate change, and .... ensure that within the public debate proper account is taken of the economic and social benefits of aviation".
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Scientists warn that EU plans to curb aviation emissions must be strengthened
Current proposals to include aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme will have very little impact on aviation's contribution to climate change, a new report by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research warns. Friends of the Earth, which commissioned the research, is urging the EU to substantially strengthen its ETS proposals, and calling for additional measures to curb the growth in flights. (FoE 4.9.2007)
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Climate change protestors set up camp – Heathrow Climate Camp 2007
The Climate Camp set up a day earlier than anticipated, and has received extensive media coverage. We have some of these stories, and links to them. 13.8.2007
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Police to use terror laws on Heathrow climate protesters
Armed police will use anti-terrorism powers to "deal robustly" with climate change protesters at Heathrow next week, as confrontations threaten to bring major delays to the already overstretched airport. Up to 1,800 extra officers will be drafted in to prevent an estimated 1,500 people disrupting the airport over the period of the camp for climate change, which is due to begin on Tuesday. (Guardian 11.8.2007)
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Residents in flight path fight – West Berkshire and North Hampshire
THOUSANDS of extra low-flying aircraft a year will fly over some of the most unspoilt parts of West Berkshire and North Hampshire under plans to increase air traffic capacity. The proposals, which would see as many as 27 planes pass over as low as 6,500 feet between 5.30pm and 9.30am each day, are aimed at reducing traffic delays at Bournemouth and Southampton airports. (Newbury News 9.8.2007)
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Air freighted food; freshly flown in?
While the media fixates on the rise in, and environmental impacts of, passenger flights, worldwide air cargo is rising faster and a lot of the development at airports is cargo related. Worldwide, the largest and fastest growing air cargo sector is ‘perishables’ which means cargo that requires temperature control. (Rose Bridger article in "Jellied Eel)