Heathrow Climate Protest

14/08/07

Today begins the start of a 7 day "climate camp" at the popular London airport.

The Heathrow climate protest is aimed to bring greater awareness to the issues and impacts that a proposed additional runway may have on the environment and climate change. Protesters are already concerned about a new terminal which is set to open at the airport in March 2008, this would be the fifth terminal operating at the popular London Heathrow airport.

The new runway is scheduled for around 2020, and puts the nearby village of Sipson at risk of demolition to make way for the runway. The British Airports Authority's estimation is that at least 700 homes would face demolition.

The location of the camp is situated next to the M4 motorway and the northern perimeter fence of Heathrow airport. This has brought great concern to the metropolitan police over security issues, and has prompted the deployment of a large police presence to the camp for the coming week.

Organizers and protesters are currently co-operating with the police, yet a day of mass action against airport operations is planned for the coming week. 

There is estimated to be around 2000 protesters who will travel to the Heathrow climate camp for the duration of the protest, with nearly as many police officers on duty, drafted in from different forces.

The climate camp is as green and environmentally friendly as it can be, with solar panels, wind turbines, and home grown food produce existing on-site.

The Heathrow climate protest not only highlights the issues surrounding airport expansion, and the impact on the surrounding environment, but also highlights the increasing number of passengers and the so called "need" to fly.

With cheap flights operating out of Heathrow airport and many others across England, more people are flying, and on a more regular basis. Cheap flights should not be an excuse to make unnecessary journeys at the expense of our climate and environment.

This week we should begin to see the kind of action the protesters from the Heathrow climate protest plan to take against the airport and its operations. The organizers released a statement stating they would not attempt to blockade any runways in the interest of public safety.

So we can expect to see disruption to the Heathrow airport over the coming week as a result of the climate protest. Hopefully this weeks action will make people more aware of the consequences and effects of increasing  air travel.