You be the judge!

I posted this:

PLEASE if you haven’t yet signed the Hounslow Climate Change petition, do so? Hounslow is the Borough most affected by the dreaded Heathrow 3rd runway, we are plagued by noise, traffic and air pollution with only two runways. Imagine another one….

http://petitions.hounslow.gov.uk/ClimateChange/

IH responded:

Without coming of (sic) as cynical, I lived in Hounslow West from 2000-2012. I’m sure my views differ from others, but I had no issues with the airport noise. If anything, Heathrow meant we had jobs, and a great source of revenue. Heathrow was the busiest airport in the world not too long ago, and all that traffic means income and opportunity.

Of course, there will always be noise pollution, air pollution, etc. Airports, cars, and so forth spew out tonnes of it. I’ve found that many jump on board for the big fight against these things, but how many do their part at home?

Change begins at home. Change begins in your community. My family and I went to the local park in Hounslow west, and there was trash everywhere. Beyond everywhere. Piles of it littered the grass, around the bins, even in the young kids play zones. This wasn’t dropped from a plane or from the airport. We did this. Us.

I am all for reducing pollution, from every source. We have solar panels on our roof. I take a 6 mile round trip to recycle items that cannot be recycled locally. But expecting airports and factories to change in a way that would cost billions when we cannot even change to pick up our own trash is absurd. Everybody will say “oh it’s not me!” Well it has to be someone. If we all wait, nothing will be done. And this is something that affects us and more importantly, our children, in an area that should be safe for them.

Obviously the park is just one example. But it highlights my biggest issue with this fight against larger corporations. Yes, they pollute, but they also bring in revenue. You cannot expect change to happen if you yourself cannot.

JE

The situation with air pollution and Climate Change is so much worse than we know or can imagine. Compared to which rubbish in the park is no more than an irritant. Those massive corporations you mention will always put profit before people, and if that means putting out more pollution, or more plastics, or more sugar in our food, or more chemicals in our rivers, they will do that. The people who run Heathrow don’t give a damn for the people choking for breath in London (16,000 deaths last year) or for the traffic choking our streets or for waking me and my neighbours up at 4.30 in the morning. That dreadful phrase “they provide jobs” does not make up for the deaths, or the increase by a third which will certainly ensue from their third runway.

The Earth is rapidly becoming uninhabitable for Humans. Complacency is no longer an option. We are facing terrible droughts, fires, floods. The ice at the poles is melting. Wars and mass migrations are inevitable. This is the REAL Project Fear. Be afraid.

I would describe you as “deluded and fatally complacent” if I could be that rude. But I don’t know you, perhaps I’m wrong. But until you’ve read the article in the Weekend Guardian entitled “This is not a Drill” by David Wallace- Wells, frankly you have no right to the opinions stated above.

He did not reply. I hope I didn’t upset him…

But CM did:

I don’t really think it is that bad for the people in the area as you say.

A lot of us actually work at the airport and want the expansion for more jobs. What I see since when I grew up a lot of economic migrants settle in West London because of having people of their origin here already making them feel comfortable nearly all of them start off employed either directly or indirectly by the airport. Whether it be a supplier, operations, cleaning etc. Heck my dad did the same thing! It helps them all the way from bettering their lives down to sending money to support their families abroad. Without the airport expanding you hit a block and migrants coming now they won’t benefit like previous ones.

I hear the planes take off and land you get used to it and well it becomes just another thing in your day life wise.

I get the environmental factors and there is a growing movement but there is a growing concern in aviation itself about that stuff.

The shipping industry is worse actually but we get the heat because when people look up the first thing they see is planes.

Things from engine design (noise reduction casings), recycled cooking oil powered planes and most recent one I heard of was engines with on board systems which turn the exhaust fumes in to hydrogen.

Aerodynamic design has also improved a lot in planes which helps burn less fuel and (your older than me I’m sure planes were worse back then on noise and emissions) newer aircraft are designed with that in mind now.

Even down to terminal designs and operations (renewable fuels and efficient lighting/ insulation are just some) all the way to enticing airlines to operate more efficient aircraft in to Heathrow by waiving their landing/ parking fees (which cost £££££) to do making them lose money which they’d love to have instead is currently happening.

I’m not saying it’s perfect, nor will it happen overnight but it is getting there. However like with all businesses it’s not really one unless it’s making money so who knows what’s around the corner. More needs to be done to save our home for sure people need to see the bigger picture from using public transport, walking, don’t pave over your garden, recycle, work together on things rather than blaming each other for ones agenda and make it everyone’s (then again we are human) we always react when it’s too late

JE

The point is, this is an actual crisis. Until Londoners feel the Thames lapping at their ankles, and notice the increase in respiratory illnesses in their own families, and realise that the torrent of people fleeing areas of intense environmental devastation are in their back yards, they will remain as complacent as you and Indi. We have to prevent any further carbon emissions NOW not 2030 or even 2025. Climate Change is an accelerating phenomenon. The promise of more jobs just does more to make it worse! You are like a fellow living in a valley. Someone is trying to tell you the dam has burst and a torrent is heading your way and you’re saying ‘Don’t worry, my neighbour may build a boat!’ Complacency is the biggest enemy of mankind on the planet right now. Bolsonaro is handing out licences to cut down the Brazilian rainforest. Trump is encouraging and funding coal mining and doesn’t take the science seriously. The recent forest fires all over the world have pumped tons of carbon into the atmosphere. Accelerating warming has resulted in a terrible increase in the rate of ice melt. Projections suggest a possible rise of at least 2 feet in sea level.

And you and the profit-obsessed owners of Heathrow want to increase their carbon emissions by a third? ARE YOU CRAZY?

so sign the petition. Look at the Extinction Rebellion website. Resist!

https://rebellion.earth

CM:

I fully agree environmental devastation is taking its toll on the planet, deforestation and coal mining should have been long gone especially with the knowledge and research done towards newer forms of sustainable energy, sadly money talks.

At least within the aviation industry things are being done to reduce the impact, rather than turn a blind eye. I don’t mean to be complacent. I’ve worked, studied and gained in this indsutry all my life and I think you do have a point but possibly looking in the wrong direction. One my biggest peevs is private aerodromes where all these rich people want to park up their private jets because they cant be bothered to use a commercial jet like all of us and want a fancy gold plated tap to satify their ego thus increasing weight and fuel burn in addition to a 40+ minute private car ride in to central which they coud have just avoided using a train from Heathrow in the first place along with everyone else.

The airline industry is cut throat, you might see an £800 ticket in economy and times it by 375 seats which equal a lot but the profit margins for that flight could be in the £100’s as the cost of fuel hikes. Ultimately any airline around wants to make money the only way they can is by reducing their operating costs, the biggest one being fuel they look to make planes lighter, composite materials and lightweight seats, etc which in all reduces fuel burn something they want but also helps in air pollution it’s a win on both sides if they accomplish it.

Heathrow generally fines airlines which operate inefficient aircraft in to the airport anyway they’re also not looking at the bigger picture what’s the point in fining that airline which has a tiny foot print becuase they only operate 1 daily or twice a week in to the airport. Yet big players such as BA, Virgin, United, American that have multiple operations daily operate ageing aircraft juste seem to keep doing it that where the pressure needs to be for them to operate newer planes that circumvent it.

My parents brought me up in Southall and I chose to carry on living here due to work, accepeting my life is at greater risk to these things and I could possibly die becuase of the airport but it was here before me. Lots of people might not agree to the same statement, however I know by allowing that airport to expand I’m helping someone recieve a organ donor to keepthem alive, letting some get to their mothers funeral in time, connect a family who haven’t seen in each in years in a matter of hours and allowing a variety of persihable goods to get here before they go bad to keep us fed, hospitals stocked and all sorts which wouldn’t be possible without more aircraft especially as the population in the UK grows.

There is a lot that needs to be done by them and it’s not enough they haven’t looked after the people surroinding the airport for a while and neglected them but it’s also airlines as well in addition to there being a big enough movement to make an impact for the better.

JE:

you are using emotional arguments that don’t touch sides! There is no logic to your examples! “By expanding the airport you’re allowing someone to be kept alive…” Think! Why on earth would keeping two serviceable runways not fulfil all your emotive arguments? We just have to cut down on passenger flights! We have to force the airlines you mention – by legislation and tough government action – not to use polluting aircraft! We have to cut down and cut out. Carbon taxes are a necessity. Your examples vs more deaths caused by the increased pollutants of the 3rd Runway – just not remotely comparable! And don’t forget the increase in road traffic and resulting pollution. Don’t forget the massive disruption which will be caused by building the runway and terminal buildings. The destruction of an historic village and a 13th century barn. Stop it! Your arguments don’t hold water.

CM:

Passenger flights will never cut down the more people will want to travel the more demand there will be. We are ultimately letting our own selves down. Without planes we’re screwed with them we’re still screwed.

That’s how the a380’s came along bigger planes meant not having to send more than one aircraft on the same route reducing slot usage and easing capacity requirements.

Even now it’s still not enough as more and people want to see what’s out there while more goods needs to be imported.

Taxes are a great way of reducing the impact but sadly still won’t be enough there needs to be more done to further it down, better transport links to reduce car usage and better management of the disruption for construction work and analysing ways balance the loss of Sipson/ Longford.

JE:

solution: stop the 3rd Runway and rationalise, rearrange, reduce! This is, as I and people who know more than I do say, a crisis

CM:

Rationalise is happening, it needs to be completed and re-arrange/ reduce happen asap. I fully agree with you it is a crisis because you have to balance an entire countries pros against the cons which involve destruction of people’s life. Kudos to whoever is doing it.

I clicked on ‘like”.

No winner. Earth is the loser.