Copy of complaint to the BBC (submit your complaint at http://www.bbc.co.uk/complaints/):
Today’s BBC Breakfast publicised the new programme the “Hidden Life of Airports.” This is another example of the BBC’s subliminal advertising for the aviation industry. The interviewees presented an exiting and glamorous image of aviation and airports. They talked about the baggage handling systems and the shopping malls. The marketing department of BAA would be delighted with this free coverage, especially as BAA faces the real risk of administration.
Not once did your advert talk about the local or global environmental destruction airports cause, or airports use of anti terrorist legislation to try and stop protestors, or airports attempts to infiltrate protest movements with spies, or airports attempts to subvert the science of climate change, or airports lobbying of politicians at local and national levels. This is true hidden life of airports, which no doubt the BBC 4 programme will ensure remains hidden and your advert on this morning’s BBC Breakfast certainly kept hidden.
The BBC have already used Blue Peter to advertise for the aviation industry and I complained then, see
http://kevsclimatecolumn.blogspot.com/2008/11/complaint-to-bbc-about-blue-peter.html
In the subsequent exchange of emails, the editor of Blue Peter (Tim Levell) assured me “It was wrong not to include a section on the environmental impact of flying, the growth of air travel, or the concerns of people, such as local residents.”
If it was wrong then, it is wrong now. I am angry and frustrated that the effort I previously went to in highlighting your discrepancies has been wilfully ignored. Thus the BBC which I am forced to fund, through my licence fee, is continuing to serve as the mouth piece for organisations intent on the destruction of our planet. Can you confirm when the BBC will be the impartial organisation it is supposed to be?
Monday, June 15, 2009
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Letter to Gordon Brown
Dear Gordon,
I am sending this letter to you first class. Despite your reprieve from the backbenchers last night, I think that it is still important that this arrives as quickly as possible as there is still a high chance that you get deposed in the next couple of days.
In your isolated towers you have been divorced from the chaos and uncertainty that everyone else in this country has experienced for too long. Marriages are breaking up under financial stress and home repossessions; the education system is falling apart under budget cuts, social breakdown and excessive regulation; companies are going bankrupt and the redundant employees have no chance of fulfilment in a society whose main values are consumption and production; good people around the country are facing criminal charges for protesting against the injustices that they see, pregnant women get stabbed to death on the street – the list goes on.
I am a mathematician and am particularly fascinated by fractals. This is the idea of self replicating patterns that expand to infinity or contract to the infinitesimal. Go to You Tube and search on fractals to see what I mean– you should be able to find them as I understand that you are a proficient user of You Tube. The chaos that we small people are experiencing is now being replicated on you big people. They bring us no pleasure and you should not expect any either.
The only light relief that many of us have is the schadenfreude of seeing you descend into a sea of chaos of your own making.
So what are these forces that drive us all to chaos? They are the collapsing economy in the face of looming energy shortages and environmental catastrophe and the inability of governments to recognise the enormity the emerging crisis. Put simply, we are entering a phase of contraction for which we have no precedent and of which we are only in the foot hills. We have no vision of how an economy based around growth will respond when faced with permanent contraction and now we have no government to provide leadership in these difficult times.
Despite the inevitability of the crisis your approach is to ignore, to fudge and to lie. You are now experiencing the result of this, examples are many:
You and your government will still not withdraw support for the 3rd runway at Heathrow. This is despite the accumulating reports that BAA is facing administration and an appalling set of interim results that were recently released. This expansion has never been about benefiting London or the UK. It has always been about BAA expanding to reduce its debt ratio. Despite the illogical arguments of BAA you have continued to support them and ignore the local and global environmental damage that this will cause.
You have ignored the warnings from last year when oil price rose to $145 per barrel wiping out much UK’s industry. You continue to support an unsustainable economic model that is centred on automobiles and aviation despite oil prices rising again and the IEA warning of oil shortages in three years.
You and your government have continued to push for biofuels as a substitute to fossil fuel, safe in the knowledge that those who are hungry and impoverished as a result will be confined to the third world and you will still be fed.
You have failed to provide any vision or discussion on the sort of future we will have that is not dependent on fossil fuel. We should not even be debating a third runway at Heathrow. We should be debating how we use the second runway and infrastructure at Heathrow as a benefit to the local community. Can the terminal buildings be used as a local college; can the runway be used as a solar and wind power farm, etc?
Whilst you continue to push for economic growth around an unsustainable model, you will continue to drive us into a chaotic state, from which you will not be able to escape. In the circumstances, to hear you claim you are the person to bring unity to your party simply demonstrates how out of touch you are with reality.
I would like you to confirm that if you are lucky enough to stay in power you will put the environment and sustainability at the forefront of your policies to avoid plunging us small people into further chaos, such that our only pleasure will be in watching further chaos unfolding around you.
I will publish this letter on my blog and will copy it to my MP (David Drew), who is not a supporter of you.
Regards,
Kevin Lister
I am sending this letter to you first class. Despite your reprieve from the backbenchers last night, I think that it is still important that this arrives as quickly as possible as there is still a high chance that you get deposed in the next couple of days.
In your isolated towers you have been divorced from the chaos and uncertainty that everyone else in this country has experienced for too long. Marriages are breaking up under financial stress and home repossessions; the education system is falling apart under budget cuts, social breakdown and excessive regulation; companies are going bankrupt and the redundant employees have no chance of fulfilment in a society whose main values are consumption and production; good people around the country are facing criminal charges for protesting against the injustices that they see, pregnant women get stabbed to death on the street – the list goes on.
I am a mathematician and am particularly fascinated by fractals. This is the idea of self replicating patterns that expand to infinity or contract to the infinitesimal. Go to You Tube and search on fractals to see what I mean– you should be able to find them as I understand that you are a proficient user of You Tube. The chaos that we small people are experiencing is now being replicated on you big people. They bring us no pleasure and you should not expect any either.
The only light relief that many of us have is the schadenfreude of seeing you descend into a sea of chaos of your own making.
So what are these forces that drive us all to chaos? They are the collapsing economy in the face of looming energy shortages and environmental catastrophe and the inability of governments to recognise the enormity the emerging crisis. Put simply, we are entering a phase of contraction for which we have no precedent and of which we are only in the foot hills. We have no vision of how an economy based around growth will respond when faced with permanent contraction and now we have no government to provide leadership in these difficult times.
Despite the inevitability of the crisis your approach is to ignore, to fudge and to lie. You are now experiencing the result of this, examples are many:
You and your government will still not withdraw support for the 3rd runway at Heathrow. This is despite the accumulating reports that BAA is facing administration and an appalling set of interim results that were recently released. This expansion has never been about benefiting London or the UK. It has always been about BAA expanding to reduce its debt ratio. Despite the illogical arguments of BAA you have continued to support them and ignore the local and global environmental damage that this will cause.
You have ignored the warnings from last year when oil price rose to $145 per barrel wiping out much UK’s industry. You continue to support an unsustainable economic model that is centred on automobiles and aviation despite oil prices rising again and the IEA warning of oil shortages in three years.
You and your government have continued to push for biofuels as a substitute to fossil fuel, safe in the knowledge that those who are hungry and impoverished as a result will be confined to the third world and you will still be fed.
You have failed to provide any vision or discussion on the sort of future we will have that is not dependent on fossil fuel. We should not even be debating a third runway at Heathrow. We should be debating how we use the second runway and infrastructure at Heathrow as a benefit to the local community. Can the terminal buildings be used as a local college; can the runway be used as a solar and wind power farm, etc?
Whilst you continue to push for economic growth around an unsustainable model, you will continue to drive us into a chaotic state, from which you will not be able to escape. In the circumstances, to hear you claim you are the person to bring unity to your party simply demonstrates how out of touch you are with reality.
I would like you to confirm that if you are lucky enough to stay in power you will put the environment and sustainability at the forefront of your policies to avoid plunging us small people into further chaos, such that our only pleasure will be in watching further chaos unfolding around you.
I will publish this letter on my blog and will copy it to my MP (David Drew), who is not a supporter of you.
Regards,
Kevin Lister
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Orwellian Approval process for airport expansion
Copy of letter printed in the Gloucester Citizen
Dear Editor,
The decision by the Tewksbury planning to back the expansion plans of Gloucestershire Airport is a new low. It is the culmination of a process that could have been taken from George Orwell’s novels.
We have seen examples of “double speak” from 1984. There is Steve Jordan (Cheltenham, Lib Dem) saying “They would manage emissions down after the runway extension.” There is Paul James (Gloucester, Conservative) saying he supports the Green Management plan to cap Greenhouse gas emissions, but saying (Echo, 13th Jan) that additional flights to Europe, “Is good news.” There is the airport claiming their grass will sequestrate all their CO2. There is the airport’s “Green Management Plan” which has no penalties if restrictions are exceeded. There is Tweksbury Council signing up to the Nottingham declaration to put climate change as the top priority, then ignoring it. There is the airport claiming that the project is about safety, then moving the take off point 200 metres towards residential areas in Innsworth and Churchdown and saying “all safety risk assessments are classified.”
We have seen Councillors behaving like the sheep in Animal Farm where they bleat in support of their leaders. Chirs Witts (Gloucester, Lib Dem) bleated "that I can not understand what the fuss is about.” We were assured that that there would be robust debate in the Scrutiny committee and then watched all the councillors unquestioningly voting 32 in favour with only Jonathan Whitaker (Gloucester, Lib Dem) having the moral fibre to vote against the airport’s proposal.
We have watched our democratic process becoming a charade. The hundreds of letters sent to Gloucester and Cheltenham councils and the 400 objections to the planning department have been ignored. Faced with this failure in process, we had no option other than to peacefully protest, and were subsequently arrested.
Whilst this farce played out, we watched the economy crumble and the outlook on climate change blacken. Our schools and public services now face budget cuts. Yet the council is still backing a multimillion-pound loan for a business with no viable business plan. This is a development that will benefit a tiny elite minority of the county and will be paid for by everyone else.
Dear Editor,
The decision by the Tewksbury planning to back the expansion plans of Gloucestershire Airport is a new low. It is the culmination of a process that could have been taken from George Orwell’s novels.
We have seen examples of “double speak” from 1984. There is Steve Jordan (Cheltenham, Lib Dem) saying “They would manage emissions down after the runway extension.” There is Paul James (Gloucester, Conservative) saying he supports the Green Management plan to cap Greenhouse gas emissions, but saying (Echo, 13th Jan) that additional flights to Europe, “Is good news.” There is the airport claiming their grass will sequestrate all their CO2. There is the airport’s “Green Management Plan” which has no penalties if restrictions are exceeded. There is Tweksbury Council signing up to the Nottingham declaration to put climate change as the top priority, then ignoring it. There is the airport claiming that the project is about safety, then moving the take off point 200 metres towards residential areas in Innsworth and Churchdown and saying “all safety risk assessments are classified.”
We have seen Councillors behaving like the sheep in Animal Farm where they bleat in support of their leaders. Chirs Witts (Gloucester, Lib Dem) bleated "that I can not understand what the fuss is about.” We were assured that that there would be robust debate in the Scrutiny committee and then watched all the councillors unquestioningly voting 32 in favour with only Jonathan Whitaker (Gloucester, Lib Dem) having the moral fibre to vote against the airport’s proposal.
We have watched our democratic process becoming a charade. The hundreds of letters sent to Gloucester and Cheltenham councils and the 400 objections to the planning department have been ignored. Faced with this failure in process, we had no option other than to peacefully protest, and were subsequently arrested.
Whilst this farce played out, we watched the economy crumble and the outlook on climate change blacken. Our schools and public services now face budget cuts. Yet the council is still backing a multimillion-pound loan for a business with no viable business plan. This is a development that will benefit a tiny elite minority of the county and will be paid for by everyone else.
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Where have the Airports photovoltaic lights gone?
Where have the Airports photovoltaic lights gone? We have them!!
It is hard not to be cynical when airports attempt to demonstrate environmental credentials by using low energy light bulbs and solar power. The carbon savings from Gloucester Airport’s photovoltaic lighting for their welcome sign will not even register when compared with the emissions from just one scheduled flight.
At the last two council meetings, I have asked what happens if the ceilings for CO2 emissions of 4,000 tonnes per annum and plane movements of 95,000 per year are breached. I have been told that good management will ensure that this does not happen.
This answer does not inspire confidence that these limits are serious attempts to constrain and eventually reduce emissions. Unless there is a serious restriction on operations if these limits are breached, the Green Management plan is an irrelevance. And if good management does not work to keep the emissions below target, what is to stop creative accounting ensuring that they do?
The “Green Management Plan” has no specific year-on-year CO2 reductions, other than the vague statement “Ensuring that climate change issues are addressed in future plans for the airport.”
At Cheltenham we were told that the targets would be assessed in light of any new evidence. However, they had totally ignored Copenhagen Climate change conference, which was only 1 month ago. This heard evidence from the Hadely Centre that a business as usual approach would lead to a 7 deg C temperate rise by the end of century. The conference concluded, “Inaction is inexcusable.” If a world event of this magnitude has been ignored in the preparation of the document, what type earth-shattering event does it take to make the vested interests realise that we must stop talking about CO2 emissions and start acting.
So, we look forward to handing the lights and photovoltaic equipment back to the airport management when:
- The council confirms that if the ceilings are breached then operations at the airport will be discontinued for the measurement period.
- When the council confirms a reduction target for the total CO2 emissions that reflects the latest scientific evidence presented at the Copenhagen Conference.
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
AGM targets
Who: BP
Why: Large scale replacement of food and forested area for Jatropha and sugar cane
Where and when: AGM 16th April
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who: Tesco
Why: 25% owner of Greenergy. Have acknowledged using Palm Oil in biofuels which directly leads to the destruction of the Indonesian rainforest, but refuse to do anything about it. Also Greenpeace have ascertained palm oil is used.
Where and when AGM – June 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who: Air New Zealand
Why: Falsely claiming aviation will be environmental friendly when using Jatropha. Jatropha is a poisonous weed and leading to ecomomic and environemental destruction in much of the developing world.
When: New Zealand Embassy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who: Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Fuels.
Why: Falsely claiming that biofuels will make aviation environmentally friendly in spite of the evidence. Pushing large scale conversion of food to fuel. Funding second generation work using genetically engineered algae.
Where and when: AGM, Awaiting date.
Why: Large scale replacement of food and forested area for Jatropha and sugar cane
Where and when: AGM 16th April
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who: Tesco
Why: 25% owner of Greenergy. Have acknowledged using Palm Oil in biofuels which directly leads to the destruction of the Indonesian rainforest, but refuse to do anything about it. Also Greenpeace have ascertained palm oil is used.
Where and when AGM – June 2009
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Who: Air New Zealand
Why: Falsely claiming aviation will be environmental friendly when using Jatropha. Jatropha is a poisonous weed and leading to ecomomic and environemental destruction in much of the developing world.
When: New Zealand Embassy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Who: Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Fuels.
Why: Falsely claiming that biofuels will make aviation environmentally friendly in spite of the evidence. Pushing large scale conversion of food to fuel. Funding second generation work using genetically engineered algae.
Where and when: AGM, Awaiting date.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Getting Ready for the Fairford Air Tattoo
Why we hate the Fairford Air Tattoo
We hate the way that you make killing fun and that you give our kids free entry to the event while we are trying to teach them about global respsonsibility.
We hate the way that you glorfy competition between nations when the planet's survival depends on nations cooperating.
We hate the way that you claim to represent the people who defend our security but ridicule the science of climate change.
We hate the way that you are an advert for the aviation industry, yet you pretend to be a charity.
We hate the way that the companies at your airshow will be the same ones that are supporting the 3rd runway at Heathrow leading to thousands losing their homes and laughing at those of us that care about climate change.
We hate the way that we are paying for the incompetent bankers and also paying for new planes for climate criminals.
We hate the way that the BBC and ITV give your show wall to wall free advertising, but never give it any criticism, just because you can wine and dine the reporters.
We hate the way that you play to the stupid and self interested minority in our society who are easily fooled by your loud planes, big bangs, expensive toys and promise of instant gratification and then you tell us that this is what people want.
We hate the way that your industry buys off the government that fobs us off.
We hate to see our police force being used as a private army in defence of your industry's destruction of our planet.
We hate the way that your industry patronises us with talk about being environmentally friendly by using biofuels, and then starves to death the billions who can not compete.
We hate your childish boasts about being the worlds biggest airshow, when everyone else is cutting back.
We hate to hear the queen lecturing us about climate change, and then seeing a 200 plane fly past for her.
We hate to see the business that you do with those terror regimes around the world.
We hate being forcibly reminded of our hatred for you by having your planes flying over us, and having no right of complaint about the noise.
We will be at your show to say "Screw you" to you that is screwing us.
We leave you with Bob Dylan's Master of War and last years art work.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
New inquiry into the future of aviation - or new farce
The government is doing what it always does when it wants to put off a difficulty decision whilst appear to be doing something. It has an inquiry, this time it is a "New inquiry into the future of aviation."
A new inquiry that starts with the comment, "It [aviation] has a good safety record. Demand for air travel has grown substantially," and goes onto say that "The Government's aim is to develop a long-term framework that will maximise the beneficial aspects of aviation," will not be a new inquiry. It will be the same old farce where the aviation industry gets the platform to lie about how environmentally concerned they are; about how they want an International agreement on emissions knowing full well it will never happen; about how they want carbon trading without saying that the rest of our industry must be shut down to allow aviation to continue growing, and about how there are other bigger polluters so there is no point targeting the aviation industry.
The politicians who are either in the pockets of the industry or like the sheep of George Orwell's Animal Farm will all shout in agreement, while trying to look knowledgeable and concerned. They will furrow their brows as they pretend to wrestle with the difficult decisions, and then patronise us by telling us that they have made the difficult decisions and compromises that will satisfy everyone. When in fact, all they will have done is to give the green light to the aviation industry. Meanwhile, the planet overheats and burns, civil liberties are trampled and critical science is treated with the contempt that one would expect from a Big Brother contestent.
A new inquiry is certainly needed; one that will address how we will urgently reverse the airport expansion of the last 30 years before it is too late.
My submission for this farce is here.
A new inquiry that starts with the comment, "It [aviation] has a good safety record. Demand for air travel has grown substantially," and goes onto say that "The Government's aim is to develop a long-term framework that will maximise the beneficial aspects of aviation," will not be a new inquiry. It will be the same old farce where the aviation industry gets the platform to lie about how environmentally concerned they are; about how they want an International agreement on emissions knowing full well it will never happen; about how they want carbon trading without saying that the rest of our industry must be shut down to allow aviation to continue growing, and about how there are other bigger polluters so there is no point targeting the aviation industry.
The politicians who are either in the pockets of the industry or like the sheep of George Orwell's Animal Farm will all shout in agreement, while trying to look knowledgeable and concerned. They will furrow their brows as they pretend to wrestle with the difficult decisions, and then patronise us by telling us that they have made the difficult decisions and compromises that will satisfy everyone. When in fact, all they will have done is to give the green light to the aviation industry. Meanwhile, the planet overheats and burns, civil liberties are trampled and critical science is treated with the contempt that one would expect from a Big Brother contestent.
A new inquiry is certainly needed; one that will address how we will urgently reverse the airport expansion of the last 30 years before it is too late.
My submission for this farce is here.
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