A letter to your MP on airport expansion

Dear Your MPs name,

I am writing to you to protest against the government’s proposals to expand the airports at Heathrow, Stanstead and Luton .

This decision is in direct conflict with the recommendations of the Stern report which argued that we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 90%. It is already going to be impossible to achieve a cut of this order without significant changes in lifestyles. It will be absolutely impossible with the proposed airport expansion.

We have just experienced the warmest year ever on record. Massive ice flows that have existed for thousands of years have broken up in the Artic. Extreme weather has led to the destruction of large parts of Africa and the Amazon Rain Forest. Islands in the Pacific are now being inundated. One quarter of the world’s animals are now at risk of extinction. Acidification of the oceans threatens a world wide collapse of fish stocks. The list of environmental collapse through global warming is mounting by the day and climate scientists' previous worst case scenarios are now looking like a walk in the park compared to what is really happening.

The government has argued that the airport expansion is necessary for the economic development of the country and the South East. However, the government’s sustainable development policy website states the following:

“We need to secure a profound change in the way we generate and use energy, and in other activities that release these gases. We must set a good example and encourage others to follow it.”

In light of the airport expansion, this is contradictorily. Sustainable development, which has been so quickly absorbed into governmental rhetoric requires that we begin to start balancing economic and environmental priorities. If we are to be an advanced and “encouraging” nation, public policy should reflect that the environment and economy are inextricably linked - the condition of our economy will reflect the health of the earth’s natural systems. The time will come when the economy is substantially undermined by the environment.

The argument has been made by the government that airport expansion is necessary for the economic development of the country and the South East. It is not clear how expansion will be continued with our cities flooded. It is even less clear why it is in our vital economic interest to have thousands of people flying around for cheap weekend breaks.

Given the wide ranging problems that we face in the near future, I can only conclude that this decision is crass, short sighted and focused only of short term electoral gain.

Given the severity of the current environment position and wanton disregard of the environmental implications of this decision, I seek your assurance that you will use your position in parliament to challenge this destructive and short sighted decision.

Yours sincerely,

Your name