Letter to the Kent on Sunday

Dear Editor,

I was amazed at the out pouring against Clive Aslet's views on Manston as I for one agree wholeheartedly with him on this issue.

Mr Andrews's suggestion that airport expansion offers a 'glimmer of hope for our children's future' is particularly worrying. Climate change is the biggest threat to our collective future that we (and our children) face. Expanding airports, and therefore increasing emissions from planes, is complete madness. The climate change effect of emissions from planes up to 4 times more than from cars and power stations. There can be no increase in flying if we are to stop runaway climate change, indeed there has to be significantly less. Our children do need a glimmer of hope, but destroying our climate will not give them that.

In a separate letter, Mr Medwell attacks the suggestion of civil disobedience to stop the expansions. Non-violent civil disobedience may well be the last line of defence against expansion - let us hope that it does not come to that. However, Al Gore has asked why children everywhere are not protesting in the streets over the need to stop carbon emissions, and remember that Ghandi and Rosa Parks changed the world with their civil disobedience. Sometimes it is necessary.

Stuart Jeffery
Campaigns Officer for Kent Green Party