For more information about the case of two groups of activists on trial for actions they are alleged to have taken in May 2010, see their website. MCFly was promised (twice, and personally) statements from the Press Team at Manchester Airport about the trial. Those promises were, sadly, not kept.
Manchester Airport is owned by the 10 local authorities of Greater Manchester. Manchester City Council owns 55%, with the other 9 councils owning 5% each. While the airport’s ground operations are relatively “green”, the airport is refusing to take responsibility for any proportion of the emissions of the planes taking off, flying or landing, on the pretext that there is no internationally agreed way of sharing out these emissions between the origin and destination of a flight. But this will change, and as majority owner of the Airport, Manchester City Council will have to take ownership of a proportion of the aviation emissions. Including these extra emissions will make its ambitious carbon reductions targets set out in the Manchester Climate Change Action Plan impossible to achieve.
Any non-violent action that does not endanger lives which is taken to discourage the Airport’s owners from expanding the airport should be applauded and supported by any sane human being concerned for the fate of the planet. We no longer sell slaves, or deny voting rights to women, and we are astounded that such practices were ever the norm. We will look back at airport growth with the same incredulity.
Marc Hudson, editor of Manchester Climate Fortnightly 2008-2010.
[It is a matter of public record that I am flying to Australia to spend a year with my parents, and returning overland. Doubtless this will bring cries of ‘hypocrisy’ from those keen to change the subject from the City Council’s responsibility, but the activists on trial have said they still want me to provide a statement.]
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