Red line

It's a long time since I've had a rant and after a while they begin to back up so I spent today ranting. Here's the one that took the most time, to the independent planning inspector handling The Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan's appeal against North Somerset's refusal last year to allow Bristol airport to expand. 

Ontario, Bristol, is that? No, Ontario, Canada. Their teachers own Bristol airport, though they probably haven't been told that.

Dear Leanne Palmer

I'm writing to object to the proposed expansion of Bristol airport.

1. The Climate Emergency
We know that aviation is a major contributor to the destruction of our planet. We know that we have to live differently, urgently. How, just how, can this proposal be taken as a contribution to human wellbeing when it is exactly the opposite? I'm old and I'll already be dead when the full impact of storms and heatwaves first hits the UK but seriously, for the sake of young people please don't let them do this.

2. Illness
Science: Around 40,000 deaths a year in the UK are attributable to exposure to outdoor air pollution. It’s been linked to cancer, asthma, stroke, heart disease, diabetes and dementia. When I was a child, asthma was rare. Now it's common. Why? Yes, cars, but also the incidence of asthma and respiratory diseases is 17% higher among those living within 10km of a major airport. Cardiac problems are 9% more common.
There are laws against exposing employees to workplace hazards. So why do we seem not to care about exposing everyone to emissions that cause illness and early death? It's avoidable. Please use your position to help stop this.

3. Our natural environment
Bristol Airport has acknowledged that its proposed expansion ‘has the potential to have significant effects on the environment’. As well as the danger from aviation emissions the airport wants to extend its car park by over 2,500 cars so it has asked that all airport operational and related land be ‘released from the Green Belt designation’. What?! Apart from the Green Belt (introduced widely in the 1950s to improve lives) the airport car park will be only 2km from a Special Area of Conservation for protected species.

4. Noise pollution
This one doesn't affect me personally so I don't care. If the Airport expands to accommodate 12 million passengers a year only 5,453 dwellings will be affected by an increase in noise between 11.30pm and 6am. Actually, I do care. How is it possible to dismiss the impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of over 20,000 people? 

5. Road traffic
Astonishingly, Bristol Airport has no rail link and only limited public bus access. So more than 87% passengers in 2017 travelled there by car. The proposed expansion to 12 million passengers a year means an average of 9,500 additional vehicle movements per day and at peak periods around 13,000 more vehicles per day, all affecting the lives of the people in Bristol and North Somerset. Apart from the increased risk of road injuries and deaths see 2 above.

Of course it's sad that we can't travel as freely as we did before we were aware of the serious consequences, but we know now. Like smoking. We acted against that when we realised, but smoking was never going to contribute to making our planet uninhabitable.

Generating more money can't save us, only intelligence and responsibility can. Please use yours wisely.