It's Just Plane Stupid, Stealing An A380 Wing
Well, we suppose this is one way to get a point across. A UK
environmental group launched its latest campaign against aviation
by taking over a barge carrying a wing for a new Airbus A380
Monday. The wing was being transported from Airbus' factory in
Broughton, Wales, on the River Dee.
Protesters from the group, Plane Stupid, boarded the barge and
pitched tents on it. They demanded the wing be stored until
scientists can develop a way to allow aviation to expand without
contributing to global warming.
"Protestors gained unlawful entry onto the Dee River craft,"
said Toulouse, France-based Airbus. "Whilst Airbus agrees with
people's rights to demonstrate, safety and security are our
paramount concerns at all times and demonstrations must be lawful
and demonstrators behave responsibly."
Security guards from Airbus removed six protesters off the
barge, the North Wales police told Bloomberg Monday in an e- mailed
statement.
Monday's action launches a week-long series of protests by the
group against aviation that will culminate into what's been termed
as a mass protest on Sunday, the Camp for Climate Change.
The group targeted the A380 because it insists any
fuel-efficiency gains the new jet offers will be cancelled out by
an increase in the number of people flying.
So, flying a fuel efficient aircraft isn't a good idea?
"Extraordinary times call for an extraordinary response," said
Leo Murray, a Plane Stupid member. "These new airliners aren't
being manufactured to clean up the aviation industry; they're being
built to significantly enlarge it."
Plane Stupid says aviation is contributing more than its fair
share of carbon emissions to the environment and has gone so far as
to refer to airlines as "climate criminals" on its website.
In May of this year when Britain Prime Minister Tony Blair
celebrated his tenth anniversary in office, the group noted the
occasion by "highlighting" what it says is a revolving door between
Labor and the aviation industry. They "blocked" that revolving door
by chaining the front doors to BAA offices and dumping copies of
reports from the UN and the Tyndall Center, a climate change
research group, on the science of climate change into the reception
area in opposition to airport expansion.
According to their website, they then refused to allow staff to
leave the building until they "read the science." Four of the
activists were arrested later that evening when the affected staff
refused to read the science.
So, holding people against their will and hijacking aircraft
part deliveries will help the environment... but technology for
increasingly fuel efficient aircraft won't?
BAA recently won an injunction banning protesters from camping
within about 325 feet of any property run by London's
transportation authority, Transport for London, in anticipation of
the upcoming Camp for Climate Change protest. There is already a
reported "eco-village" growing near Heathrow.
"Around 1.5 million passengers are due to pass through Heathrow
during the week of climate camp," Heathrow Managing Director Mark
Bullock. "It is our responsibility to ensure that we do everything
we can to guarantee their safety and comfort during this very busy
period."
The Climate Camp website says protestors do not intend to cross
the airport's perimeter fence into places where aircraft are
located.