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.

FMI: www.planestupid.com, www.airbus.com, www.climatecamp.org.uk