Heathrow protesters set up camp

[demoleft]

Source: BBC

A climate change protest camp is being set up outside Heathrow airport, two days earlier than had been expected.

Thousands of protesters are expected this week at the Camp for Climate Action, which opposes the expansion of London's biggest airport.

Protesters claim that the growth in air travel is a major factor in greenhouse gas emissions.

Airport operator, BAA, has warned against protests which could be a dangerous distraction at a time of heightened security fears.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6943084.stm

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I don't know if it is dangerous as it is claimed by the airport operators. And maybe agents are right to say that the police must concentrate on terroristic threats.
But the topic is important: more low-cost flights, more flights, growing pollution.
We must make a decision in Europe: to reduce pollution means also to reduce are expectations and life-style.
It seems we can't have both. What do we choose?

[acmavm]

1. Didn't the government threaten to enforce the 'terra' laws if they went through

with these protests?

And re: reducing expectations and life style vs. reducting pollution. It's a moot point. We don't reduce pollution we will have no life style or expectations.

That's the catch. And by reducing lifestyle, what does that mean? No Hummers and fewer gas guzzler as opposed to more public transportation (for which I really have to give kudos to Europeans for using a hell of a lot more than Americans do) or alternative energy cars (for those who can afford them? Less convenience items such as plastic milk jugs and plastic bags instead of losing the polar ice caps? Protect the rain forests in exchange for drilling for minerals and oil?

[demoleft]

2. Slower, a bit darker, a less rich life!

You're right. Europeans use more of public transportation.
This means sometimes you have to travel for longer hours. You can't choose the time: you have to plan your day according to a public timetable (unless you go by cabs).
It changes your daily agenda. Simply because the transportation doesn't depend only on you.

And this is just an example.

One more. We want the M.E. and the South American Countries democratic. We want those people a bit happier. We want homes and schools and factories and companies for them. We want them equal to us: taking their kids on holiday using their cars or flying on planes.
The change and the improvement we dream of for those people can only happen the moment they use the oil and the gas for their own growth. But we know that less resources on the global market would put Europe on the edge of disaster.

We should be ready to change our life-style and to reduce are expectations anyway - just because we're democratic!
Global warming puts a more vital problem to us all - you're right: we must change anyway to survive.

So the point is we must change anyway.

Are we ready to sacrifice, for us in the next future and for the dejected people now? To share with them the resources?

[acmavm]

3. I don't know about Europeans being willing to share, although I suspect

that they are more generous and worldly that Americans are, but I don't think very many people ANYWHERE are willing to share or sacrifice anything for what you could call 'the common good'. We are all so damn selfish. And we can ignore anything that makes life a little more inconvenient, that makes us 'work' a little for what we want. Instant gratification has become expected.

Plus hell, it's future generations that will really suffer, right? Let them fend for themselves. :sarcasm:

[demoleft]

5. "We are all so damn selfish" - you're right. We've lost a wider vision. n/t

[rodeodance]

6. yes they did. And that is WRONG!

[LiberalEsto]

4. Stop permitting private jets

All these private learjets zipping around the planet, hauling a a single rich bastard, are what's really ruining things. Let them ride in public carriers like other people.