The Filtnib’s Progress

Got to say, I’m exceptionally pleased with Greenpeace today. Those brainiac-tivists have come up with an ingenius way to obstruct the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport. Even Gordon Brown conceded the plan showed “breathtaking cunning.”*

The climate campaigners have clubbed together and quietly bought the deeds to a football pitch-sized plot of land within the site of the proposed third runway.

As if that wasn’t enough, the main title deed holders happen to be some very eloquent celebrities. Here’s comedian Alistair McGowan, with the kind of quote any journalist would kill for:

By giving this runway the go-ahead Gordon Brown is effectively holding a giant blow torch to the polar ice caps and saying ‘Melt! Melt!’

Aviation expansion will have a serious effect on sea levels and will decimate the very countries people feel it is their right to fly to. This isn’t just about the destruction of Sipson but the destruction of the world as we know it.”

McGowan, Emma Thompson and Zac Goldsmith are among the official title deed holders, but Greenpeace are also inviting members of the public – i.e. us – to sign up as ‘beneficial owners‘, which means you don’t have to hand any money over but will be included in a legal deed of trust. By 3.15pm today, an astonishing 4,640 people had already agreed to become co-owners of the plot, and numbers were rising by around a thousand every hour.

Jim Pickard explains why this will make a difference:

I just called up a planning expert at one of the big property agencies to ask whether this would work. It turns out that a government agency wanting to carry out a CPO has to physically serve it in person to the landowner. That could make things very, very complicated.”

Want to make a stand? Join in here. At full capacity, an expanded Heathrow would become the biggest single source of C02 emissions in Britain. Greenpeace protested at Heathrow back in April, organizing a peaceful demo which was unfortunately overshadowed by BAA’s own incompetence in failing to open Terminal 5. Luckily their latest act of rebellion has already attracted a whole lot more press coverage: it was discussed on radio 4 this morning, and on the FT’s Alphaville blog. It’s even being covered in the Spanish press.

The government, who were expected to greenlight a third runway this week, will now only say they will announce their decision by the end of the month. More than 40 backbench MPs have voiced their concerns over the plan. If you’re still feeling undecided, read this Economist article on why it’s time “for the British government to realise that it is not its job to be the champion of the aviation industry“.

* he didn’t really. except probably he did, in his head.