Mark Lynas on the Heathrow protests

Aviation is the incendiary issue in environmental politics today. The campaigners at Heathrow are just the vanguard of a powerful new people’s movement, writes Mark Lynas

Probably the single most polluting thing you or I will ever do is step on to a plane. Take that tempting return flight to, say, Thailand, and you become immediately responsible for about six tonnes of greenhouse gases entering the atmosphere – three times more than is likely to come from any other activity you do in the year, including driving and heating your house. This is why aviation is the most bitter and divisive issue in environmental politics today....Tyndall Centre scientists are adamant that “there is no chance for the climate without tackling aviation” – and that means stopping the expansion of airport infrastructure.

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