Please send a copy of this letter to the Minister of Transport, particularly if

[Guest guest]

(i KNOW THIS IS NOT STRICKLY A Vegan message, but I feel sure that

most vegans would support this campaign, as kinder to the environment)

 

 

The Rt. Hon Alistair Darling MP

Secretary of State for Transport

Great Minster House

76 Marsham Street

London SW1P 4DR

 

Dear Sir,

 

I am writing in response to the options contained in the Government's

consultation The Future Development of Air Transport in the United

Kingdom. I am shocked by the scale of the expansion options proposed

and am deeply concerned about the environmental and social damage

that could result if air transport is allowed to grow without

constraint.

 

I therefore wish to object to the options for massive airport

expansion proposed in the consultation and I strongly urge the

Government to move away from a 'predict and provide' approach to air

transport policy, which will be environmentally unsustainable.

 

Instead, as a solution to massive airport expansion, I ask that the

Government places demand management measures centre stage of the

forthcoming Air Transport White Paper. Measures that I would like to

see include:

 

continuing pressure at an EU and international level to end the tax

anomaly of no tax paid on aviation fuel;

 

an ending of the current anomaly of the zero-rating of VAT on fuel,

tickets etc for air transport;

 

the raising of Air Passenger Duty, or other environmental taxes, to

ensure that the air transport industry pays the environmental and

social costs it imposes on society;

 

the auctioning of take-off slots to ensure maximum efficiency,

particularly at congested airports;

 

an emissions trading scheme based on emissions and distance flown,

with a progressively dropping limit or cap on emission levels;

 

making the best use of existing infrastructure within environmental

capacity constraints; and

 

the serious promotion of, and investment in, alternatives to flying,

including high-speed electric train services to complement and

replace domestic and short-haul flights, the most damaging in terms

of greenhouse gas emissions.

 

I look forward to receiving your reply.

 

Yours sincerely,

 

(Your signature)

 

 

 

The reasons for this campaign can be found at this site

 

http://www.cpre.org.uk/campaigns/transport/airport-expansion/what-

you-can-do.htm

 

Love PEACE & tranquillity

 

Chris