| Topic: | Re:Re:Heathrow - Panorama Monday : Friends in High Places | |
| Posted by: | Neil Anderson | |
| Date/Time: | 20/07/08 11:13:00 |
| The decision for a third runway had already been taken by the government before the consultation. However, the third runway and the introduction of mixed mode are "subject to stringent local environmental limits being met". The consultation was to invite views on whether those limits could be met. The strength of reaction against expansion was greater than the government expected, and in the meantime evidence has come to light of collusion between the DfT and BAA. Ruth Kelly has subsequently postponed announcing the decision until later this year. Take a look at today's Sunday Times for an example of how they fixed the figures. BAA invented a new greener jumbo to reduce the environmental impact of a third runway, and used this imaginary plane in its forecasts for the environmental modelling of Heathrow. The DfT took BAA's figures as the basis for its research to show how Heathrow could be expanded without causing more noise or pollution. They appear not to have anticipated that Joe Public can work out that an additional runway and more flights is liable to result in more pollution, not less. You can read more about BAA and the DfT's methods on CRASH's website at www.crashw4.org. |