The Bristol FOE campaign against the expansion of Bristol International Airport started back in Feburary. A number of ex-Bristol FOE members came together to discuss climate change. BIA is the biggest single producer of CO2 in the Bristol Region and they plan to double their passengers by 2020 and then triple them by 2030. BIA expansion will also be used as a driver for more new roads in the countryside south of Bristol and hence more Co2. No one( the Government included) seriously believes any longer that road building will solve traffic congestion but there is still a widely held (and wrong) view amongst politicians and developers that further road building is necessary for economic development. We kicked off our campaign by going to the airport and presenting a member of the Marketing team (the management couldn't be there to meet us) with a bill for BIA's CO2 emissions. We have since found out that though our method of calculation was sound, it was an understimate. It required Jeremy working through all their flights and distances travelled by their planes. Hidden in the BIA Draft Masterplan we found the actual figure for their aircraft fuel usage so we now have an exact current figure of 720,000 tonnes (twice the CO2 emissions of all the private cars in Bristol). And this is before expansion. There are many other concerns with expansion. FOE is now working in an alliance with CPRE, PCAA and the Woodland Trust known as Stop BIA Expansion and with individuals in North Somerset and BANES villages. You should see posters and car stickers appearing all over the area shortly. In October/November BIA's public consultation will consist of leaflets around the immediate area and an exhibition in the Galleries, Wrington, Cleeve, Chew Magna and Winford. FOE intend to be there. For further details, contact Pip Sheard

Pip

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