The Reader: Heathrow ruling just the start for our green future

Environmental campaigners protest outside the Royal Courts of Justice ahead of the announcement of the ruling on the controversial third runway for Heathrow airport
Getty Images
28 February 2020
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Climate campaigners have been vindicated by the Court of Appeal’s ruling against a third runway at Heathrow. This opens the door to legal challenges to other polluting schemes. But expensive legal battles are not the only solution — we need to stop damaging schemes like this earlier.

Heathrow developers have only been able to get so close to success because of Labour’s flawed 2008 Planning Act, which took power out of local community hands to decide on major projects.

Labour’s Act allowed the Tory Government to bulldoze over evidence of the environmentally catastrophic effect of a third runway. As Green Mayor of London, I would push for changes to the Act, to remove this veto from central government and put power back with local authorities, accountable to the people affected.
Sian Berry, Green Mayor of London candidate and party co-leader

It’s now time for the UK to ditch all climate-wrecking infrastructure projects. We need to dispel the myth that job creation must come at the expense of the climate.

Renewable energy, clean transport and research into sustainable materials all have the potential to create thousands of jobs, so it’s time that they get proper government support.
Jenny Bates, Friends of the Earth

Editor's reply

Dear Sian and Jenny

The Court of Appeal categorically did not rule against a third runway (although the effect of their decision may stop it from ever being built). What it found was the Government had broken the law in failing to ensure its expansion strategy met the Paris climate change accord. As a very occasional air passenger, I go out of my way to avoid Heathrow. A day-trip to Brussels last week on the Eurostar was glorious. Why anyone flies, I have no idea. The Heathrow ruling will embolden activists to ensure the environment is at the heart of all future transport decisions. Rethinking Silvertown’s tunnel would also be a good way for Mayor Khan to build on his part in securing the Heathrow judgment.

Ross Lydall, City Hall Editor

Jobs inspiration for poorer pupils

It is not surprising to read that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are failing to secure jobs [News, February 26]. That is why we have increased our educational involvement in recent years, sponsoring academies in some of London’s most deprived areas and promoting skills training.

And later this year, Guildhall hosts the second London Careers Festival. It will connect more than 120 global businesses with 6,000 London students to fuel their imaginations and shape their futures.
Henry Colthurst , Chairman of the City of London Corporation’s Education Board

Court funding is vital to end delays​

Like all Londoners, we are concerned about levels of youth violence [“School exclusions and youth violence ‘should be priority for Mayor’”, February 25]. It is therefore particularly worrying that the time taken to bring cases involving young people to court has increased significantly over the last decade. There is an urgent need to recruit more magistrates and legal advisers, and for greater investment across the justice system, so that cases involving youth violence can be dealt with quickly by the courts.
John Bache JP National Chairman, Magistrates’ Association

I’m missing school to save the planet

Greta Thunberg stands alongside fellow environmental activists for the Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate protest
PA

Today we welcome Greta Thunberg to Bristol. In the past week, our small group of students have worked around the clock to deliver this massive event. Events such as this give young people like me a sense of purpose. When I started striking two years ago I was 16 and felt voiceless.

We understand that this event requires skipping school, in fact that is the point of our strikes. Yet, it is tiring to have to continually explain this to people who are angry that we are choosing to miss our education.

Young people are striking because they feel they have to. In this instance, it’s not a question of imploring that child to not strike, it’s a case of proving to us that you’re actively trying to work towards a solution which will cause the Youth Strikes to cease having to be a movement. Missing school and having to catch up is not desirable for anyone, so instead of wasting your energy getting cross at us, we urge you to please use your anger and energy productively. The only solution to this crisis is collective.
Heulwen Flower, Bristol Youth Strike 4 Climate

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