An apple a day keeps the runway away

2.54.00pm GMT Tue 1st Dec 2009

Dr Evan Harris, Member of Parliament for Oxford West and Abingdon joined with local members of Greenpeace on Saturday to protest against the proposed 3rd runway at Heathrow. Dr Harris helped plant an apple tree at Wolvercote, which is twinned with another tree in Sipson, a village that will be destroyed if the 3rd runway goes ahead.

Speaking after the ceremony, Dr Harris said:

"I have been a long-standing opponent of this 3rd runway. If it were built, Heathrow would become the largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions in the whole country. We'd have no hope of reaching our targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions and averting catastrophic global climate change.

"Many constituents have written to me expressing their concern about the additional emissions that would be generated by an expansion of Heathrow, not to mention the destruction of even more countryside in the surrounding area. I agree - and that's why I became a beneficial owner of Greenpeace's Airplot."

Liberal Democrats have long opposed the new runway at Heathrow, arguing that domestic passengers should be encouraged to switch from air travel to high speed rail. In the meantime, the aviation industry should account for its cost to the environment through inclusion in the EU's Emissions Trading Scheme, and a tax on flights rather than passengers to discourage the practice of flying planes half-full.

You can read more about the planting here, as well as watch a video:

http://www.greenpeace.org.uk/groups/oxford/blog/oxford-mps-plant-apple-tree