Representation by Hugh Fairs
- Date submitted
- 17 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
The proposed increased in flights will increase CO2 emissions by 35% at Gatwick. (Gatwick’s own figures). There will also be an associated increase on CO2 emissions due to the growth in motor traffic locally to Gatwick in a rural area. The UK has signed up to achieve net zero by 2050. This proposed increase in air traffic will blow a huge hole in our international legal obligations to achieve this aim. What extra cuts are we all to make to allow an expansion in emissions associated with Gatwick flight expansion. It is worth noting that from 1989 until the present day the CO2 emissions caused burning fossil fuels equals ALL the man-made emissions since the beginning of industrialization. 1989 was around the start of cheap short haul flights to holiday destinations. The proposed increase in flights is largely to accommodate more of these short haul flights. There is little freight capacity at Gatwick and so this increase in flights is not part of building ‘Global Britain’ and increasing international trade. It is merely allowing more people to holiday cheaply abroad. I am (redacted) years old. For the majority of my life, people holidayed in the UK. Holidays abroad are fine, but they are not a ‘right’ . I’ve holidayed abroad myself many times, and travelled widely for work as a cameraman. However, this unprecedented increase in foreign travel has led to a huge increase in emissions. We have began to wake up to the fact that the fine balance of chemicals (gasses) in out atmosphere are being altered by human activity. Nearly half of that change coming since the advent of cheap flights. THERE IS A CORRELATION. It cannot be right to expand the capacity of Gatwick for nothing more than the benefit of shareholders while the planet heats up. It’s the behavior of Ostriches. Enough!