Representation by Luke Shoham
- Date submitted
- 27 October 2023
- Submitted by
- Members of the public/businesses
2023 has seen the following: - a record number of days over 1.5 ?C hotter than average; - the hottest summer on record, a massive 0.66 ?C higher than any previous year; - crop failures in the Indian subcontinent and East Africa, leading to immense suffering; - an unprecedented number of extreme weather events, from flooding to storms to wildfires, which have killed thousands and displaced hundreds of thousands; - a severe loss of marine life, including coral bleaching; - significant melting of the West Antarctic ice shelf. It is quite incredible, therefore, that a second runway at Gatwick is even being considered. Even though the airport has invested heavily in its net zero ambitions, and intends to reach net zero for its Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, the impact of extra flights cannot possibly be justified. What is important is not simply reaching net zero by 2050; instead it is the area under the curve up to that point. Unless emissions are cut rapidly, continued global warming up until 2050 will have truly catastrophic effects, as innumerable scientific studies continue to demonstrate. Increasing the volume of flights in and out of Gatwick will have a tangible impact on global warming, furthering the suffering of millions of people around the world. Nothing is more important than tackling climate change: the future of humanity is genuinely at stake. Constructing a second runway for economic reasons, for instance, would be impossible to justify given the gravity of the situation we find ourselves in. Luke Shoham Head of Chemistry, Brighton College, MChem (Oxon)