While all the Climate Change activists are away in Copenhagen…
The story must have run something like this : several months ago, as it became clear that a large part of the social-developmental-environmental movements were going to be in Denmark in December, some big UK civil servants in Whitehall, London went down the pub with some representatives from the aviation industry and out the suggestion popped : “I know, let’s approve the Heathrow Third Runway at the start of the Copenhagen Summit. Nobody will be around to occupy anything or protest.”
While the mice are away, the fat cats will play :-
https://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/article6949367.ece
“Airlines slam Tories on Heathrow runway”, 9 December 2009
https://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2009/dec/08/ba-heathrow-third-runway-tories
“BA calls Tory opposition to Heathrow third runway ‘biggest mistake ever'”, 8 December 2009
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/09/business/global/09heathrow.html
“Adviser Suggests Heathrow Expansion Possible”, 8 December 2009
“Climate watchdog: Heathrow expansion OK : Tuesday, 08, Dec 2009 12:36 : By politics.co.uk staff : Heathrow can expand as long as other sectors of the economy reduce their emissions, the government’s climate watchdog has found. The UK could still meet its climate targets if other sectors reduce emissions by 90 per cent and future increases in flying are limited to 60 per cent, rather than the government’s current 200 per cent projection…”
“Aviation policy? Rip it up, start again” : Leo Murray, 8 December 2009