Apr
27
Written by:
ECRA Bloggers
27/04/2009 12:56
Richard, of 'The Good Life', is digging an allotment on land bought earlier this year by Greenpeace
Thirty years after The Good Life ended, actor Richard Briers has dusted off his spade and started digging up the land earmarked by Gordon Brown for the construction of a new runway at Heathrow airport.
Richard is digging an allotment on land bought earlier this year by Greenpeace from under the noses of ministers and BAA. He’s planting carrots on the plot and will send the vegetables to every member of the cabinet in the hope that they’ll enjoy them so much they’ll ditch their plans for a third runway.
The whole of the Sipson area would be destroyed if a third runway gets the go-ahead, and the scheme would make Heathrow the single biggest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the whole of the UK. Labour’s airport expansion plans threaten to seriously undermine the UK’s ability to meet the 80% cut in emissions by 2050 that we have committed to. Only this week, Sir Nicholas Stern, who wrote the groundbreaking report on the economy and climate change, said that the Heathrow decision would “undermine confidence in the UK’s ability to meet its climate change target”.
Richard Briers: “I’m planting carrot seeds. After they’ve grown I’m going to send a runway carrot once a year to every member of the cabinet. I’m hoping they’ll become so attached to them that they’ll drop their plans for Heathrow expansion. I think it’s always better to reach for the carrot rather than the stick.”
The land was purchased by Greenpeace with Emma Thompson, Alistair McGowan and Zac Goldsmith in January, just days before the Government gave the green light to Heathrow expansion. The plot now has over 43,000 people signed up as beneficial owners, including Richard.