Tuesday 2 December 2008

Destroying democracy and the environment

According to the Evening Standard:

Militants trying to stop the expansion of Heathrow are planning a series of direct action protests in the New Year, the Standard can reveal.

They will carry out co-ordinated attacks designed to cause maximum disruption. Protesters said they wanted to make the Government pay for "broken promises" by targeting leading MPs and Heathrow officials.

It has been clear for a while that a decision to expand the airport will lead to some serious direct action. As far a broken promises are concerned, to promise strict environmental tests and then fix them as blatantly as has been done over Heathrow will irreparably damage faith in the democratic process.

Meanwhile the BBC reports a survey from the British Chambers of Commerce demanding a third runway at Heathrow and a high speed rail link, supposedly because of the increasing costs of congestion. But:
The report also found that employers are increasingly willing to implement policies that allow staff to work from home and take advantage of technological advances.
Isn't that the way forward?

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