So are the runway invaders at Stansted eco nazis or are they just trying to save the world?

[jujumaman]

I think we all fly way too much and am growing increasingly cross about stag weekends/shopping weekends abroad being taken as a norm.

But I'm not sure this kind of direct action is going to do anything to endear the green movement to the public.

What do you think?

I would be incandescent if I had missed something important or necessary but as a bystander it seems good that there are people who care and do this kind of thing. Good and sort of endearing. They are right and if there are youngsters out there prepared to superglue themselves to concrete bollards or whatever in the freezing cold then good luck to them.

They are just trying to save the world. Thank god for them. I'm amazed at the hostility towards them on this thread.

I saw a very interesting speech recently by Ed Miliband (new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change) where he called on all the activists, protesters and green idealist groups to put increasing pressure on the government in the run up to the Copenhagen summit next year, where they're due to hammer out a new climate change deal.

In his words 'People like that can be a pain in the arse but they can make a huge difference'

This kind of action may cause inconvenience to lots of people - but it does have effects. And my feeling is that we're running out of time to be polite about this issue.

Quite iorek.

yes that's an astute and considered comment ruby.

I actually doubt very much that they checked - having been involved with similar sorts of direct action years ago, I know that the plans need to be kept absolutely secret to have a chance of carrying out the action.

....I am sure that Jonty and Jemima superglueing their Birkenstocks to the runway will make a huge difference to climate change.

(as an aside, I am SURE Pip Archer was there..)

...Just think. If a few more underemployed Cultural Studies students from Hatfield Poly had pulled their fingers out 65 million years ago, then without doubt the dinosaurs would have met a different fate.

...I am also amazed and impressed that anybody, anywhere, ever listens to anything as mind numbing as a speech by Ed Milliband.....

Like I said, its got people discussing it - change doesn't happen when nobody is even talking about the issues.

What difference does it make anyway who is saying this, what their background is, what sandals they wear? Are we to disregard them entirely on the basis that they are young and passionate?

Heard a complaint by someone on the radio who ironically was trying to get to a Climate Change conference

Im all for them myself >>Doesnt mention the fact that she lives quite near Stanstead and is not thrilled with the idea of it being the 'new' Heathrow?Not in my back garden you say?Yup )

Actually I do think its rubbish to be expanding airports and all that when at the same time there are Green pledges being bandied about left right and centre..What they should ruddy do is invest all the airport cash into the sodding trains to get people out of their cars.Its drives me insane when politicians say that our public transport is cheap and affordable Is it?A season ticket into London for me with tube to enable me to get into work once in London(is about a 21 mile journey) would cost about £800 a month, versus 4 tanks of petrol which amounts to £200.Plus although driving takes a looong time every day, it actually still takes on average 10 minutes less that the trains would

Invest in that before you invest in expanding airports you wazzocks..
Rant over..As you were..

I've not mentioned their "presentation". I just think there are other ways they could have protested which were more likely to endear people to their cause, and less likely to get people's backs up. Because they have got people's backs up. And not in a good way. The evidence is here.

Without researching ALL of the replies on here, Iam thinking there is a pretty good level of support for these people, not just from those residing near Standstead.
Would be interseted in how one does perform a protest that would endear people to their cause......

you're right UQD. But what will stop people flying.
When I was hunt sabbing and protesting agaisnt fox hunting we got hostilty too.

There are obviously ways to protest which are not as "direct" if you like. Things which don't necessarily grab the headlines in such an instant way. Letter campaigns, lobbying Parliament, petitions, leafletting, demonstrating in a non-intrusve way, getting MPs and local councillors on side. But all of that is quite boring, takes time and commitment, and doesn't grab the headlines in the way that invading a runway and pissing off thousands of people (who may be taking their one and only flight of the year) would!

Direct action takes time and commitment (I am shivering at the thought of supergluing myself to a runway in this weather), and people doing this (the plane stupid people etc) have probably already tried the letter-writing and petitioning, or seen their parents doing it, it doesn't actually have much effect.

global warming is rubbish.

and the oil reserves aren't going to end anytime soon.

i dont use planes - but i might do - and i would with an easy conscience.

I speak as someone who does get involved in (local, grass-roots) protests and politics. It's boring at times, but that's part of being grown-up. We've just secured a five-figure sum for a local playground in the face of council intransigence and hostility, simply by plugging away and saying the same things time and again to the same people an getting people to write letters, etc. All terribly dull, of course, and nothing like as wacky and adventurous as supergluing myself to the Council offices would have been. But it got a result.

Sometimes I think teenagers can teach adults not to be so complacent and "adult" in their approach to problems.

My colleague at work is 60, an ex-GP, she's perfectly grown up but she spends weekends protesting at a peace camp at Aldermaston and is involved in various oddball leftie activities. I admire her a lot.

Its a shame my group got stuff done. Obviously we're far too complacent.

I'm with UQD. I don't think they've achieved anything except alienating a load of blameless people and proving that security at Stansted is rubbish. PlaneStupid have a valid point but they need to make it in a more thoughtful way.

I'm not saying you or anyone else on this thread is complacent, UQD, but that sometimes "adult moderation" is rather similar to complacency, and I like it when teenagers (or younger children) challenge us on these things.

normal people trying to do jobs, visit family (some poor soul mentioned a funeral earlier) get on with their lives all held up babies families etc

i am a laid back soul, work hard pay taxes here, but i detest this type of protest

in the main probably as i live in uk and my family are in ireland the thought that some numpty lies on a runway and gets in the way of my rare visits home makes my blood boil

The point of the plane stupid group (and many other green politics) is that people won't be able to keep going about their "normal lives" without utterly destroying the planet, and making "normal life" impossible for many in the future.

I'm afraid Fennel that that's exactly the kind of emotive language that is a real turn off for the climate change cause.