The news that the Government has given the go-ahead for a third runway at Heathrow is disastrous news for many, writes Julia Stephenson, particularly for those who live in the village of Sipson who must now come to terms with the forced bulldozing of their homes.

Even flat-earthers who believe that global warming is not man-made cannot disregard the horror of thousands of people being subjected to increased levels of pollution, noise and brutal eviction from their homes. 

But even though many of us feel outrage at the Government’s decision, how many of us are actually prepared to stop flying to protect the biosphere and our quality of life?  It’s altruistic to stop but it throws up dilemmas. What do you do, for example, if a close relative decides to get married in an exotic far flung destination and will be offended if you refuse to attend?  Flying to these increasingly extravagant nuptials incurs what George Monbiot calls `love miles. `It is both immoral to travel there’, he writes, `because of climate change, and immoral not to, because of the offence it causes’. In other words you’re damned if you do and damned if you don’t…

READ MORE