Persuading Britons to cut back on flying will be an uphill struggle
A field next to Heathrow—the world's busiest international airport—does not seem an appealing place for a spot of camping. The roar of jet engines is ever-present, and the only significant landmark is the airport's new control tower. Yet on August 12th dozens of people gamely began erecting tents. They were not there to admire the scenery: this was the Camp for Climate Action, and they had come to protest against aviation and its contribution to global warming.
Old-fashioned anarchists (with their red-and-black flags) rubbed shoulders with their eco-friendly brethren (who fly green-and-black) and with locals worried about plans to expand Heathrow. Veteran all-purpose protesters and disciples of Bakunin mixed with at least one adviser to the Royal Society, two MPs, a local councillor and Vince Cable, the deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats (although, true to the organisers' declaration of withdrawal from mainstream politics, there seemed to be some confusion about who exactly Mr Cable was). Workshops ranged from talks on decentralised power generation and climate science to “Liberation—A Journey Through Buddhism, Anarchy and Ecology” and “Singing to Mourn, to Celebrate and to Resist”. Organisers expect some 2,000 people to pass through the camp before it closes on August 21st.
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