On March 3rd 2009 nine protesters including a call centre manager, a chef, a father, an artist and a university lecturer occupied the runway and erected a makeshift golf course at Aberdeen airport in a direct action against it’s planned expansion, which is being pushed through to serve Donald Trump’s enormous planned golf course and hotel complex. Their action aimed to use this example to draw attention to the fallacy of plans to expand all seventeen Scottish airports which could triple Scottish aviation emissions, up passenger numbers to 67.9 million a year (in a country of only 5.1 million people!), pump up to 3.4 million tonnes more carbon into our atmosphere, render Scotland’s celebrated climate change bill meaningless and accelerate man-made climate change which is already taking it’s toll on our planet and its people. Scotland’s aviation emissions already make up 11% of the UK’s aviation emissions. 60% of Scotland’s flights are domestic.

The aviation campaigners from Plane Stupid calculated that during the 5 hour protest they prevented at least 107 tonnes of carbon from being emitted (enough to heat 200 Scottish homes for a month). Their action also drew huge publicity to the issue of the UK aviation sector (where emissions are sky-rocketting faster than any other UK sector) and has put pressure on the government to re-examine plans for more and bigger airports all over Britain.

The climate9 play golf on Aberdeen runway

The Climate9 faced the court case which allowed them to follow recent precedents and stand up to defend their brave actions, taken to prevent a much greater danger to future generations, and the survival of much of life as we know it on this planet. They are united by the understanding that by the time the effects of runaway climate change are apparent in the UK, it will be too late to stop their catastrophic and unstoppable effects. They know that we have to act now if we are to have any chance of preventing this suffering and upheaval.

The Climate9 faced charges of Breach of the Peace. Since taking this action they have been hounded by undercover police, harassed and needlessly stopped in the street, have had their phones bugged and are being called domestic terrorists.

They need all the help and public support that they can get. They challenged the values of a legal system which too often undermines, rather than supports, the integrity and health of the Earth; and lets the real criminals go free while persecuting those brave enough to speak out for justice and future generations. Now members of the Climate 9 have been granted leave to appeal against conviction and sentence on Breach of the Charges. The appeal will be heard at the Court of Appeal on June 7th 2011 in Edinburgh.

“Whatever the price we have to pay for speaking the truth, the Climate9 are publicly prepared to do so and bring justice for those detrimentally affected by climate change. This is supposed to be a democratic country and we can participate in political activity. The Climate9 will not uphold increasing state and police repression and camouflage the war that is climate injustice. All over the world people demanding climate justice have complained to the magistrates about magistrates, complained to the judges about judges and complained to the politicians about politicians. It’s time we did something for ourselves. Whatever happens to us, the Climate9 trial is an opportunity to spread the need for urgent action and to challenge the authorities with pride and confidence.”