Say no to Heathrow Expansion!

There is a blight over those boroughs by the Thames in London's otherwise green and pleasant south-west.

It starts in the early hours of the morning as the long haul planes whine their way into Heathrow, the world's busiest international airport. And then all day long there is a steady stream of aircraft, one every two or three minutes.

And the Government is planning to expand Heathrow by adding a third runway. Its crazy.

Why do politicians complain we don't take them seriously when they behave like this? When there was the long planning process for Terminal 5 it was promised this wouldn't lead to the expansion of the airport. And then we are told the Government is serious about limiting CO2 emissions and yet air travel is the fastest growing sources of greenhouse gases.

Maybe they'll surprise us all and announce that as everyone is against this - including all candidates to be mayor of London - then they'll stop it.

If they don't there's the danger I'll end up as gloomy as the visionary scientist James Lovelock, who's suggesting all we can do is just "enjoy life while you can".

That can be too negative, as it would imply its ok to do nothing - as its important to try.

As one of my hero's, Iain Banks, put it here "I want to be able to look my many nieces and nephews in the eye and say that when I realised there was a proper problem I tried to do something about it".

I have my nephews, nieces and godsons and I want to do my bit for them.

So I've filled in the DoT's long on-line questionnaire and written in to add my support for the opposition.

Heathrow's existing two runways are more than enough.