Environmental 10:10 Campaign Prefers War To Flying

Posted on 26. Nov, 2009 by Ross in Manufacturing, United Kingdom

In a rather callous approach to fighting climate change, the UK 10:10 emission reduction campaign has welcomed an arms manufacturer with open arms whilst rejecting for the first time an airport authority.

MBDA Missile Systems are a UK-based arms manufacturer who produce over 3,000 missiles a year, including the big-brand Exocet missile. By joining the 10:10 campaign, the company are committing to reducing their carbon emissions 10% in 2010. Whilst their inclusion in the scheme caused some debate within the environmental organisation, it was felt that an organisation could not be excluded based on other ethical objections. 10:10 founder Franny Armstrong said:

Of course arms manufacturers can reduce their emissions by 10%. What they do with the rest of their time is a different matter, on which we couldn’t possibly comment. 10:10 is about reducing emissions right across British society, and that means everyone. As long as arms manufacturers are a part of British society, it’s just as important for them to reduce their emissions as it is for the rest of us.

On the other hand, the largest UK-owned airport operator became the first organisation denied the right to join the campaign, based on their commitment to increasing passenger numbers over the next few years, despite the fact that flying is greener than driving.

Despite Manchester Airport Group only being responsible for running a number of airports, rather than the flights themselves, the 10:10 campaign has towed the traditional environmental line of tarring the travel industry as one of the biggest enemies in the fight against global warming.

Manchester Airport Group’s environmental goals far exceed the small commitments necessary to qualify for the 10:10 campaign: they aim for all their airport buildings to become carbon neutral by 2015. They’ve already made substantial in-roads, with an demonstration eco-hangar for the retired Concorde becoming a blueprint for further measures, including biomass boilers and Somar Eluma energy-efficient lighting.

The difference in treatment between the two companies is typical of the fragmentation of the environmental movement in the 21st century. Whilst environmentalism, anti-nuclear and anti-war campaigners were once one and the same, the prospect of climate change as the single biggest threat to civilisation has forced many environmentalists to prioritise carbon reduction over all other issues, no matter how unpalatable.

After all, population increases are a big future contributor to carbon emissions - lust is the only deadly sin which doesn’t help fight climate change - so a little war and death might help save the planet, wouldn’t it?