Locals, environmentalists and farmers have all joined forces to save Rohanne Forest in France from a new airport, setting up camps on the planned site. Some of the “squatters” protesting are people who refused to leave their homes.
If construction were to go ahead, it would involve the loss of natural woodland habitat, people’s homes and farmer’s livelihoods. It would not only be a conservation disaster, it would do nothing to reduce France’s carbon footprint. The world is already struggling to contain its carbon emissions and cope with the effects of climate change. Encouraging yet more air traffic is a huge step backwards.
It would also cost a fortune, 556 million euros to be precise. Especially during a time of austerity and public spending cuts, splashing out vast sums of public money on something so destructive is completely unacceptable.
Support the protestors by telling the French government to abandon this immensely unpopular, expensive and destructive plan.
We the undersigned ask that you abandon plans to construct a second Nantes airport in Rohanne Forest.
Encouraging yet more air traffic is not something France should be doing while the country, and the world, is struggling to contain carbon emissions and cope with the impact of climate change. It would also involve the destruction of natural habitat, force people from their homes and ruin the livelihoods of local farmers, not to mention costing the tax-payer a fortune. Nantes already has an airport, a very good one, and it does not need another.
Abandoning these plans would not be a sign of weakness. It would in fact be quite the opposite – showing enough strength to put the environment and the future ahead of short-term political gains.
We ask that you reconsider this exceedingly destructive, unnecessary and expensive plan.
Thank you for your attention.
