‘County council must look to more sustainable job creation’

The CAGNE committee would like to congratulate the chair of the West Sussex’s youth cabinet for speaking about climate change (Gazette, January 28). There are a number of good incentives taking place across the county, but the council continues to ignore, and not include, the big climate issue in its county, Gatwick Airport. We would like to endorse much of what is stated by Daisy WatsonRumbold

about education. The CAGNE environmental campaign, Pledge to Fly Less, seeks to inform the consumer of the alternatives to flying; to be aware of the ramifications of wantingoutofseasonproducein the supermarkets. Aviation flies on fossil fuel and there is a price topayforwantingall-year-round sun.Therearemanyheadlinesof aviation finding alternatives to fossil fuel but none of them are a true reality, or will be anytime soon, so aviation will continue to beoneofthebiggestpollutersour planet faces today.

There may be a time when aviation is more carbon friendly, but what about the other issue’s flights create with N0x, vapours that are accelerating global warming? And the small particles that come from the airfield that have serious health risks?

We have to ask West Sussex County Council to look to more sustainable job creation format and hope they will be opposing GatwickAirport’ssecondrunway as it will add 618,000 tonnes of extra carbon every year to what Gatwick already produce from the main runway pre-Covid ( Gatwick estimate returning to 285,000 flights a year by 2024 with the second runway adding a further 34,000).

All industries are looking for alternative fuel resources and the planet only has so much it can offer, so restraint has to be part of the debate, but all the timecouncilsignorethedamage aviation is doing to our planet. We are escalating the demise of resourcesforfuturegenerations.

Ifweareseriousaboutagreen sustainable future, we need futuregenerationstobeattracted to green jobs, sustainable jobs, rather than continuing to be reliant on Gatwick for economic stability as commercial aviation will continue to burn fossil fuel long after other industries have become fully green. Ensure your council candidate pledges to oppose Gatwick 2 this May if you wish for a bright future for all on this planet.