Governments around the world are causing huge harm to the environment by developing giant airport schemes, says the Ecologist magazine. According the article, these ‘aerotropolis’ are “inverting the traditional model of airport development, the airport is not built to serve a city. A city is built around an airport.” However, resistance is spreading.
GRAB THE ESSENTIALS
1: “In April, the announcement of the acquisition of 60 square kilometres of farmland for an airport in Bhogapuram, Andhra Pradesh, saw 7,000 people from 16 villages demonstrate outside government offices and blocked the main highway between Chennai and Kolkata.”
2: “Kilimanjaro International Airport in Tanzania claims 110 square kilometres of land as its “estate”, upon which it intends to establish “massive shopping centres, high class tourist hotels, duty free ports, Export Processing Zones, educational institutions, custom bonded warehouses, curio shops, golf courses and a large game ranch.” Over 10,000 people living in Maasai pastoralist communities on the site are resisting displacement.”
3: In March 2015, the Global Anti-Aerotropolis Movement was launched, aiming to co-ordinate local campaigns and spread awareness of these airport developments a global audience.
DIG DEEPER
1: Read the original article on The Ecologist website.
2: Follow the Global Anti-Aerotropolis Movement on twitter
3: Download the introduction to the book Plane Truth: Aviation’s Real Impact on People and the Environment.
