Sir – So the airport at Kidlington is hoping to expand its services by hosting flights to western European destinations, backed by Oxfordshire County Council, with the promise of ‘economic growth’.

What has economic growth brought us? One thing it has not brought us is any increase in wellbeing or happiness since the 1970s. It has chipped away at our beautiful species-rich countryside until it sits beleaguered in little threatened pockets too small to be self-sustaining. It has brought destruction of the natural world in poor countries.

It has brought hard, dangerous, poorly paid labour to poor countries – conditions we outlawed here during the 20th century (or did we just export them?).

It has brought exponential growth in the demand for energy, fuelled largely by coal, oil and gas, and the consequential exponential rise in CO2 added to the atmosphere each year.

Economic growth requires the growth of all the above (except happiness). Growth in flights leads directly to growth in you know what. Does anyone know why we need more economic growth?

How about the airport employs someone to develop the business into something low carbon over a period of 20 years, instead of pretending there isn’t a problem and dooming the business to an abrupt end when we finally overstep the mark.

Steve Gerrish
Kidlington