Greenpeace activists, who managed to gain airside access at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, have left an Air France Boeing 777 covered in green paint and possibly minor structural damage, in an attempt to highlight aviation as a factor in the earths declining environmental state.
The aircraft involved was a Boeing 777-200ER, registered F-GSPB, and has been on the ground for nearly a year. It is unlikely that the aircraft was specifically targeted, rather it was the closest and/or easiest for the Greenpeace members to access.
Perhaps more concerning is the fact that these members bypassed airport security; they managed to gain airside access, raising many internal, and external, questions about the security operations at the time and if there was any inside aid given to the operation.
After the aircraft had green paint lathered over its fuselage, and ladders propped up incorrectly on critical flight surfaces, the people involved broadcasted the actions on social media. At the time, confidence would have been above normal; with masks and coveralls protecting their identity as they sought to get their message across to the world.
What are they telling us?
By painting the aircraft green, Greenpeace is visually showcasing their criticism on the government greenwashing air transport.
“Faced with the climate crisis, it is necessary to regulate and reduce air traffic, so that it is compatible with the Paris Agreement; while anticipating the reconversion of this sector and the social consequences that this would have for all workers and affected workers.”
Greenpeace, France
The move comes just days before parliamentary debates on the Climate and Resilience bill are set to begin, which involves reducing French carbon emissions by 40 percent in 2030 compared to 1990 levels.
However, Greenpeace is not satisfied with the proposals and messages being released by parliament; specifically noting that the technological advancements, praised by the French Minister for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari, are not enough to meet the goal.
Key factors that Greenpeace would like to be addressed in the bill include:
- Airport Extensions
- Short Flights
- Expedited Development of Rail Projects
Elaborating on these points, Greenpeace wants all airport extensions to be stopped; primarily because they believe the only way to achieve the emissions target is to cull the majority of air transport.
This especially applies to short-haul flights under six-hours; which they argue should be banned as they can be fulfilled by rail transport, hence the move to increase rail transport options around Europe.
In spite of the callout against airport expansion, it was only last month that plans to expand Paris CDG were culled as they were deemed “obsolete” against new and upcoming climate goals. The expansion would have seen an increase of 40 million passengers a year from 2037, with an estimated completion cost of €7-9 billion.
Greenpeace has also underlined their dissatisfaction with airlines getting out of environmental obligations through carbon offsetting. Alternatively, emissions should be cut significantly; which doesn’t come fast enough or at all with newer aircraft.
All the options new and existing aircraft manufacturers are researching, including hydrogen and electric power, have been dismissed by Greenpeace because a) batteries and electric motors are too heavy to be a worthy option, b) hydrogen is sourced using large amounts of fossil fuels and c) synthetic fuels are hard to manufacturer and carry the same production issues as hydrogen.
But this is where controversy fires up as technological development, trial and error and ongoing research are the only ways we get to better results for multiple parties. Although they may not present good or as good options now, the colossal work being undertaken by these companies is what will ultimately lead the way to cleaner skies.
What are your thoughts on this action?
They’re acting like little child, so they should be treated like little child.
Dear eco freaks it’s time to go back to the kindergarten
Green Peace is a terrorist organization pretending to care about the Earths climate
Oh yeah, green paint by the gallons! I’m sure the greenies used food grade, environmental safe, biodegradable, aircraft paint! Haz Mat that is “Green Peace” good for the environment
it is disreputable that these merde have free publicity to their actions.
If they could paint the plane, they could have planted a bomb. These are dangerous criminals that need to be locked up for a long time and their organisation should have at least a seven figure fine imposed on it.
Totally disagree with GP. There’re several ways in reducing air transport carbon footprint. Such as efficient engines, wing designs, lighter fuselage, and reduce emissions in airport services by using low carbon power and electric ground vehicles. In the future, bio-fuel, or even hydrogen and electric-hybrid are on going.
In just over four billion years, all these will not matter. So who are they kidding?
A balance between air travel and environmental conservation is needed.
Greenpeace are nothing more than a bunch of hooligans and criminals their actions are irresponsible I trust they will be prosecuted.
While I think environmental protection is absolutely critical to our planet’s future and our species, this is not the way to fight for these changes. I dearly hope all involved are identified and prosecuted. Also, Greenpeace really needs to come up with better arguments and, I don’t know, workable solutions rather than naysaying everything.
I think those Greenpace activists never had to use an aircraft transport to go from one point to another.
This so called action by those pseudo ecologists just shows they are green fascists, both uncultured and willing to live in the Stone Age. Greenpeace is to be banned and dissolved, airports and airliners should be protected by armed guards allowed to shoot any intruder. Aviation bashing is the ultimate green scam and green idiocy !