From: ciaranbyrne [mailto:ciaranbyrne2000@eircom.net] Sent: 20 October 2006 13:24 To: 'Ian Lumley' Subject: RE: "Towards Sustainable Airport Development" Conference Dear Mr. Lumley, Thank you for your email. I appreciate your concerns but would not agree with your conclusions for the following reasons: Firstly, you draw certain conclusions from the fact that speakers from certain institutions you nominate are not included but seem to discount those from other institutions, such as Professor Thomas, who I believe is familiar with the various conventions and issues you raise, and who is co-chairing the Conference. Secondly you make certain assertions about the content of the presentation e.g. such as the omission of proper reference to greenhouse gases and climate change. I would suggest that since neither I nor you know what these speakers are going to say that this is a premature judgment. Thirdly, You also seem to dismiss the participation of a speaker from a local community organization which is know to be vociferously opposed to certain aspects of development at Dublin Airport. The choice of speaker by this group was entirely at their, not the Conference organizers, discretion. He may well refer to the issues you raise. I do not know what the content of his presentation will be or whether it will deal with climate change, emissions etc.. Fourthly, the Board does not regard this Conference as the last word on this topic and indeed there has been extensive media coverage even in the past week from a variety of sources on the very concerns you raise of which I am sure speakers and delegates are well aware. (Indeed I will be explicitly referring to one of these studies in my own opening address). Fifthly, each session will end (subject to keeping the Conference on schedule) with a question and answer session in which participants (from various perspectives) can challenge any point with which they do not agree or on which they wish to have clarification. I hope that you register for the Conference and avail of that opportunity. Finally, the Fingal Development Board would hope that this important debate would continue and contribute to Government proposals on the broader issue of aviation policy for Ireland. I hope you might come to see this Conference as the first open and public debate on this critically important topic. I would have thought that the Fingal Development Board might be congratulated rather than condemned for its initiative on this matter. Yours Sincerely, Cllr. Ciaran Byrne, Chairman Fingal Development Board -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Ian Lumley [mailto:heritage@antaisce.org] Sent: 18 October 2006 18:07 To: ciaranbyrne2000@eircom.net Cc: alex@airportconference.com Subject: Fw: "Towards Sustainable Airport Development" Conference Cllr. Ciaran Byrne Chairman of the Fingal County Development Board www.airportconference.com Dublin Airport Oct 23rd. and 24th. 18 OCT. 2006 Dear Cllr Byrne, We are writing to you with regard to the Conference "Towards Sustainable Airport Development " 23 / 24th Oct to be held in Dublin Airport. An Taisce the National Trust for Ireland is the environmental organisation in Ireland most actively involved in working internationally on the mitigation of the impact of aviation and climate. We attach our most recent submission on the expansion of Dublin Airport, which reflects the issues affecting airport development internationally. We are concerned that the proposed conference programme does not properly address aviation and greenhouse gas emissions, and the internationally accepted principles of environmental organisation stakeholder participitation. The list of speakers fails to include any : 1. Independent Scientists covering the global issue of aviation and climate change such as from the Tyndall Centre 2. Environmental Non Government Organisations as defined by the Aarhus Convention and the revised EIA Directive 2003/35/EC, which is already in force in EU and Irish law. There is no specific Section of the conference addressing the biggest sustainability issue facing aviation both globally and regionally, namely greenhouse gas generated Climate Change. Only two of the presentations make any reference the environment, the first by a speaker managing a airport, namely Eindhoven, the second employed by an airline namely Lufthansa . While there is a representative of the local community and the Professor of Sustainable Aviation from Manchester Metropolitan University, it is submitted that the conference by reason of its failure to include the environmental sector is not a credible forum to address "Sustainable Airport Development " as it does not address the principles of the Rio Convention of 1992 on cross sectoral engagement in addressing sustainability. According we request information as to what action you now propose to take to amend the conference programme to properly address sustainability and climate change. This should include 1. A key note speaker of aviation and climate change such as George Monibot who would be able to appear by video link www.turnuptheheat.org 2. Presentations on some of the most recent independent scientific research on aviation and climate change including: "Contraction and Convergence UK Carbon Emissions and the implications for UK air traffic" February 2000 published by the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research www.tyndall.ac.uk and "Clearing the Air - the Myth and Reality of Aviation and Climate Change published by Climate Action Network Europe and European Federation for Transport and the Environment 2006. www.transportenvironment.org 3. Presentations from Irish and international Non Government Organisations. We look forward to your response in addressing the above, and information as to what action is to be taken to amend the conference programme. Yours sincerely, Ian Lumley An Taisce The Tailors' Hall Back Lane Dublin 8 Ireland Tel. 00353 1 707 70 62 CC Alex Kirby Managing Director Conference Director "Towards Sustainable Airport Development" ENCL; submission on DAA airport runway EIS