英语六级阅读 Heathrow expansion to get green light Thursday
2009-01-17来源:和谐英语
Greenpeace campaigners protest against the proposed third runway at Heathrow International airport in London, on January 14. The government will give the green light on Thursday to plans to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport, the world’s biggest international air hub, the BBC reported. [Agencies]
LONDON -- The British government will give the green light on Thursday to plans to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport, the world’s biggest international air hub, the BBC reported.
Martin Salter, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Labour party who has campaigned against the nine-billion-pound (13-billion-dollar, 10-billion-euro), said he also expected ministers to give the go-ahead.
"I am expecting a decision tomorrow. I am expecting it to be the wrong decision, with the runway going ahead," he said Wednesday.
The expansion plan has pitted environmental groups and local residents concerned about the increase in emissions and noise against business groups and airlines who say it is vital to Britain’s economy and will create jobs.
Salter is one of more than 40 members of parliament from Brown’s Labour party who oppose the plans, and the cabinet is reportedly divided. The main opposition Conservatives are also against.www.hxen.net
The BBC said Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon would seek to allay fears about the environmental impact of the expansion by restricting use of the new runway slots to new planes that are less noisy and less polluting.
In his expected statement to parliament, Hoon will also announce a larger package of investment in public transport, including plans for a new high-speed rail link from the airport into central London, the broadcaster said.
"Heathrow’s got to have a future -- we need it for our economy," Business Secretary Peter Mandelson told BBC television late Wednesday, without confirming when the announcement would be.
"But we’ve also got to take into account our climate change ambitions and obligations."
Business groups, airlines and some trades unions are likely to welcome the government’s decision. They argue the runway is vital to Britain’s economic competitiveness and will create thousands of much-needed jobs.
The Unite union believes the expansion, which will include a sixth terminal and is scheduled to be completed by 2019-20, will create at least 50,000 jobs.
But environmental campaign group Greenpeace said the third runway, which will see the number of flights at Heathrow increase from about 480,000 a year to about 700,000, would make a mockery of pledges to cut carbon emissions.
"If it’s a green light it will shred the last vestiges of Brown’s environmental credibility. An expanded Heathrow would become the single biggest emitter of CO2 in Britain," said its executive director John Sauven.
Greenpeace has organised the purchase of land earmarked by the government for the new runway, and said it will do everything it can not to sell it.
"We’ll fight it every step of the way because the lives of millions of people depend on us all slashing carbon emissions," Sauven added.
Theresa Villiers, transport spokeswoman for the Conservatives, said: "A third runway at Heathrow would be an environmental disaster and will prove that you cannot trust a word Gordon Brown says on climate change and pollution."
Hoon said last month that the decision on Heathrow, which was due by the end of last year, would be delayed until January. The Department of Transport on Wednesday refused to comment further.
LONDON -- The British government will give the green light on Thursday to plans to build a third runway at London’s Heathrow airport, the world’s biggest international air hub, the BBC reported.
Martin Salter, a lawmaker from Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Labour party who has campaigned against the nine-billion-pound (13-billion-dollar, 10-billion-euro), said he also expected ministers to give the go-ahead.
"I am expecting a decision tomorrow. I am expecting it to be the wrong decision, with the runway going ahead," he said Wednesday.
The expansion plan has pitted environmental groups and local residents concerned about the increase in emissions and noise against business groups and airlines who say it is vital to Britain’s economy and will create jobs.
Salter is one of more than 40 members of parliament from Brown’s Labour party who oppose the plans, and the cabinet is reportedly divided. The main opposition Conservatives are also against.www.hxen.net
The BBC said Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon would seek to allay fears about the environmental impact of the expansion by restricting use of the new runway slots to new planes that are less noisy and less polluting.
In his expected statement to parliament, Hoon will also announce a larger package of investment in public transport, including plans for a new high-speed rail link from the airport into central London, the broadcaster said.
"Heathrow’s got to have a future -- we need it for our economy," Business Secretary Peter Mandelson told BBC television late Wednesday, without confirming when the announcement would be.
"But we’ve also got to take into account our climate change ambitions and obligations."
Business groups, airlines and some trades unions are likely to welcome the government’s decision. They argue the runway is vital to Britain’s economic competitiveness and will create thousands of much-needed jobs.
The Unite union believes the expansion, which will include a sixth terminal and is scheduled to be completed by 2019-20, will create at least 50,000 jobs.
But environmental campaign group Greenpeace said the third runway, which will see the number of flights at Heathrow increase from about 480,000 a year to about 700,000, would make a mockery of pledges to cut carbon emissions.
"If it’s a green light it will shred the last vestiges of Brown’s environmental credibility. An expanded Heathrow would become the single biggest emitter of CO2 in Britain," said its executive director John Sauven.
Greenpeace has organised the purchase of land earmarked by the government for the new runway, and said it will do everything it can not to sell it.
"We’ll fight it every step of the way because the lives of millions of people depend on us all slashing carbon emissions," Sauven added.
Theresa Villiers, transport spokeswoman for the Conservatives, said: "A third runway at Heathrow would be an environmental disaster and will prove that you cannot trust a word Gordon Brown says on climate change and pollution."
Hoon said last month that the decision on Heathrow, which was due by the end of last year, would be delayed until January. The Department of Transport on Wednesday refused to comment further.
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