After the protests against the war in Iraq, when two million people gathered in Hyde Park to voice their opposition, and the war went ahead regardless, many lost faith in the power of protest.

Now, with the third runway at Heathrow being given the all- clear by the Government, despite overwhelming resistance from the public, and evidence that neither the financial nor environmental case for the development make sense, it sounds remarkably like the death knell for one of the fundamental tenets of our democracy.

But campaigners are not giving up yet. Instead, they are coming up with ever more inventive and creative ways of being heard.

Transport secretary Geoff Hoon, for example, has been banned from his favourite music festival, Latitude. Organisers have promised a ticket for life if he reverses the decision.

Just before the third runway announcement, “climate suffragettes” Climate Rush organised a picnic at Heathrow’s Terminal One, where up to 700 people hunkered down outside departures on rugs with cakes and tea.

Lewes Climate Rusher Marina Pepper says: “The Government made the wrong decision and the people are going to rise up and prove it.

We are regrouping and working with other community groups, church groups and any interested citizen to show people are behind them if they make the right choices. We will be taking action, and soon.”

What form that action will take is being kept very quiet, with Marina saying “we wouldn’t like to ruin the surprise”. However, a flash mob at Heathrow on Saturday, January 17 is perhaps a sign of things to come.

Paul Elgood, liberal democrat councillor for Brighton’s Brunswick and Adelaide ward was similarly upset by the news. He says: “I am utterly disgusted by the Government’s decision, which flies in the face of existing environmental commitments. The conventional wisdom amongst businesses is that to expand the airport is wrong.”

He argues that since Heathrow has been serving fewer destinations over the past ten years, time and money should be invested in improving high speed rail links. Rail may not sound like a practical solution, but the most popular destination from Heathrow is Paris, a city easily accessible by the comparatively carbon-lite Eurostar.

The fourth most common route is Heathrow to Manchester, with 32 flights between the two cities every day – a little baffling when the train takes just two hours. Paul adds: “If democratic and legal action fails, then direct action must be taken to stop this deeply flawed decision.”

Another local campaign group is Brighton Climate Change. Member Jacob Skinner says the arguments the Government are using to legitimise the third runway are shallow, and suggests there were a lot of “backhanders” involved in getting the deal signed.

He also insists the runway won’t be built, as the campaigns we are about to see will end up costing the Government so much money, the whole project will ultimately become financially non-viable.

He talks about the upcoming battle with excitement and zeal: “They have not seen anything yet. The strength of the movement is building. We will make it very difficult for both airport expansion and coal [power stations]. The public realise it’s nonsense.

“The past couple of years have been motivating in terms of how innovative people can be. Instead of just marching through London and nothing happening, people are taking bold and innovative measures to get things done.”

In particular, he points out the Airplot campaign, which has seen the environmental organisation Greenpeace buy a plot of land in the middle of the proposed third runway and distribute ownership to thousands of people, both in the UK and abroad, making compulsory purchase orders an enormous headache for the Government.

Jacob says: “It’s just going to get better and better. The movement is young, the people are educated and they are really up for making a fuss. It is critical we lead with Heathrow and Kingsnorth [a new coal-fired power station]. They are going to have such a fight on their hands to get this done.”

Of all the reactions, South East communications manager for the RSPB Paul Outhwaite sums it up neatly: “We are not impressed.”

The impact of the third runway on the people of Sussex, he explains, is considerably less than those of West London, but the broader impacts of the thousands of extra flights will do nothing to help the UK’s climate strategy.

“If we don’t do something there are going to be a large number of people along the South Coast feeling the effects of sea level rise very soon indeed,” says Paul. “At Cuckmere Haven they are having to let water in already, as they can’t keep it out.”

The RSPB is unlikely to get involved in direct action, but historically their membership put up the biggest opposition to a consultation ever seen over the Lydd airport expansion in North Kent and they are currently running a petition against both the third Heathrow runway and new coal-fired power stations.

Paul says: “We will focus most of our work on lobbying and persuasion through democracy, but we’ll get involved with Stop Climate Chaos when they have rallies and events.”

And what of the Climate Change Act, which promises an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas levels by 2050? At only two-and-a-half months old, many say the third runway means it is dead in the water.

Marina Pepper says: “They have just bailed out on the act. It is not even a year old and they have stifled it at birth.”

Heathrow Responses

Responsibletravel.com “Green light is a green disaster. Most of the members we work with are dependent on aviation to generate business but the majority of them are still against a third runway. It’s a myth that everyone in the tourism industry backs an expansion.”

www.responsibletravel.com

Friends of the Earth “We desperately need inspirational green leadership in the run-up to crucial UN climate talks later this year, not more polluting Brown policies. This terrible decision will intensify opposition to the Government’s aviation strategy. The battle against Heathrow expansion can still be won.”

www.foe.co.uk

RSPB “No green sweeteners will compensate for the huge emissions thousands of extra flights will produce, no matter what claims are made for environmentally benign new planes. The Climate Change Act put the UK on a carbon diet. Saying yes to a third runway now is like going on a diet and then gulping down lots more burgers and chips.”

www.rspb.org.uk

Greenpeace “We’ll fight this every step of the way. The movement against this runway is already huge and growing. We have MPs from all the major parties and organisations representing millions of people. The country doesn’t want this expansion, we have science on our side and of course we own Gordon Brown’s runway. He won’t be getting it back any time soon.”

www.greenpeace.org.uk

Climate Rush “The Government is going to be met with public protests at an unprecedented level. Last week we invaded Heathrow Airport as part of a mass action against the third runway. We will continue to join local residents, climate campaigners and concerned citizens in taking direct action to halt its construction.”

www.climaterush.co.uk

World Development Movement “Flights from the new third runway at Heathrow will produce the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as the whole of Kenya every year. The Government is relinquishing any claim to credibility or leadership on action against climate change. [They are] blaming the economic crisis for their decision but are forgetting there is a climate crisis that needs urgent action.”

www.wdm.org.uk

No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG) “Campaign groups, including NoTRAG, have made it clear this is not the end of the campaign to stop the runway. In fact, this is the beginning of a tougher campaign. This is no time to just sit back and see what happens. NoTRAG will fight a third runway every step of the way. A third runway will never be built.”

www.notrag.org