Let’s Go Fly a Kite

In this blog, C O’Reilly, a Friends of the Earth supporter, shares a beatiful account of the launch event of the ‘Childrens’ Rights Over Flights’ campaign on August 10th. This event on Dollymount Strand entailed the flying of colourful kites in a striking visual display, with the campaigners demanding that children need “more kites, less flights” if we are to pass on a world to them that is not completely destroyed by runaway climate change. 

There is no escape from global warming. Today, people are being evacuated from the suburbs of Athens for fear of the wildfires raging out of control.  We must stop burning fossil fuels. 

Planes burn fossil fuel, and right now Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is seeking to expand Dublin Airport, already the single source of the highest greenhouse gasses in this country.  They want to increase their passenger numbers from thirty-two million to forty million per year.

Our campaign, Children’s Rights over Flights, wants to stop this expansion.  We want to play our part in giving our children a liveable, healthy future.

To launch our campaign, we met for a kite-flying afternoon on Dollymount Strand on Saturday, August 10th, because we need more kites, less flights in our skies - for every child’s future.  

What a glorious day it was! The sun came out and the wind blew just perfectly. We gathered at the south end of the beach. We had a table laden with goodies, including some kites made earlier at an XRI (Extinction Rebellion Ireland)-hosted kite-making workshop. In addition to passers-by, we were joined by two representatives from St Margaret’s Ward, next to the airport, who have also been campaigning against DAA’s expansion plans.

Feel the pull of your kite as the wind plays with it, lifting it ever higher; its wild darting about when you rein it in, as if it was trying to escape.  It’s like holding a living thing.  I am new to kite-flying, and was surprised at how enjoyable it is.  It was even better with one you had made yourself.  Forget an airport viewing platform and its particulate pollution-–go fly a kite in the refreshing air on Dollymount Strand instead!

The previous day, a spokesperson for our campaign had given an excellent 15-minute talk on Phoenix FM; another was announcing it every hour on Saturday’s Newstalk bulletin.  On the strand we were supported by a representative of Dublin Friends of the Earth who brought sound equipment and addressed our gathering, as did drivers of our campaign, along with the St Margaret’s Ward representatives.

We couldn’t have wished for a better start. Onwards and upwards!

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Childrens’ Rights Over Flights, a newly formed campaign group supported by Friends of the Earth, is made up of parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and other concerned people, appalled by the efforts of a semi-state body to propose something so harmful to children’s futures and rights. The group argues that children’s rights - to health, to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, to have their best interests considered, amongst others - have been completely ignored with the DAA’s application. ‘Childrens’ Rights Over Flights’ wants to present an alternative to the portrayal of the constant expansion of the aviation industry as unquestionably positive, and argue that it is holding back essential climate action and has a damaging impact on the lives of children within Ireland and worldwide.