Eco-campaigners hail Heathrow as a victory, but will it turn out to be one for the planet? | Margaret Heffernan

Forecasting the future is a complex business and can't be based on a single legal caseOn Thursday, when climate activists spilled on to the road, singing "We'll take climate change seriously" to the tune of My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean, they felt confident of a big victory.Heathrow's expansion had been declared illegal because it is incompatible with legislation committing the government to zero carbon emissions by 2050. The proposal, which would have brought 260,000 new flights a year to the airport, was dead and campaigners celebrated because similar schemes were now doomed. Continue reading...