Joe Rake

Joe began campaigning around the issue of climate change after being radicalised at Climate Camp. A radicalisation which led to him into sitting on the runway at Stansted Airport at 3 in the morning with 55 other activists from Plane Stupid – a protest which highlighted the disaster of airport expansion and short-haul flights at a time when we need to urgently prevent the worst affects of climate change.

He became heavily involved with Plane Stupid and in particular the campaign to stop Heathrow's third runway which is where he was introduced to the Transition Town movement. As part of the campaign to prevent the 3rd runway, 6 members of Plane Stupid (including Joe) moved into the Heathrow villages to help residents defend the homes and livelihoods they faced losing but also to launch longer term project; Transition Heathrow.

Combining local sustainability initiatives with a more confrontational direct action approach Joe and Transition Heathrow are busy working on Grow Heathrow – a squatted community garden which is providing a place to grow vegetables and plants locally but also an alternative community space for people to hang out and meet up.