Fwd: [AGL] Darn those pesky Scots!

[michelemason]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: "Wayne Johnson" <cadaobh at shentel.net>
> Date: October 3, 2006 12:30:59 PM CDT
> To: "survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s"  
> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
> Cc: michelemason <coltrane at ev1.net>
> Subject: [AGL] Darn those pesky Scots!
> Reply-To: survivors' reminiscences about Austin Ghetto Daze in the 60s  
> <austin-ghetto-list at pairlist.net>
>
> MM.
>
> You may wish to forward this to the List.
>
> Sadly, our Beloved Leader doesn't live in Scotland (actually, he  
> doesn't seem to live anywhere except in his own imagination....), so  
> this "body of evidence" and "professional/scientific opinions" won't  
> be part of his nightly reading regimen. Or, in his case, regiment.
>
> All of these guys MUST GO if there is any chance to save a) the whole  
> frigging planet and b) nuclear war with Iran....and the rest of the  
> alphabet of horrors.
>
> wgJ
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------- 
> -----------
>
> Red alert as climate change takes its toll on Scotland
> IAN JOHNSTON
>  a.. Scotland is getting wetter and hotter as climate change hits,  
> report says
>  b.. Nature also under threat
>  c.. Less pollution of land is one of few positives in report
> Key quote "Climate change is leading to changes in temperature,  
> rainfall patterns, snow cover, wind and storm events, flooding and  
> coastal erosion. All of these could have significant impact on  
> Scotland's environment, economy and people." - Scottish Environmental  
> Protection Agency report
>
> Story in full
> SCOTLAND was put on red alert over climate change yesterday, with  
> experts saying it was already responsible for placing endangered  
> species at greater risk, for rising sea levels, major floods and  
> landslides.
>
> And environmental watchdog the Scottish Environmental Protection  
> Agency warned the situation was likely to worsen.
>
> Producing the first ecological audit of the whole country for ten  
> years, SEPA said Scotland would continue to become warmer and wetter  
> and that attempts to stop the decline of endangered species by 2010  
> would prove "challenging".
>
> The State of Scotland's Environment 2006 report catalogued a series of  
> threats to Scotland from global warming:
>
> • Rising levels of winter rain, up by 60 per cent in the north and  
> west of the country since 1961.
>
> • A long-term rise in sea levels. Since 1862, the sea off Aberdeen has  
> risen by an average of 0.66mm a year.
>
> • A rise in temperatures in Scotland for every season except autumn of  
> one degree Celsius in the past 40 years and a similar rise in sea  
> temperatures in just 20 years
>
> The report said: "Climate change is leading to changes in temperature,  
> rainfall patterns, snow cover, wind and storm events, flooding and  
> coastal erosion. All of these could have significant impact on  
> Scotland's environment, economy and people."
>
> It added: "Scotland's biodiversity is under increasing threat from  
> habitat loss, land-use changes, urbanisation and the spread of  
> non-native species, as well as climate change.
>
> "The impact of climate change is already in evidence, with some  
> species' ranges being reduced, others extended and food chains being  
> disrupted.
>
> "This makes the attainment of the European Union target to halt the  
> loss of biodiversity by 2010 challenging."
>
> Research shows much is already under threat:
>
> • The country faced the potentially "catastrophic loss" of its island  
> nesting seabird populations.
>
> • The hooded crow and meadow pipit have declined dramatically and some  
> experts believe climate change is part of the reason. The Breeding  
> Birds Survey found the number of hooded crows had fallen by 37 per  
> cent over the past few years.
>
> • Other birds under threat include the kestrel, lapwing and curlew,  
> which saw populations drop by between 25 and 50 per cent between 1994  
> and 2005.
>
> • Flowers such as snowdrops and wild daffodils flowered three weeks  
> earlier in 2001 than they did in 1978.
>
> • Important habitats such as bogs and dwarf shrub heath have  
> decreased: about 32 per cent of important habitats are declining. A  
> survey of plants found 27 per cent of species had decreased.
>
> • Heavier rainfall will lead to more frequent and severe river  
> flooding, potentially affecting 77,000 homes and buildings.
>
> • Storms and drier soils can be expected to increase landslides.
>
> The report used a colour code to indicate the situation in a range of  
> areas, and climate change was considered at "full-blown red" alert,  
> with biodiversity also under serious threat, on the edge of amber and  
> red.
>
> Dr Campbell Gemmell, chief executive of SEPA, said more research was  
> needed to understand the full complexity of life in Scotland's  
> ecosystem and the effects of global warming.
>
> "Climate change is real and it's happening in Scotland now," he said.  
> "There are 90,000 species of plants, animals and microbes in Scotland,  
> but we understand about two per cent of them."
>
> Professor Colin Galbraith, director of scientific and advisory  
> services at Scottish Natural Heritage, said ways would have to be  
> developed to deal with the effects of climate change - as well as  
> efforts to prevent it - because some changes were already happening  
> and more were in the pipeline.
>
> He said: "Climate change: we cannot avoid it, it's a huge issue  
> globally and a huge issue locally. I think the debate will focus much  
> more on adaptation, particularly in the western world."
>
> Prof Galbraith said
>
> a warmer, wetter Scotland could potentially attract new plants and  
> animals, which would not be controlled by the natural operation of the  
> ecosystem.
>
> The report assessed the state of the three main parts of the  
> environment: land, water and air.
>
> Air quality was in the worst state - it was given an amber alert -  
> with urban smog a particular problem in the summer.
>
> The stratospheric ozone layer, which protects life from the sun's  
> radiation, has also been falling, while ozone at ground level, where  
> it is a pollutant, has been increasing.
>
> Ground-level pollution has been linked to respiratory diseases and  
> heart conditions and is believed to increase the risk of death among  
> the elderly and other vulnerable groups.
>
> The weather is expected to become more erratic, with increasing  
> numbers of "extreme event" storms.
>
> On the positive side, SEPA pointed to the cleaning up of polluted  
> land. It is now focusing on dealing with "diffuse" pollution - such as  
> slurry from farm fields and oil leaks from vehicles, which can leach  
> into the water systems - rather than major incidents.
>
> Dr Gemmell, who gave SEPA's performance in the decade since it was set  
> up a mark of seven out of ten, said the cleaning of rivers had been  
> one of the major achievements.
>
> He said about 1,400km of Scotland's rivers were "seriously polluted"  
> in 1996, but this had been reduced to 800km by 2005.
>
> The environment minister, Ross Finnie, said climate change was a  
> "major threat" to which the Executive was responding in a serious way.
>
> "If progress over the past ten years is to be maintained, government,  
> business and consumers must decide what environmental legacy we wish  
> to leave our children and act now to protect their future," he said.
>
> However, Green MSP Mark Ruskell said "much more serious action" needed  
> to be taken. "The Scottish Executive is tinkering round the edges and  
> presenting a brave face with a false set of targets that don't add  
> up," he said.
>
> Growing problem
> SCOTLAND produces around 20 million tonnes of waste every year.
>
> While the majority is from commerce and industry - currently at 8.9  
> million tonnes and 7.2 million tonnes respectively - the level of  
> household waste is continuing to rise by up to two per cent each year.
>
> The result is air pollution from greenhouse gases, and fouled water  
> supplies.
>
> SEPA says it is vital that waste is treated as a resource to be reused  
> and recycled, and consumption of raw materials is reduced.
>
> 'Wind rush' set to end, says minister in call for shift in emphasis  
> towards alternative types of renewable energy
> SCOTLAND'S "wind rush" - the massive surge in applications to build  
> windfarms - may be coming to an end, the environment minister  
> signalled yesterday.
>
> Ross Finnie, who attended the launch of the Scottish Environment  
> Protection Agency's report, said the emphasis should now be on other  
> forms of renewable energy such as tidal, wave and biomass.
>
> According to a report earlier this year by environmental groups,  
> windfarms made up nearly 90 per cent of renewable energy schemes  
> planned or under construction. If this rate of development were to  
> continue, nearly 600 square kilometres - an area bigger than North  
> Lanarkshire - would be covered by windfarms in order to meet the 40  
> per cent renewable energy target for electricity by 2020.
>
> However, Mr Finnie said the Executive was keen to ensure a proper mix  
> of renewable energy sources. Currently there is only a single marine  
> energy testing station in Orkney, with no tidal or wave schemes making  
> energy.
>
> He said: "There are probably enough windfarms in development and in  
> the pipeline at the moment [to meet its desirable share of the 40 per  
> cent target]."
>
> Even if a number of current windfarm proposals are rejected, its  
> target share would probably still be met, he said.
>
> "The rush [to build windfarms] came about because of the state of the  
> technology. It's a much more mature technology [than wave or tidal]  
> and in relative terms the cost of wind installations has come down  
> very dramatically indeed."
>
> Officials stressed this did not mean that no new windfarms would be  
> considered, particularly as the Executive plans to try to exceed the  
> 40 per cent renewable energy target.
>
> COMMENT
> Watchdog needs to bare its teeth
> SEPA was established by the Environment Act of 1995 which combined the  
> old river purification boards and Her Majesty's Industrial Pollution  
> Inspectorate. As well as bringing together the disciplines of these  
> two organisations, the act also gave SEPA several important new duties  
> and powers.
>
> SEPA certainly had a less than smooth start to life - mainly as a  
> result of some clashes of operating culture. Thankfully, those days  
> are but a distant memory and there is little doubt in my mind that the  
> decision to create SEPA was the right one.
>
> Having campaigned for the creation of an official environmental  
> watchdog for Scotland, over the years, Friends of the Earth has  
> actively engaged with SEPA. This interaction has mainly been positive,  
> but on some occasions a little less amicable.
>
> In the beginning we were continually needing to prod and remind SEPA  
> of its powers and responsibilities - and the need to use them. At the  
> time this was a little frustrating as we'd much rather have been  
> focusing all our attention on the polluter and not on those who were  
> supposed to be regulating the polluters.
>
> On the odd occasion, a protest with banner, placards and media in tow  
> outside a SEPA office was what was required to encourage it to do the  
> right thing.
>
> However, things do change, and in recent times SEPA has started to  
> flex its regulatory muscles more often and act in the way a real  
> environmental watchdog should do.
>
> As in life, environmental problems are not just confined to flowers,  
> trees and animals with feathers or fur. More often than not,  
> environmental problems are felt first by people and the communities in  
> which they live. This is an area where SEPA has experienced many  
> difficulties over the years.
>
> Often, in the eyes of communities suffering environmental injustices,  
> SEPA appears to take the side of the polluter or big business. We know  
> SEPA is aware of this and, with our encouragement, is actively trying  
> to address this perception.
>
> There will always be more that can be done to help tackle  
> environmental injustice, whether it is better access to pollution  
> information, improved awareness of the needs of communities or SEPA  
> just remembering to use the powers it has.
>
> However, despite our differences over the years, we are encouraged by  
> many of the changes we have seen in SEPA. With the publication of its  
> latest assessment of Scotland's environment, it is clear that this  
> country still needs an environmental watchdog.
>
> If we are to tackle the global problems like climate change or local  
> environmental injustices, then the watchdog needs to remember to bare  
> its teeth a little more often.
>
> DUNCAN MCLAREN
> CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF FRIENDS OF THE EARTH SCOTLAND
>
>
>
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