Pressure is growing on the United Arab Emirates to replace their choice of the head of the state oil company as the President of the next climate talks, COP28. Countries almost always give the job to their climate or environment minister, …
What the Energy Strategy really said about fossil fuels
In response to last week’s Scottish Government Energy Strategy one newspaper ran a front page headline announcing the end of the oil and gas industry. The truth is less clear. The long-awaited new Strategy is a draft and public responses are …
Home insulation war effort needed
Last week an influential committee of MPs called for a national ‘war effort’ to insulate people’s homes. Although the Scottish Government has been consistently better on this that the UK Government, much more needs to be done. The Environmental Audit Committee …
The Braer disaster 30 years on
30 years ago today Scotland’s worst ever pollution event began. But it could have been so much worse. Just after 11am on 5th January 1993 the oil tanker MV Braer lost her battle with a massive storm and hit the rocks of …
The environment in 2022
In the midst of war and a cost of living crisis, some good things were achieved for the environment but we also went backwards in 2022. The climate scientists of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change produced a report on …
Targeting waste
The public are demanding more action on waste, including targets for our consumption of key materials in the forthcoming Circular Economy Bill. The Bill was first promised in 2019 but put on hold because of the pandemic. It is now firmly …
Nature-based solutions not as nice as they sound
As the seaside resort of Sharm el-Sheikh gets back to catering for tourists, it’s time to reflect that the outcomes of the UN COP27 climate talks were predictable, surprising and dangerous, all at the same time. The first success was …
Climate COP or fossil capture ?
As COP27 grinds slowly towards its conclusion, the battle over what any final agreement might say about fossil fuels is reaching its peak. Last year’s COP in Glasgow produced an agreement that finally actually admitted fossil fuels might be a …
Diplomacy and duplicity at the seaside
The baffling, frustrating and occasionally inspiring circus that is the UN climate talks is in full swing in the Red Sea tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. Impenetrable as they are these talks are the only place countries can negotiate to act …
Too busy for climate change
We are only a few days away from the start of COP27 in Egypt – the most important high-level discussions happening on (and about) planet Earth this year. Things are going so badly that the UN says there is now no …
Creativity and climate change
A first-year report reveals great success for a project which matches up cultural and environmental organisations to creatively engage people on issues of climate change. Creativity is very important in communications. In campaigning, memorable stunts with snappy slogans are vital. Humorously subverting …
Climate change and grouse moors
Even if you think it is reasonable to rear grouse so they can be driven in front of the guns of rich people for the ‘sport’ of killing them, even if you are not bothered by the routine illegal killings …