Last week Labour/Co-operative Party MSP for Central Scotland Monica Lennon launched proposals for a bill to make ecocide a crime in Scotland, to act as a major deterrent to those who might create severe damage to the environment. Ecocide is defined as “unlawful or …
Environmental principles under threat
The argument raging down south over pollution from new housing developments is the first big test of the UK Government’s post-Brexit commitment to the environment. We have already seen proposals to scrap thousands of European regulations. Fortunately this exercise has …
Sewage overflows and climate change
The crisis of sewage in rivers and at beaches was entirely predictable, with overflowing sewers designed into the system while ignoring coming climate change. In the late 1990s I helped persuade the Scottish Government to increase the number of official …
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 …
Swimming in sewage
Water quality at most of our beaches is improving overall but heavy rain can still dump sewage into rivers and create a health hazard. The European Bathing Waters Directive was agree in 1976 and required countries to monitor the quality …