‘I’m not sure I could have done this anywhere else in the world other than Scotland. We’ve had tremendous support from the Scottish Government.’ Professor Martin Tangney

http://www.celtic-renewables.com/

As recently as August this year we heard of a car using biofuel from ‘draff’, the residue of husks after fermentation of the grain and the residual waste liquid ‘pot ale’, being driven round Edinburgh in July. See:

‘Whisky-fuelled car makes first journey’ Calm down it’s not the good stuff!

We also heard in the same month of another use by growing algae from Whisky ‘co-products’ and feeding the omega 3 rich algae to fish. See:

First Whisky-driven cars, now Whisky-fed fish

Less than four months after the drive round Edinburgh, a new demonstration plant to make a petrol substitute from whisky residue, in Grangemouth, has had planning approval. Celtic Renewables Ltd aim to produce half a million litres of the biofuel, Biobutanol, per year, commencing in early 2018.

The plant will use some of the 750,000 tonnes of draff and two billion litres of ‘pot ale’ produced by the Perthshire, Tullibardine Distillery. Reported in Energy Voice, Celtic Renewables say:

‘This is a very exciting time for biotechnology in Scotland. Our plant, which will use entirely sustainable raw materials to make high value low carbon products, will be the first of its kind in the world. It will shine a global spotlight on innovation in Scotland in the low carbon economy.’

https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/158727/scottish-renewables-firm-gets-green-light-whisky-fuel-plant/

Locating the plant in Grangemouth which is Scotland’s petrochemical hub makes perfect sense and as a former, temporary, ‘Portonian’ myself, I’m really pleased to see a former boom town but one currently a bit down on its heels, get an employment boost. Back in the 70s, before I went to university as a mature student, I had worked in the former ICI Chemicals plant there making the blue dye used in denims. It was my wee contribution to the Love Generation.

Celtic Renewables seem sure that their new biofuel will be ‘low carbon.’ I couldn’t find direct evidence from them, so I had a look around and found this peer-reviewed research paper:

‘Production of biofuels promises substantial improvement in air quality through reducing emission from burning of the fuel used in vehicle engines. Some of the developing countries have started biofuel pro‐duction and utilization as transport fuel in local market. Thus, below are described some important conclusions that we can be done about the use of biofuels by vehicle engines. Compared to fossil diesel, the emission of regulated and non-regulated compounds from biofuels burning are generally equal or lower. An exception is NOx emission, which is generally higher with use of the biofuels, more specifically of the biodiesel use. The amount of compounds emitted, depends considerably on the type of engine, its configuration, the load condition and the use of a catalyzer. In most cases, reducing the emission of unwanted compounds requires modification in the standard engines for the use of biodiesel and/or raw vegetable oil and ethanol.’

http://cdn.intechopen.com/pdfs/42164/InTech-Vehicle_emissions_what_will_change_with_use_of_biofuel_.pdf

As I understand it, the car driven round Edinburgh required no modification. As for the ominous sounding NOx, this is Nitrogen Oxides which do contribute to the production of smog and acid rain. I searched for ‘Celtic Renewables fuel nitrogen oxide’ but found nothing, so if any reader can find out if the Celtic Renewables fuel does or does not do so that would be interesting.

Unemployment in Scotland, for August to September 2017, stands at 4.1% compared to 4.3% for the UK as a whole. This is lower than 6 of the English regions, with only the 3 in the south maintaining lower levels, between 3 and 3.7%

Employment, in Scotland, in the year since October 2016, grew 1.7% compared to the UK growth of only 0.7%. The Scottish rate of growth matched that of the affluent South-East of England and was higher than all of the other regions bar the North-East of England at 1.8%.

Similarly, the growth in those economically active, as opposed to employed, grew faster over the year in Scotland at 0.7% compared to the UK at 0.3%. Only 2 English regions, the North-East and South-East grew faster at 1.3% and 1.4% respectively and 3 had negative figures.

https://www.ons.gov.uk/employmentandlabourmarket/peopleinwork/employmentandemployeetypes/datasets/regionallabourmarketsummarya07

According to a report in the Insider online business magazine, Brent crude prices are expected to hit $68 per barrel. Prices have been above $60 per barrel for several months now and the BP Chief Executive anticipates current production costs of $15 per barrel to fall even lower:

North Sea oil companies making $40 profit on every barrel and costs are still falling!

In January 2016, the price of Brent crude had fallen to as low as $27.67 per barrel.

 

http://www.insider.co.uk/news/oil-price-rises-back-above-11680289

I gather higher prices are still not on our MSM radar? Several informed experts have predicted even higher prices and perhaps a return to $100 per barrel:

Will Scotland’s oil hit $100 (or more?) a barrel again after 2020?

Investors already betting on $100 per barrel oil in 2018? Indyref2 should be a very different story

Further, there is now strong evidence that peak oil will not pass for another 30 years giving Scotland adequate time to build up a fund comparable to that of Norway.

Is Peak Oil still 20 or 30 years in the future and so, would an independent Scotland be rich?

Total begins to make massive profits from Scotland’s oilfields west of Shetland

 

Note: This wikipedia scattergraph based on US data is the only one I could find. It shows the correlation between pupil/teacher ratio and attainment. It’s a negative correlation so the smaller the number of pupils per teacher the greater the reading performance. Admittedly, it’s not a very strong correlation suggesting other factors matter too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Class-size_reduction

There are now 543 more teachers in Scottish schools. In 2017, only 631 P1 pupils were taught in classes of more than 26 compared to 16 845 in 2006 at the end of the Lab/Lib Dem coalition.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/620825/SFR25_2017_MainText.pdf

There are 51 500 teachers in Scottish schools and the pupil/teacher ratio is now 13.6 pupils per teacher, down from (better than) 13.7 in 2016. This ratio is an important indicator of the time teachers have to engage with pupils and is likely to have played a major part in narrowing attainment gaps.

http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0052/00528868.pdf

In England, there were 457 300 teachers in 2016, up by 400 from 2015. The pupil/teacher ratio in 2016 was 17.6 pupils per teacher. England’s population is almost exactly ten times that of Scotland, so you might have expected there to be around 515 000 teachers there. The increase of 400 teachers, in England, from 2015 to 2016, is small when compared with the Scottish Government’s increase of 543 between 2016 and 2017 in a country with a tenth of the population.

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/620825/SFR25_2017_MainText.pdf

So, the pupil/teacher ratio in Scotland is significantly better than that in England. While the research evidence is not conclusive, the Department of Education in England would like to see smaller classes than the current ratio would allow. According to their own report, smaller classes inevitably increase: ‘the time when individual pupils are the focus of the teacher’s attention, increases active interaction between pupils and teachers and increases pupils’ engagement particularly for pupils attaining at lower levels.’

Department of Education (England) 2011: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/183364/DFE-RR169.pdf

According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report, the attainment gap, in England and Scotland, is only the same for 11-year-olds (often difficult early adolescent boys) at 20% but the gap for 5-year-olds is only 16% in Scotland compared to 20% in England and for 16-year-olds the gap in Scotland is only 20% compared to 28% in England. Note the massive fall in the latter gap from 33% to 20% in the period of SNP Government.

https://www.jrf.org.uk/report/uk-poverty-2017

The pupil/teacher ratio is only one of several factors likely to narrow attainment gaps, but it is an important one and one which governments can do something directly about. Once more, this suggests the SNP government in Scotland is making a difference, not seen under previous Labour/Lib Dem administrations and clearly not a high priority for the Tory one in Westminster.

Footnote: UK fee-paying schools use their ratio of 9 pupils per teacher as a marketing tool and say:

‘Significantly smaller class sizes are proven to improve academic achievement as the ability to spend more time with each child allows teachers to get to know their personal strengths, weaknesses and learning styles, ensuring that their individual needs are met.’

http://www.hmc.org.uk/about-hmc/why-choose-a-hmc-school/smaller-class-sizes/

 

(c) bbc.co.uk

The Scottish Government has set a target of 1 million acres in Community ownership by 2020. Currently we have 403 community groups in ownership of 492 land parcels totalling 562 230 acres. It’s looking like a bit of a push to make up the outstanding 437 770 acres in community ownership with only two or three years to go. I’m not sure if the target is for end-of or beginning-of 2020.

Only 94.23 acres came into community ownership in the first six months of 2017, so we need to see acceleration of the trend or one or two very big packages, if the target is to be met.

Most of the community ownership (93.7%) is in Highland and Na h‑Eileanan Siar council areas:

• Na h-Eileanan Siar: 385,340 acres
• Highland: 141,912 acres.

However, this is only 2.9% of Scotland’s 19,252,132 acres and just two rich individuals together have almost as much as the 403 community groups.  The Duke of Buccleugh has 240 000 acres to himself and Anders Povlsen has 170,000.

http://www.scottishhousingnews.com/18875/more-than-500000-acres-of-land-in-scotland-now-under-community-ownership/

(c) TomoNews

Wind turbines provided 77% of Scotland’s entire electricity demand in November and on seven days it was sufficient to supply 100% according to WWF Scotland and reported in Business Green.

https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/news/3022802/november-winds-provided-three-quarters-of-scotlands-power-needs-data-shows

This is, of course, just another example to add to repeated reports of the accelerating growth of renewable energy generation in Scotland as we head toward a sustainable 100% well ahead of the 2030 target. See:

Scotland’s wind turbines provide enough energy for 189% of Scottish homes on nearly every day in October. It was much the same in May.

Is Scotland as the ‘Saudi of wind’ concept getting more real? ‘Wind and waves?’ Solar too?

Another 1 GWh wind farm taking our current supply up enough for 3 200 000 homes to be built in forest near Dumfries. 100% renewable energy by 2030? More like 1 000%.

A strong economy, a better society and massive power resources suggest to me a country well-suited to independence.

© raptorpersecutionscotland.wordpress.com

The SNP’s National Council has proposed the introduction of licensing for driven grouse shooting estates. This comes in the wake of repeated exposure of illegal killing of protected birds of prey, the massive and unjustified culling of mountain hares and the damage to vulnerable peatland habitats. See:

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/11/grouse-moors-to-blame-for-scotland-disappearing-raptors-birds-prey-glorious-twelfth

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jul/31/mountain-hares-scotland-culling-highlands-onekind

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/jul/05/peat-bogs-burning-grouse-shooting

The RSPB in Scotland insists that self-regulation by the bird-gaming industry has clearly failed in the light of the above exposures and their representative said:

‘While we have welcomed steps taken by successive Scottish Governments to bear down on wildlife crime, it is evident that the increasingly intensive management of some areas, solely aimed at producing ever-larger grouse bags, flies in the face of public opinion and that better regulation of this industry, to ensure legal, sustainable management of our uplands, is long overdue.’

http://www.thescottishfarmer.co.uk/news/15708545.SNP_back_grouse_moor_licensing/

This news also follows the SNP administration’s moves to fairly tax shooting estates. See these earlier reports:

Blahdy good news from the Express? ‘Queen facing HUGE bill over Nicola Sturgeon’s dreaded shooting tax rules’

Daily Torygraph starts elite panic about land reform before a blow has been struck

As with the legislation to limit land-ownership and the application of VAT to fee-paying schools, many of us would, I’m sure, like to see more rigorous approaches to reducing inequality, but it is a start.

As Scotland pushes ahead building affordable housing at twice the UK rate, rough sleepers in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the central belt are to be allocated 475 homes. See:

Scottish Government increases supply of affordable housing and builds at more, perhaps much more, than twice the rate as in England

http://www.scottishhousingnews.com/18872/almost-500-homes-allocated-to-homeless-people-as-sleep-in-the-park-raises-3-6m/

Saturday’s Sleep in the Park with entertainment by Liam Gallagher and Deacon Blue had 8 000 people sleeping or attempting to, in Princes Street Garden, in sub-zero conditions. The money will be used to help families and individuals stay in their homes or find homes.

At the same time, Edinburgh’s EdIndex Partnership will help to make 275 homes available to homeless people and in Glasgow, the Wheatley Group has committed 200 homes for rough sleepers.

With the Scottish government’s strong commitment to ending homelessness and Housing First pilot schemes well underway, the situation is beginning to look promising. See these for more detail:

Could Scotland end homelessness?

Homelessness falls in Scotland as it rises in England, mainly driven by heartless Tory welfare reforms

Josh Littlejohn MBE, co-founder of Social Bite, was particularly inspiring in saying:

‘Tonight, was the night when people from all walks of life came together in Scotland, to stick up for the most vulnerable people among us. This is the night that we collectively gave a voice to the people who have never had one. There are 11,000 homeless households in Scotland. When I think about all of the amazing different people, sleeping in this garden tonight, the one thing that strikes me about these statistics of homelessness is that they are not insurmountable. Scotland is a small enough country, a compassionate enough country and a collaborative enough country, where nobody has to be homeless here. If we put our heads together, we can wipe out homelessness in five years.’

http://www.scottishhousingnews.com/18872/almost-500-homes-allocated-to-homeless-people-as-sleep-in-the-park-raises-3-6m/

I hope, I’m not overdoing this but, once more, do we see something a little different in the core values of our political leadership and in the majority of the people who live in Scotland? See:

SNP moves to finally put an end to foxes’agony being ripped apart by hounds as the English Tories plan a return to the unspeakable business. Different again?

8% of the UK population and 28% of living wage employers. More evidence that we are different enough to want to run the whole show?

Racial hate crimes increase by 33% in England & Wales while falling by 10% in Scotland: Who says we’re not different?

Scientific evidence that Scots tend to be different from the other groups in rUK?

(c) Image PA

We all remember meeting or hearing of 16 and 17-year-olds who were very enthusiastic, engaged and, often, well-informed at the time of the Scottish Referendum in 2014. Despite that, there is still some hostility toward allowing further participation by this group in other electoral processes. Our long-standing knowledge of the low turnout and apparent lack of knowledge of political affairs of the 18-24-year-old group has sometimes led critics to oppose the emancipation of the younger group on similar grounds. However, recent research by the London School of Economics is strong evidence that this negative view is incorrect.

In the review preceding their own survey, the LSE authors point out:

• We already know that the younger first-time voters are, the greater their participation. This effect is observed in multiple studies and is strongly pronounced for 16- to 17-year-olds.
• It could also be observed in the Scottish context where the above-cited participation rate for these ages (75%) was much higher than the estimate for 18-24-year-olds (54%).
• Voting earlier, while still being in school and more likely to live at home, is likely to increase voter participation, not reduce it.

The authors also tackle the popular view that the majority of the adult population are against 16-year-olds having the vote. While it is true that only 33% were in favour before the Scottish Referendum, this has now doubled to 60%, in Scotland, after people actually witnessed the frankly wonderful enthusiasm, intelligence and knowledge of that group, face-to-face or on TV, in the months leading up to the Scottish Referendum. The researchers state:

‘For the Scottish context, we then find, for example, that the levels of political interest in the independence referendum amongst those younger than 18 was very similar to that of the adult population overall.’

In 2015, the LSE researchers interviewed 16 and 17-year-olds across the UK to see:

‘whether levels of political engagement and political attitudes systematically differed for 16- and 17-year-old Scots compared to their peers in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.’

They found:

‘that the newly enfranchised young people in Scotland indeed show substantially higher levels of engagement with representative democracy (through voting) as well as other forms of political participation (such as signing petitions and taking part in demonstrations); and they engage with a greater range of information sources about politics and reflect greater levels of political efficacy.’

And concluded:

‘The findings indeed suggest that earlier enfranchisement, together with other factors (such as the referendum, civic education, and parental socialisation) had a positive impact on young people in Scotland. Further research will be required to examine whether these positive effects are long-lasting. Evidence from Austria – where the voting age was lowered in 2007 and where similar first-time boosts could be observed – is encouraging, as later observations still confirmed the initial patterns.’

http://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/votes-at-16-new-evidence-from-scotland/

The researchers may have missed the effects of the fairly recent introduction of Scottish affairs into the teaching of National 4/5 and Higher History, and Modern Studies, and the new Politics Higher. That Scottish history or political affairs were not taught in any serious manner until quite recently would, of course, not have occurred to researchers based in England. Perhaps, more obvious, it seems strange that the researchers did not appear to have investigated the impact of social media especially the huge number of Facebook groups informing, debating and organising, especially the Yes campaign. Much research had already been done into the role of Facebook in the Arab Spring by this time, so we might have expected it to be an obvious area for investigation.

Anyway, as I hope you are, I’m much encouraged by these findings. There were 100 000 of these young voters in 2014. By 2018, a further 200 000 will be in the frame and we know they’re more likely to be Yes than No voters.

© Daily Record

That’s the typically restrained headline from the Sun, above, for the new £100 million epic being produced for Netflix, on the life of Robert the Bruce. It’s expected to have levels of violence comparable to Game of Thrones and, I expect, a bit more accuracy than Braveheart as it will be scripted by Scottish writer David Mackenzie who previously wrote the critically acclaimed Young Adam and Hallam Foe.

We know that Outlander has had a part to play in Scotland’s recent tourism boom. See these earlier reports:

‘Outlander links see visitors to historic sites soaring’

Tourism spending in Scotland surges ahead of UK figure

We can surely expect further increases after Outlaw King is released. Hopefully it will not be held back before Indeyref2, as Outlander was for the first referendum in 2014. Filming was completed last month but I can’t find a release date. I’ve already considered whether Outlander alone might have an effect on Indyref2 at:

Outlander arrives on Freeview TV. Can it affect the outcome of Indyref2?

I suppose the key issue/concern is that it accurately reflects the popular nature of the struggle and doesn’t focus just on the personal vanity and ambitions of an Anglo-Scottish aristocrat.

Footnote: Here’s a short amateur video and stills of two of the film locations:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQBMRSreTdY

https://www.berwick-advertiser.co.uk/news/watch-outlaw-king-filming-in-berwick-1-4583126