Talking-up Scotland

(c) hexjam.com

Reporting on a UN study in 2006, the Independent reported:

‘Cow ’emissions’ more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars. Meet the world’s top destroyer of the environment. It is not the car, or the plane, or even George Bush: it is the cow. A United Nations report has identified the world’s rapidly growing herds of cattle as the greatest threat to the climate, forests and wildlife. And they are blamed for a host of other environmental crimes, from acid rain to the introduction of alien species, from producing deserts to creating dead zones in the oceans, from poisoning rivers and drinking water to destroying coral reefs.’

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/cow-emissions-more-damaging-to-planet-than-co2-from-cars-427843.html

So, a Scottish study, announced today, which can lead to the breeding of ‘low-emission cattle’ is very big breakthrough indeed. Professor John Wallace will lead a study which is:

‘the result of a collaboration involving Scotland’s Rural College, The University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute and The University of Aberdeen Rowett Institute, identified a genetic link between host animals, the microbial community in their digestive tract and the methane that they produce. The findings could ultimately help farmers respond to the growing global demand for meat, while minimising the associated environmental impact.’

The team have won a prize of $5 000 to develop their breath-taking research. It seems a bit mean if it might save the planet.

https://www.abdn.ac.uk/news/11152/

Spending £35 million over the next five years, NHS Scotland will increase mental health nurse training by 5% in 2017 /2018 alone and by around 800 staff in the five years of extra funding. This news from April 2017, which I’ve only just spotted, comes in the same year that NHS Scotland announced record staffing levels across the system. See:

Contrary to Royal ‘College’ of Nursing’s ill-informed carping, the SNP Administration future-proofs nursing in Scotland as NHS England enters a training and staffing crisis

NHS Scotland staffing climbs to a record high as the Tories create a catastrophic fall in NHS England

https://www.nursingtimes.net/news/policies-and-guidance/scotlands-mental-health-strategy-will-boost-workforce/7017125.article

As always, I feel it’s my role to compare developments in England to compensate for Scotland’s Unionist mainstream media’s neglect of positive news on Scotland. I found this quickly from the Guardian of November 2016:

‘Since Conservatives came to power in 2010, number of specialist nurses has fallen from 45,384 to 38,774. The Royal College of Nursing claims the figures proved ministerial pledges of recent years were not being delivered. The number of mental health nurses working in the NHS has dropped by almost a sixth since the Conservatives came to power in 2010, figures show. The revelation has sparked fresh doubt that government pledges to improve mental health services are being matched by progress at the NHS frontline.’

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/nov/01/number-mental-health-nurses-nhs-drops-sixth-tories

These reports coincide with other worrying indicators of what is happening to mental health provision in England under this government. Readers may remember this highly disturbing piece I wrote only in July this year.

Hundreds of English mental health patients forced to travel hundreds of miles to Scotland for treatment, due to bed shortages

Once more the 1 in 5 Scots who vote Tory can only be evidence of ignorance of reports like the above.

The Offshore Renewable Energy Science and Innovation Audit (SIA) was one of eight audits commissioned by the UK Government to set out the UK’s strengths in key areas. It reported that Scotland and the North of England are global leaders in innovation in this field. The report also found that jobs in these areas could double in the next fifteen years.

Now, I don’t mean to be mean about the grouping of the North of England with Scotland in this assessment but, frankly, I’ve read little to suggest anything near equivalence in the developing expertise in the two areas. Scotland has 25% of all of Europe’s wind potential and a coastline suitable for marine turbines many times greater than the North of England. Reports of innovation in the use of floating windfarms and marine turbines off Scotland’s coast appear weekly in the industry’s news outlets. I see next to nothing about such developments off the coast of the North of England. See, if you need to:

Re-opened Scottish dock to build state-of-the-art floating windfarm to begin to exploit Scotland’s 25% share of all of Europe’s offshore wind potential

‘Scotland ‘Saudi of wind’ or ‘Gagging on Wind Power’

Massive economic benefit for Scottish economy from 84-turbine offshore windfarm

New giant wind-farm off Fife coast to create 500 jobs and supply 325 000 homes

A second ‘biggest in the world’ for Scotland’s renewable energy sector

As world’s largest tidal energy plant in Pentland Firth generates 1GWh which is enough for 700 000 homes, will Scotland become the most energy-rich country in Europe?

http://www.subseauk.com/8919/global-leader-in-offshore-energy

© Daniel J. Cox/Natural Exposures.com

Polar bears remain a major risk to Arctic explorers in camp, especially at night. According to the Scottish Business News Network report yesterday, the Dundee team who have developed a polar bear alarm system were inspired by hearing about Captain Robert Falcon of Scott’s British Antarctic Expedition. Spot anything wrong in that readers? Yes, it’s the classic mistake in confusing Antarctic (South) and Arctic (North). There are no polar bears in the Antarctic luckily for the penguins because the story that they can’t get the wrappers off is untrue. The team were taking part in the first leg of the Scottish Design Relay, a national V&A Dundee project to inspire the next generation of designers.

Here’s how it works:

‘The prototype design builds on an existing humane tripwire system which sets off a loud bang if a bear breaches a campsite perimeter. The new design includes a retractable spring recoil system to prevent tangling of the tripwire, and uses non-conductive material to stop exposed skin freezing to the device in sub-zero temperatures. New technology has also been incorporated, allowing for early detection of polar bears around the camp.’

Ipswich, which was voted the best city in the UK to start a business is, of course, much warmer in winter and so less likely to be visited by stray bears than Dundee.

This is, of course, just another success for Dundee. See these previous reports:

‘University of Dundee is UK’s highest ranked institution for influencing innovation’

University of Dundee awarded £7 million to work in partnership with India to fight diabetes

Major deal for Dundee-based Artificial Intelligence Company

Teckle! Dundee Good News Special

https://sbnn.co.uk/2017/09/22/dundee-design-team-creates-polar-bear-alarm-system-explorers/

 

The advisers said:

‘We can see clear and positive momentum in Scottish education, particularly in relation to the devolution of more power and resources directly to schools. We strongly support the principles underpinning these changes as it is important they are designed to improve education, rather than being structural change for its own sake.’

They then went on to make three suggestion to build on the progress so far. They:

• Made suggestions about to how put learning and teaching at the heart of the Regional Improvement Collaboratives to ensure they provide the right level of support and expertise to schools
• Put forward ideas about how to increase and deepen collaboration, including ensuring students and parents are engaged and have a voice
• Highlighted opportunities to create new professional pathways to inspire and build leadership at all levels in Scottish education

I’ve previously expressed reservations about too much change in school education but hopefully this initiative will be more effective and less disruptive than previous ones given its emphasis on devolving power and control of resources to schools and school leaders.

https://news.gov.scot/news/school-reforms-progress

From Environmental Health News on 20^th September:

‘English local authorities are seriously falling behind their devolved neighbours when it comes to resourcing food inspections. The latest LAEMS figures published this week reveals that each Environmental Health professional inspecting food establishments in England is responsible for 345 premises annually while in Wales the figure is nearly half that at 175. In Northern Ireland, the figure is 238 premises per EHP while in Scotland it is 204.’

At the same time, the Local Authority Enforcement Monitoring System is reporting complaints about food safety standards increasing dramatically with England seeing a 24% increase in complaints dealt with last year up from 58,717 to 72,847 and the numbers of food establishments operating in the UK increasing from 627,425 in 2015/15 to 634,584 in 2016/17.

The Head of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health said:

‘In the devolved nations, they have the opportunity to resource food safety the way they think appropriate the difference is significant and that does concern us particularly on rising number of food premises to be covered and rising numbers of premises not being inspected.’

http://www.ehn-online.com/news/article.aspx?id=16696

This is not the only difference in the level and quality of public services between Scotland and England. I’ve already reported on the higher levels of staffing in general practice, in the NHS generally and in the police force. See:

SNP Government to invest £71.6 million to improve on what is already the best-staffed and the most contented primary care system (GPs) in the UK and perhaps beyond

Record NHS Scotland workforce announced as NHS England struggles with far worse levels

How the SNP have protected Scotland by maintaining police numbers and how Theresa May has exposed England to risk.

 

 

 

(c) bbc.co.uk

I know, the headline is just having a bit of fun but maybe what is now desirable Wiltshire was less so then and East Ayrshire had something going for it? Nutrient rich soil? My South Ayrshire back garden is clay. Murder to dig but anything and everything grows in it.

Archaelogists have found evidence of a house 6 000 years-old which predates both Stonehenge and the Callanish stones in Lewis. It’s an early example of the move from hunter-gatherer lifestyle to farming.

All that remains, admittedly, are a number of post holes which suggest a rectangular building about 14m by 8m. That’s quite big isn’t it? They also found a ‘Neolithic carinated cooking bowl.’

Kenneth Green, excavation director at GUARD Archaeology of Glasgow said, in the Scotsman, today:

‘This is one of the most important discoveries of this type in south-west Scotland [UK?] in recent years. The width and depth of these post-holes indicated that they once held very large upright timber posts, suggesting that this building was once a large house, probably home to an extended family or group of families. Up until this time, during the earlier Mesolithic period (c. 8000-4000 BC), Scotland was inhabited by small groups of hunter gatherers, who led a nomadic lifestyle, living off the land.’

Along with the recent series on Neolithic Britain (with Neil Oliver – Aaargh!!!) starting out in the far north and then spreading south, is this more evidence for a less Anglo-centric view of British pre-history?

http://www.scotsman.com/news/house-older-than-stonehenge-found-in-east-ayrshire-field-1-4566488

 

Back in August, I was able to report that Scotrail was performing significantly better, at 90.5%, than the England & Wales average of 87.9% punctuality. See:

Scotrail outperforms services in England and Wales

Since then, Scotrail have pulled away, steamed ahead even, (nice metaphors?) further. See this from Transport Network figures yesterday:

‘The moving annual average (MAA) of the official Public Performance Measure (PPM) at the end of June was 88%, according to the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), meaning that 12% of trains were late. This was a slight improvement on the annual PPM to the end of April (87.7%), which was the lowest annual score recorded since 2005-06.’

https://transport-network.co.uk/GTR-still-lagging-behind-as-rail-performance-nudges-upwards/14482

So that’s an improvement of 0.3%. See this from Scotrail reported in the Insider business magazine, also yesterday:

‘The four-week rolling figure of 94.1% is up more than three percentage points on last year – and is the best four-week performance since May 2015, the company said. Bottom of FormTop of Form  Bottom of Form

ScotRail reports it achieved its best punctuality performance in more than two years with 94.1 per cent on trains running on time in the four weeks to 16 September. The four-week rolling figure, up more than three percentage points on last year, was the best four-week performance since May 2015, ScotRail said. The moving average performance in the last 12 months now stands at 91.2 per cent of trains on time, up 1.6 per cent on last year and meeting the regulatory target of 90.3 per cent.’

So Scotrail is improving ten times faster than England & Wales rail services. I don’t/can’t watch Revolting Scotland. Did they report in these terms? Has Ruth Davidson sent her regards to Hamsa? I take it he can keep his job now?

http://www.insider.co.uk/news/scotrail-punctuality-performance-best-more-11213372

(c) AP Photo/Danny Lawson

I’m not sure I could wait as long as the Scottish Natural Heritage report suggests – 2080. By then, they think Firth of Clyde sea levels could be 47cm higher and flood the Faslane base. Presumably, Somerset will have become permanently water so the submarines could be based in Yeovil?

Unfortunately, it’s not all good news. The report predicts more than 100 coastal areas being affected including the rail-link at Prestwick Airport as well as Greenock, Gourock, Campbeltown, Lochgilphead, Dunoon, Faslane, Inverkip, Largs, Stevenston, Irvine, Troon, Prestwick, Ayr and Girvan! I live up the only decent-sized hill in Ayr. I’ll stop complaining about my sore knees now. I may not make it to 2080, of course, being 66 as I write.

SNH chair Mike Cantlay reported in Energy Voice said:

‘As part of our role protecting all of nature for all of Scotland, we conduct regular research into the long-term future of Scotland’s natural environment. Having this advance notice allows partners to work together to address potential issues and plan ahead for ways to mitigate these risks.’

Seriously, time to get planning and preparing for this but don’t tell the MoD.

https://www.energyvoice.com/otherenergy/nuclear/151124/faslane-naval-base-become-submerged-due-rising-seas-report-claims/

(c) oil-electric.com

One of the world’s largest crude storage facilities in South Africa is emptying fast as demand booms and the OPEC cuts hold firm. This may be an early sign of the serious shortages and consequent price hikes forecast only two months ago by the Aramco chief. In July 2017, he described the outlook for oil supplies as ‘extremely worrying’ and argued that the transition to alternative fuels will be too slow to prevent massive shortages and a price boom.

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/151154/oil-traders-empty-key-crude-storage-hub-demand-booms/

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-10/aramco-to-spend-300-billion-as-ceo-frets-about-world-oil-supply

As Scotland can increasingly rely on it renewables, this is good news for the sales of North Sea and West of Shetland oil. Unfortunately, it’s coming too early for a Scottish Treasury to reap the benefits.

According to Energy Voice today:

‘Crude demand is now seasonally outstripping supply, tightening the physical market for some crude varieties to levels not seen in the last two years and encouraging traders to sell their stored oil.’

https://www.energyvoice.com/oilandgas/151154/oil-traders-empty-key-crude-storage-hub-demand-booms/

Another clear sign is the further increase in Brent prices for crude in November, up to $56.14 per barrel from $54.29.

http://www.marketwatch.com/investing/future/brent%20crude?countrycode=uk

Bear in mind the BP chief’s admission that it costs only $15pb to extract the oil. See:

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