Whilst Scotland leads the way in terms of ambition to reduce emissions, it is in leading by example in moving towards a wellbeing-based economy that we could really set the standard for other countries to follow.Everyone has different perceptions of risk, depending on our life experiences and exposures to threats. Having experienced some active sports in my youth I’ve … [Read more...] about What does climate change risk really look like?
climate change
Fear and anger: rational responses to extinction
Not everyone cheered for the school children striking against climate change.In the US, democratic senator Dianne Feinstein accused them of “my way or the highway” thinking. German Liberal Democrats leader Christian Lindner said that the protesters don’t yet understand “what’s technically and economically possible”, and should leave that to experts instead. The … [Read more...] about Fear and anger: rational responses to extinction
Scotland be bold on climate change
Scotland is a world leader on tackling climate change, claims the Scottish Government. Yet recent reports reveal a persistent gap between words in policy documents and facts on the ground.Take the findings of two recent research projects – Audit Scotland’s report on the Queensferry Crossing, and Living Streets Scotland’s study of new housing developments in Scottish … [Read more...] about Scotland be bold on climate change
A letter to my grandchildren
This is how Jim Whyte begins the last part of his autobiography, A Letter to My Grandchildren: With a growing family of three children and nine grandchildren, I am more than ever convinced that my generation is leaving our future generations with problems which, on a best case scenario, will be very difficult to solve.More pessimistically, I believe we could be leaving a … [Read more...] about A letter to my grandchildren
Poetry and the power of simple pleasures
What kind of times are they, whenA talk about trees is almost a crimeBecause it implies silence about so many horrorsBertolt Brecht A catalogue in the post. Not so very long ago that would have brought a promise of armchair gardening. Happy hours leafing through pages of plants I was unlikely to grow, winter evenings plotting summer crops; neat rows of common … [Read more...] about Poetry and the power of simple pleasures