If you care about saving Earth from catastrophe, you might be feeling a little down about the re-election of Donald Trump as United States president. Undeniably, his return to the White House is a real setback for climate action.Trump is a climate change denier who has promised to increase fossil fuel production and withdraw the US from the … [Read more...] about 10 reasons why Donald Trump can’t stop global climate action
climate crisis
Going wild: four photos to give you hope
A decade-long campaign by the Community of Arran Seabed Trust culminated in Scotland’s first No Take Zone where no fish or shellfish can be taken from the water, seabed or shore, in 2008. What happened? The marine ecosystem has flourished.As curator at Manchester Museum for 18 years, I’ve helped create a new exhibition, Wild, that showcases some incredible projects … [Read more...] about Going wild: four photos to give you hope
Let’s end public subsidies for commercial conifer tree-planting
The Scottish and UK Governments spend a significant amount of public money to incentivise tree planting and woodland expansion in the form of grants and tax reliefs. The policy basis for this is extensive, as reflected by Scotland having some of the world’s most ambitious net zero targets and prioritising national outcomes such as nature restoration, economic prosperity, and … [Read more...] about Let’s end public subsidies for commercial conifer tree-planting
Rewilding the Highlands: Glen Affric and Dundreggan point the way
It’s an early evening in mid-April and I’m walking through a spring-green birch forest in Glen Cannich, a dozen miles west of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands. The trees are dripping with silver-grey lichen, and mosses abound; birdsong is everywhere, and the air feels strikingly pure and fresh. There are beautiful views through the trees and bracken to the river and fields … [Read more...] about Rewilding the Highlands: Glen Affric and Dundreggan point the way
A very Scottish foreign policy
If Scotland were to go independent in the next few years what kind of foreign policy might it pursue and how might it best establish a new diplomatic service? Given the rapidity of change in global affairs (the rise of China, a more assertive Russia, the impact of Trump, the Covid-19 pandemic, climate change,migration...), flexibility should be a key principle. Larger countries … [Read more...] about A very Scottish foreign policy