Environment
What does climate change risk really look like?
Time to panic? ‘Climate change scares me rigid’ says Mike Rivington, so all the more reason to act now.
GSA fire: lessons from the exclusion zone
The second Glasgow School of Art fire has become a case study in how not to help neighbouring residents after a disaster. Everyone from the owners of the damaged building to the local authorities need…
Vertical farming: why Earth needs help to feed the world
Home-grown innovation: Scotland’s first vertical farm is applying for Tay City Deal funding to turn an exciting local project into a global resource to feed – and change – the world in new ways.
Spuds you should like
But with rises in obesity, we become obsessed with following the latest diet craze – where usually at least one of the main nutrient groups are significantly decreased or eliminated. As part of this, potatoes…
Battling pests and diseases: Scotland’s new plant health centre
Human survival depends on plants. Professor Ian Toth, director of the new Plant Health Centre of Expertise, explains how science is playing an essential role in the battle to protect plants from pests and diseases.
Scotland be bold on climate change
Gaps between rhetoric and delivery reveal urgent need for joined up thinking in Scotland’s plans for tackling climate change: ‘Scotland must cut emissions to zero by 2050. Increase the 2030 target to 77% and, crucially,…
False goals and impossible expectations
In Part 3 of his essay the author urges an end to utopian thinking: ‘Should we condone people like my father who yearn for Utopia and who believe we should give planned perfection one more…
Why we would be happier without Utopia
‘Two years after the 500th anniversary of Thomas More’s book, I see a resurgence in Utopian thinking in many countries and fear we could be on verge of taking a collective voyage to nowhere once again.’…
The future of hutting in Scotland
The smell of onions frying is in the air. In the evening there is a light in every window. There are people living in the glen again. Donald McPhillimy sees the future and it is…
Vertical farming: sustainable future made in Scotland?
“Currently, we expend about 10 calories of fossil fuel to generate one calorie of food. This is unsustainable not just in a small way but to quite an alarming extent.” Scientist Ian Boyd sees hope…
A letter to my grandchildren
‘It is no longer possible for any individual nation to collapse in isolation. Our closely integrated global systems will simply disintegrate.’ Sceptical Scot publishes an extract from Jim Whyte’s prophetic Letter to My Grandchildren confronting…
Brexit, farmland values and subsidies: who wins?
Given that farm support has historically been a major influence on UK land prices, how will Brexit impact the value of farmland? Deb Roberts examines the evidence.