Rob Edwards

UK nuclear accidents blamed on poor safety

from New Scientist, 30 August 2007

Two of the UK’s most serious nuclear weapons accidents in the 1980s were caused by long term lapses in safety procedures, according to newly declassified government reports released to New Scientist under freedom of information laws. The accidents look more serious than previously admitted by the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

Executive's bluff called on terrorist risks

from Sunday Herald, 26 August 2007

The risk of a terrorist attack was wrongly used by the Scottish Executive as an excuse to keep information about radioactive contamination of drinking water secret.

The Scottish Information Commissioner, Kevin Dunion, has found the Executive guilty of breaching freedom of information legislation by failing to provide documents from a file entitled "Release of Radionuclides in Drinking Water Systems".

Eternal city-sized forests needed to offset traffic pollution

from Sunday Herald, 26 August 2007

A forest the size of Edinburgh would need to be planted every year - and maintained for eternity - to offset all the pollution caused by road traffic in Scotland.

That is the conclusion of an expert report for the government agency, Transport Scotland, which says that planting trees to soak up climate-wrecking vehicle fumes is "not practical".

Scrapping tolls and wrecking the climate

comment, 21 August 2007

When it comes to transport policy, it looks like the new Scottish Executive - like the old Scottish Executive - just doesn't get it. You can't encourage people to use their cars at the same time as claiming to be serious about cutting the pollution that causes global warming. It simply doesn't make sense.

The old Executive, led by a Labour and Liberal Democrat coalition, ignored its own expert report saying that extending the M74 into Glasgow would be an economic and environmental folly. The new Executive, led by the Scottish National Party, is now ignoring its expert report saying that scrapping tolls on the Forth and Tay bridges is a thoroughly bad idea.

Government accused of tree-planting 'greenwash'

from Sunday Herald, 19 August 2007

A new £3 million government grant scheme meant to combat climate change by planting trees has been snubbed by environmentalists because they regard it as flawed.

Scottish Environment LINK, an umbrella group involving 36 major environmental organisations, has refused to take part in the scheme because it doesn't do enough to help wildlife. Some groups have also attacked the scheme as "greenwash" on the grounds that it fails to really tackle the pollution that is causing global warming.

New Trident reactor planned for Dounreay

from Sunday Herald, 19 August 2007

A new reactor could be sited at Dounreay on the north coast of Scotland as part of the UK government's plans to replace the Trident nuclear weapons system over the next decade.

The submarines that will carry the warheads are planned to be powered by a new type of nuclear reactor. But before it goes to sea, it will have to be checked for safety and reliability at a land-based testing facility.

By far the most likely site for such an operation is the little-known Vulcan Naval Reactor Test Establishment, adjacent to the civil nuclear complex at Dounreay in Caithness. Vulcan has been the UK's only site for testing submarine reactors for more than 40 years.

Ministers refuse to stop superquarry expansion

from Sunday Herald, 19 August 2007

Ministers have refused to intervene and block controversial plans to almost double the size of Scotland's largest superquarry at Glensanda near Oban.

Subject to final legal negotiations the expansion now looks set to go ahead. This has infuriated local residents, who say that the environment will be polluted and the landscape ruined.

UK attacked over n-waste, while Scotland praised

from Sunday Herald, 19 August 2007

UK ministers have been accused by one of their former advisers of ignoring official advice on the disposal of nuclear waste in order to pave the way for a new programme of nuclear power stations.

Pete Wilkinson, a member of the government's Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM), has also praised the Scottish Executive for boycotting the latest public consultation on plans to bury the waste deep underground.

Where have you been, my blue-eyed son?

from Sunday Herald, 12 August 2007

It was 38 years ago after he got lost in the Sahara desert that photographer Mark Edwards got the idea. The Tuareg nomad who rescued him produced a cassette machine and played a bootlegged version of Bob Dylan's prophetic song about global decay, "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall".

In the decades since Edwards has roamed the world taking and collecting pictures to illustrate every image-laden line of the song. The result is an arresting display of 44 photographs now on show at the Royal Botanic Garden in Edinburgh, as part of the festival (see below).

Fixing climate targets to avoid bad news

from Sunday Herald, 12 August 2007

The Scottish Executive deliberately fixed an unambitious target for cutting climate-wrecking pollution so that it would be easy to meet and the success would make a "good news story".

Internal documents obtained by the Sunday Herald reveal that officials advised the previous administration to play safe by aiming low. A high target would risk bad publicity if it was missed, they warned.

Money for public access 'misspent' by councils

from Sunday Herald, 12 August 2007

Two out of every five councils in Scotland have failed to spend the money they've been given by taxpayers to improve public access to the countryside, according to figures released by the Scottish Executive.

Over the last two years 13 local authorities have diverted a total of £2.3 million meant to maintain and expand footpaths into funding other activities. This has been condemned by recreation groups as "misappropriation" - a criticism that is fiercely rejected by local authorities.

Companies found out making fake green claims

from Sunday Herald, 05 August 2007

A string of big-name companies have been caught out trying to cash in on the green marketing boom by making fake claims in adverts.

Leading car makers, budget airlines, energy companies and the country's biggest supermarket chain have all been found guilty of breaking advertising rules by the independent watchdog, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA).

Faced with rocketing numbers of complaints about adverts claiming environmental benefits, the ASA is promising to crack down on offenders. And the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has admitted that there is "public confusion" over business attempts to cut the pollution that causes climate change.

Findhorn cuts environmental impact - but keeps flying

from Sunday Herald, 05 August 2007

The renowned Findhorn community in Moray has less impact on the environment that any other community in the developed world - but its thousands of visitors and residents still fly too much.

A new expert study says that the multinational community's 'ecological footprint' is half the UK average. This means that Findhorn uses 50% fewer resources and creates 50% less waste than normal.

But the study also points out that the amount of air travel by Findhorn residents is more than twice the Scottish average. And visitors coming from abroad each clock up a massive 25,000 kilometres by plane every year.

Call for inquiry into safety of nuclear bomb convoys

05 August 2007

Revelations about the dangers of transporting nuclear bombs on Scotland's roads have prompted a call for the First Minister, Alex Salmond, to launch an investigation.

Executive ordered to name farmers with biggest subsidies

01 August 2007

The Scottish Executive has been found guilty of breaching freedom of information legislation and ordered to release the names of farmers who have received the most public subsidies in Scotland.