Rob Edwards

New Forth bridge would cause 'gridlock'

from Sunday Herald, 30 September 2007

The Scottish government's £1.6 billion plan for a new road bridge across the Firth of Forth will bring traffic "gridlock" to Edinburgh, triggering an economic and environmental disaster.

That is the dire warning being sounded this weekend by the City of Edinburgh Council, which is run by a coalition of LibDem and SNP councillors. They have all backed a report from officials that condemns a new bridge, and are meeting with ministers to express their concerns in October.

Opposition to plan to bring back beavers

from Sunday Herald, 30 September 2007

A renewed bid by conservationists to bring beavers back to Scotland will be launched this week - and will run into fierce opposition from a local landowner.

The Scottish Wildlife Trust and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland are tomorrow planning to begin consultations on a trial reintroduction of up to 20 European beavers at Knapdale Forest in mid-Argyll.

But the consultations have already been snubbed by Robin Malcolm, who owns the neighbouring Duntrune Castle estate at Kilmartin. Importing beavers was "completely irresponsible", he claimed, because of the damage they could inflict on trees and rivers.

Head of green watchdog under fire for flying

from Sunday Herald, 30 September 2007

The head of the Scottish Government's green watchdog is under fire for taking climate-wrecking flights across Scotland last week.

Sir Ken Collins, chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), flew from Edinburgh to Inverness on Wednesday and then onto Orkney on Thursday. This has infuriated some of his staff, who say the flights are "very embarrassing" for SEPA.

10,000 ancient sites are at risk from global warming

from Sunday Herald, 23 September 2007

More than 10,000 ancient and historical sites around Scotland's coastline are at risk of being destroyed by the storms and rising sea levels that will come with global warming.

New surveys for the government's Historic Scotland reveal that the remains of communities up to 9,000 years old could be lost for ever because of accelerating coastal erosion.

The archaeological sites under threat range from Viking burial boats, to Iron Age brochs and Mesolithic middens. Some of Scotland's most famous ancient monuments, like the Neolithic settlement of Skara Brae on Orkney and the prehistoric ruins at Jarlshof on Shetland, are vulnerable.

Plan for floating homes to save us from future flooding

from Sunday Herald, 23 September 2007

Flotillas of floating homes, shops and offices are being proposed as "21st Century Arks" to ride out the floods that global warming will bring.

A Scottish creative designer and entrepreneur is developing plans for a series of "aquatic villages" along the Clyde, including houseboats, pubs, cinemas and museums, all linked by waterborne buses and taxis.

The cost of demolishing the Forth Road Bridge

from Sunday Herald, 23 September 2007

The Scottish government's transport agency is considering demolishing the Forth Road Bridge - at a cost of nearly £130 million. A report by Transport Scotland, released under freedom of information law, reveals that consultants have been asked to estimate the cost of dismantling the entire 43-year-old structure.

Safety warning at nuclear bomb plant

from New Scientist, 19 September 2007

Britain's nuclear bomb factory has been struggling to remedy as many as 1,000 safety defects uncovered by the government's official watchdog. And it has only been allowed to remain open because the Ministry of Defence says the work it does is vital.

The remarkable and, until now, secret story of the serious problems being faced by the nuclear weapons complex at Burghfield in Berkshire is revealed in 13 internal reports released by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) to New Scientist under freedom of information law.

£115 million handed out to 100 rich farmers

from Sunday Herald, 16 September 2007

A hundred of the richest farmers in Scotland have had a massive £115 million hand-out from the government over five years, the Sunday Herald can reveal.

More than 50 farmers, including some well-known members of the landed gentry, pocketed over £1 million each. Five received over £2 million each, and one lucky guy got £3.5 million.

The hand-outs have been lambasted as "galling" "astonishing" and even "virtually Biblical" by environmentalists. But they have been defended by farmers and landowners as "nothing to be ashamed of" because of the contribution they make to the rural economy.

Scotland's beaches the dirtiest for six years

from Sunday Herald, 16 September 2007

Scotland's beaches have this summer suffered the worst sewage pollution in six years, according to figures released today by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA).

Seven officially designated bathing waters have failed the basic safety limits, along with seven other popular beaches. The failure rate is the highest since 2001, as is the average level of faecal contamination.

And there is worse to come. Predictions by SEPA suggest that a further nine bathing waters will breach tough new European standards due to be introduced over the next few years.

Hydro schemes provoke opposition

from Sunday Herald, 16 September 2007

Plans for seven new hydro-electric schemes across Scotland have provoked opposition from anglers, environmentalists and local people alarmed at the risks for wildlife.

The conflicts highlight the problems plaguing the expansion of renewable energy, and could make it more difficult for the Scottish Government to combat global warming by boosting clean supplies of power.

Forestry Commission accused of 'sabotaging' mountain biking

from Sunday Herald, 09 September 2007

The government's Forestry Commission has come under fierce attack for "sabotaging" the future of mountain biking in Scotland by blocking a major development in the central belt.

The attack, from a leading mountain biking group, comes at an embarrassing time for the Commission, as it is one of the major sponsors of the Mountain Bike World Championships in Fort William this weekend.

The Commission has also been accused of wasting public money, playing "cynical games" and acting like a "secret society". It denies the allegations, however, insisting that it is committed to developing mountain biking "in a sustainable way".

Incinerator go-ahead sparks fears

from Sunday Herald, 09 September 2007

Scottish ministers have come under fierce fire for giving the go-ahead to a controversial waste incinerator near Perth, paving the way for others around the country.

Companies and local authorities are planning up to ten new incinerators to make energy from waste and cut the amount of rubbish dumped as landfill. But environmentalists brand the plants as "cheap and nasty" and say they will jeopardise efforts to reduce waste and increase recycling.

Dounreay rapped for breaking radioactive waste rule

from Sunday Herald, 09 September 2007

The nuclear complex at Dounreay has been reprimanded by the government's safety watchdog for breaking the rules when importing radioactive waste from France.

Over seven tonnes of irradiated uranium oxide was shipped to the Caithness plant in June. But its operator, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA), forgot to ask the permission of the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII).

Safety at disaster factory 'neglected' by company and watchdog

from Sunday Herald, 02 September 2007

The disaster at the Stockline plastics factory in Glasgow was caused by years of neglect by the company that ran it and by the government watchdog meant to regulate it, according to a report out today.

Eight experts from four universities have condemned ICL Plastics and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to prevent the gas explosion on 11 May 2004, which killed nine workers and injured 40 more.

Conditions in the factory were poor, safety rules were broken and corners were cut to save money, the report alleges. But this is denied by ICL, which accuses the report's authors of using "innuendo" to try to discredit and close down the company.

Bringing corporate killers to account

comment from Sunday Herald, 02 September 2007

When workers escaped from the rubble that had been the ICL plastics factory in Glasgow on 11 May 2004, a fireman noticed that they were not wearing any protective clothing. "Did everybody say 'Oh there's a blast, wait until I take all this safety gear off before I run out'?", he was heard to ask.

The lack of protective equipment is just one of the many allegations about poor health and safety at the factory, mistakenly known as Stockline, made in a report published today. Eight experts from four universities blame bad practice and bad regulation over years for the explosion which killed nine and injured 40 three years ago.

SNP challenged to solve its environmental policy problems

from Sunday Herald, 02 September 2007

Scottish National Party ministers are this week being challenged to solve the problems that plague their environmental policies on pollution, transport, waste and wildlife.

A powerful coalition of all Scotland's major environmental groups is urging the new Scottish government to cut carbon emissions, reduce car and air travel, ban large incinerators and stem the loss of wild plants and animals.