Author: davepickering

Edinburgh reporter and photographer

‘Acoustic camouflage’ keeps the humpback boys at bay

Napier University research focuses on female whales’ breeding ground behaviour

Female humpback whales head for deeper waters as their calves mature and use rugged seabed terrain as ‘acoustic camouflage’ to help avoid adult males looking to mate, a study by Edinburgh Napier University has found. The new study into the behaviour of the marine mammals has discovered that the mothers’ habitat choices are strongly influenced by the size and age of their calves. Continue reading ‘Acoustic camouflage’ keeps the humpback boys at bay

Barclays Bank’s Princes Street branch raises £2,500 for books for the blind

It wasn’t so much a run on the bank as by the bank! Staff at Barclays Bank’s branch on Princes Street have raised £2,500 to transcribe a new ‘talking’ audio-book for blind and partially sighted people. Continue reading Barclays Bank’s Princes Street branch raises £2,500 for books for the blind

Call to ban ALL plastic bottles in the workplace

By banning plastic bottles from the workplace outright, the UK would save 3.9 billion bottles from being produced by 2020 – a saving of 156,000 tonnes of plastic a year. These are the findings of office provider Desk.co.uk who is spearheading a campaign to have all single use plastic bottles outlawed by 2020.  Continue reading Call to ban ALL plastic bottles in the workplace

260 employers named and shamed

Foul! Falkirk, Motherwell and Morton football clubs named and shamed

The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) today named 260 employers for failing to pay 16,000 workers at least minimum wage rates. Government investigators identified £1.7 million in back pay for some of the UK’s lowest paid workers and fined employers £1.3 million for underpayment. Continue reading 260 employers named and shamed

Two plead guilty to Ferry Road motorbike collision

Two local men who were involved in a serious road traffic collision which resulted in a 10-year-old boy being seriously injured have pled guilty to charges. They will be sentenced at a later date. Continue reading Two plead guilty to Ferry Road motorbike collision

Para-climbing Call to The Wall

A come and try session for para-climbers is being held at the Edinburgh International Climbing Arena this evening from 7-9pm.  Organised by Climb Scotland and the EICA, this will be the first get together for the Scottish Paraclimbing Club, who will be running the ‘Come and Try Paraclimbing’ session.  Continue reading Para-climbing Call to The Wall

Council to launch Electric Vehicle Action Plan

Strategic charging zones for electric vehicles could be rolled out across the Capital as part of Edinburgh’s first Electric Vehicle Action Plan. The innovative zonal approach to charging hubs – believed to be the first of their kind in Scotland – are one of five key strategic objectives in the Council’s Action Plan, which will be considered by members of the Transport and Environment Committee today. Continue reading Council to launch Electric Vehicle Action Plan