GRANTON Goes Greemer are very excited to be involved in another rubbish picking event organised by Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council (ELREC)
This time, we will be working around Water of Leith and the meeting point is off Coburg Street, opposite Ostara Caf, this Saturday (29/04) between 11 am and 1:30 PM.
We should have enough rubbish pickers for everyone, but you are welcome to bring your own!
. Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk
Harbour Homes and Cullross Ltd have brought eleven new affordable homes to Telford Drive. The homes, close to a popular walking and cycle route, will be managed by Harbour Lettings who look forward to welcoming new tenants this spring.
The contemporary development consists of one and two-bedroom flats overlooking Edinburgh’s skyline with the castle and Arthur’s Seat in view, and further afield to the Pentland Hills.
The modern homes have ample storage, ground floor private and communal gardens, bicycle storage and a rainwater harvesting system. These new homes, located on an already established residential street, are conveniently placed near public transport links, green spaces and shops at a nearby retail park.
Heather Kiteley, Harbour Chief Executive, said: “These homes offer a modern, affordable living option for the local community, including those working at the nearby Western General Hospital.
“It is fantastic to bring our new mid market rent homes to an established community, and I expect these will be sought after as a highly convenient spot for the local workforce.
“This project has been a real success, working alongside Cullross Ltd to deliver such high-quality homes ahead of schedule.”
Mark Beaton, Director of Cullross Ltd., said: “We are delighted to be handing over the eleven 1-bed and 2-bed flats at Telford Drive, well ahead of schedule.
We have worked closely with Harbour Homes, both through the planning process and latterly the construction phase, providing them with these high-quality new flats.
“Although the nature of the project was at times complex, we are pleased with the outcome resulting in these excellent new homes. We look forward to seeing the new tenants moving in shortly.”
The main contractor was Cullross Ltd who appointed the architect and structural engineer. The employer’s agent was Pottie Wilson, and the Clerk of Works was Harbour Homes.
Aldi donated 391 meals to local good causes to help people in need over the Easter school holidays.
The supermarket’s stores across the UK have paired up with local charities, community groups and foodbanks through its partnership with community giving platform Neighbourly.
More than 550,000 meals were donated throughout the UK, with almost 2,000 UK causes benefitting from the initiative in total.
Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK, said: “We understand that the school holidays can be an especially challenging time for families, particularly amid the current cost-of-living crisis.
“Neighbourly carries out such vital work in the community, so we’re proud to be able to support them and the charities, foodbanks and community groups they work with in Midlothian in their efforts to support those who may be struggling.”
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “The impact of the cost-of-living crisis has intensified, meaning that the demand on foodbanks is continuing to increase, particularly during the school holidays.
“The donations from Aldi are a lifeline for many and provide the essential boost good causes need to continue supporting their local communities.”
● A design expert has revealed a simple way that you can improve your memory as exam season nears closer, and all you need are coloured pens
● Writing revision notes in colour has been proven to help retain up to 80% more information, with the most impactful colours being red and orange
● Expert Mads Soegaard also highlights further tricks to boost retention, including using graphs and not revising for over 30 minutes at a time
● As well as improving revision tactics for exams, the tips can also help adults to remember login details, shopping lists and important dates
Mads Soegaard, Founder at Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) has revealed a hack that will help boost memory just in time for exam season – and almost anyone can do it.
Instead of typing up reams of revision notes and hoping that you’ll take in the vital information, it’s much more effective to write notes by hand using different coloured pens to increase your chances of remembering them when you head into your exam.
Mads Soegaard explains: “There’s a common misconception that taking down as much information as you can when revising is the best way to learn, and so many students opt for typing up their notes to write more with less effort and save some time.
“However, it’s much more effective to write down key points by hand using coloured pens, highlighters and sticky notes, as colour works to boost our memory.
“Writing notes by hand stimulates retention as you’re forcing your brain to process the information in a more detailed way than typing. It also forces you to be more selective about what you’re writing down – it’s about choosing quality over quantity.”
According to a psychological study, writing in colour can help us improve memory performance by up to 80%, because 90% of the information transmitted to the brain is visual.
In fact, the brain processes images a whopping 60,000 times faster than text, as the brain sees words as individual images that we must first recognize before understanding. Luckily, there’s an easy way you can make written words easier to process quickly.
Mads continues: “Using coloured pens when writing keynotes allows us to see words as visual information rather than a block of text, which means we’re more likely to understand what we’re reading and can take in the information much faster than we could otherwise.
“As well as boosting our memory, colour also helps to form associations between notes, as when you recall a fact linked to one shade, your brain will naturally start thinking of the other facts that share the same shade.
“You can also use this association to your advantage when it comes to actually sitting your exam. By bringing something that’s the same colour as your notes into the exam with you – such as a bracelet or pen – you’ll trigger your brain to remember facts in the same shade.”
This is due to context-dependent memory, where recall improves because you have similar context cues around you as when you first took in the information.
Mads Soegaard explains that some colours are more effective than others: “Colours invoke different reactions, and so it’s vital to choose attention-grabbing shades associated with importance – particularly warm shades like red, orange and yellow.
“Picking contrasting colours can also help make information stand out more, so you may want to incorporate different sticky notes or highlighters for important points. However, make sure not to overload your notes, as making facts more distinctive is key. ”
And incorporating colour isn’t the only way to use visual learning to your advantage, the experts at Interaction Design Foundation (IDF) reveal, as you can also boost memory by:
According to Mads Soegaard, some will benefit more from these tips than others, as he says: “If you’re someone with a preference for seeing and observing things in your day-to-day life – including pictures and written directions – you’re a visual learner, and you’ll struggle to retain information that’s just written down with no visual elements to trigger the memory.
“Incorporating visual elements like colours, diagrams and images into your day-to-day note-taking can help in a range of situations, not just revision – so try it out if you’re somebody who often struggles to remember important dates or personal details.
“Of course, some people do better with visual memory prompts than others, as not everybody is a visual learner. It’s important to leave yourself plenty of time to revise before an exam so that you can figure out a strategy that works for you.”
FRIENDS of the EARTH: OIL & GAS INDUSTRY LOBBIED SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT 200+ TIMES UNDER STURGEON’S ‘OPEN-DOOR POLICY’ TO POLLUTERS
Research conducted by Friends of the Earth Scotland has uncovered the shocking extent of the oil and gas industry lobbying of the Scottish Government under Nicola Sturgeon.
Campaigners are concerned that the influence and lobbying by the fossil fuel industry has weakened the Scottish Government’s climate commitments and is slowing action on the transition away from fossil fuels. Oil lobbyists met Ministers as they were preparing the Climate Change Act in 2019, in the runup to COP26, and ahead of the recently published Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
The fossil fuel industry has made hundreds of billions in profits in recent years as household bills have soared. Oil companies are pushing to expand and drill new fields despite the devastating climate impacts of burning fossil fuels.
Campaigners are calling on Humza Yousaf’s new Government to make a clean break from the old regime and end the ‘open door policy’ to big polluters like Shell, BP and Equinor.
The analysis revealed that Ministers met oil company lobbyists nearly once a week over 4 years.
Meetings uncovered include then Finance Secretary Kate Forbes meeting with oil company Equinor during the COP26 climate conference, Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse meeting with BP and Shell in consecutive years at the opera in Florence, Italy, and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon met with the President of Petrochina at Bute House.
++ SCALE OF OIL & GAS LOBBYING ++
Analysis of the Scottish Government’s Lobbying Register and its Ministerial Diaries shows that:
From March 2018 (when the Lobbying Register began) to December 2022, there were 212 recorded meetings between Scottish Government ministers and representatives of the fossil fuel industry.
Of these meetings, junior ministers were present at 115 meetings, Cabinet Secretaries 71 times, Special Advisors 26 times and the First Minister attended 12 of the meetings.
Michael Matheson MSP and Paul Wheelhouse MSP were the industry’s favourites, both clocking up 39 meetings each.
The other members of the Government who met the industry more than 10 times were Ivan McKee MSP, Richard Lochhead MSP and Kate Forbes MSP.
SSE was the most active company with 62 meetings followed by BP with 32 and oil lobby group Offshore Energies UK with 22Scottish Government meetings.
Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaigns Mary Church said: “Burning fossil fuels is the major driver of climate breakdown yet the arsonists are being asked how to put out the fire. Under Sturgeon it is clear that the Scottish Government has had an open-door policy towards the fossil fuel industry for years.
“Whilst the true scale of fossil fuel company lobbying is likely to be even greater than what is detailed here, this data, and the Scottish Government’s continued overreliance on speculative technologies that are designed to prolong the life of oil and gas, show that the industry’s lobbying machine has been allowed to exert a harmful influence over decision making on climate and energy.
“The fossil fuel industry has known about the danger of climate breakdown for decades and not only failed to act, but deliberately buried and obscured the truth about their role in driving it. They have repeatedly proven that they cannot be trusted to deliver a just energy transition. If tobacco companies can be banned from lobbying about healthcare, then by the same principle the fossil fuel industry must be stopped from lobbying on climate and energy.
“To avoid catastrophic climate impacts, and do our fair share globally, we must phase out oil and gas in this decade. As First Minister, Humza Yousaf has the chance to chart a new path away from fossil fuels without the industry trying to call the shots. If his Government is serious about tackling the climate crisis and delivering a just transition, it must cut ties with the fossil fuel industry and ban them from lobbying.”
Campaigners are highlighting how the Scottish Government is still heavily reliant on Carbon Capture and Storage and hydrogen to meet their climate targets, technologies which are backed by the oil and gas companies as a way to prolong the lifespan of the industry. However, these technologies are unproven at the scale envisaged and it is indisputable that they will not be developed in time to meet the need for urgent action.
In many instances it is clear from the research that the fossil fuel industry scheduled meetings with Ministers in the lead up to decisions being made that would impact their business.
For example, in May and June 2022, Equinor held meetings with Minister for Just Transition Richard Lochhead, Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport Michael Matheson and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon shortly before they announced their plans to develop the controversial Rosebank oil field in the North Sea, in August 2022. The Scottish Government has so far failed to directly speak out against Rosebank’s development, despite it being over three times the size of the Cambo oil field which it opposed in 2021.
The fossil fuel industry has had a significant impact on climate policy globally, often pushing for weaker regulations, denying climate science and blocking the transition to renewable energy.
++ CAMPAIGN DEMANDS END TO OIL & GAS LOBBYING ++
A global campaign to cut ties between the fossil fuel industry and the main United Nations body that tackles climate change – the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change – has been calling for a conflict of interest policy that would ban the industry from meetings like Glasgow’s COP26.
There is precedent for companies with vested interest in harmful industries being excluded from decision making spaces, with the World Health Organisation banning lobbying from the tobacco industry on global health policy in 2003.
Campaigners are calling for the new First Minister Humza Yousaf to end the relationship between the fossil fuel industry and the Scottish Government, by ending lobbying meetings between ministers and representatives of the fossil fuel industry. Only meetings necessary to regulate and transition the industry should be permitted, and these should be called by public officials and held transparently.
The world’s largest multi-use electricity power line will be built under the North Sea, boosting UK energy supplies with enough to power 1.8 million homes – more than Birmingham and Manchester combined.
The new LionLink will connect the UK and the Netherlands with offshore wind farms, providing clean affordable and secure energy to Britain which will help cut household bills and drive Putin’s Russia further out of the energy market.
The cross-border electricity line will be only the second of its kind in the world, with the first having been built by Germany and Denmark. However, it will be able to carry more than four times the amount of electricity as its predecessor – making it the largest of its kind in terms of capacity anywhere in the world.
While normal interconnectors only connect two countries, the multipurpose LionLink will join the UK and Netherlands to each other as well as simultaneously with offshore wind farms at the heart of the North Sea.
The government is announcing the innovative project between the UK and the Netherlands as Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps leads a British business delegation to the crucial North Sea Summit in Belgium today, aiming to boost our collective energy security through new renewable energy and interconnector projects.
This is part of the government’s efforts to work with business to grow the economy, one of the Prime Minister’s five priorities. Boosting clean energy not only helps create better paid jobs across the country but also strengthens economic security by reducing reliance on foreign gas supplies.
The summit will see nine countries meet in Ostend to agree ambitions for building future offshore wind farms. While there, the Energy Security Secretary is also expected to sign a historic agreement with Denmark to boost trade in cheaper, cleaner energy.
Energy Security Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Today’s historic deal with the Netherlands connects our two countries together through this exciting feat of innovation and engineering – the largest of its kind in the world which will provide enough electricity for more homes than in Manchester and Birmingham combined.
“Together with the strong ties we have with our northern European neighbours united today at the North Sea Summit, we are bolstering our energy security and sending a strong signal to Putin’s Russia that the days of his dominance over global power markets are well and truly over.
“I’m proud to have the best of UK energy firms and organisations with me, flying the flag for British business and demonstrating our world-leading expertise in cleaner, cheaper and secure renewable technologies – helping deliver on one of our five priorities to grow the economy.”
Ben Wilson, President National Grid Ventures, said: “Connecting wind farms to multiple markets simultaneously is a game changer for energy infrastructure and brings us one step closer to realising the enormous green energy potential of the North Sea.
“Not only can we deploy every spare electron where it is needed most, we can help to reduce the impact of infrastructure on coastal communities.
“We now need the right political, legal and regulatory framework to make it happen and establish a mutually beneficial North Sea grid to deliver a cleaner, fairer, more secure and more affordable energy future for British and European consumers.”
The countries attending today’s summit alongside the UK are Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Norway and the Netherlands
The new LionLink will carry 1.8GW of electricity, compared to Germany and Denmark’s Kassø-Frøslev (Kriegers Flag), which carries 0.4GW. It will be developed by National Grid Ventures and TenneT and will be operational by the early 2030s.
This builds on the 8.4GW interconnector capacity that the UK has – and LionLink alone will increase that by up to a fifth, meaning more clean and affordable power for UK homes and businesses.
This increased interconnectivity also means LionLink will be good both for the UK’s coastal communities and the environment by reducing the need for further onshore construction and visible infrastructure, as well as lessening the impact on the North Sea’s wildlife.
Britain’s world-class innovation, knowledge and skills within the North Sea energy sector is expected to bring £20 billion a year of investment to the UK’s coastal regions and create 40,000 skilled green jobs to Britain.
Manon van Beek, CEO of TenneT, said: “It is our conviction that offshore hubs configured in a meshed DC grid must form the backbone of the North Sea powerhouse.
“This is a view that is increasingly shared, and for us, it is more than a vision of the future. In fact, we are already doing it by kicking off this ground-breaking LionLink project right now. It is a first step and a great opportunity to learn as the offshore grid takes shape.”
Minister Rob Jetten, Climate & Energy for the Netherlands: “With the North Sea becoming the largest supplier of green electricity for the Netherlands and large parts of Europe, we are ready to expand the interconnection between the two countries. LionLink provides close to 2 gigawatts of electricity to both countries, enough to power 2 million households.
“This new connection further boosts energy security and energy independence in Europe. Close collaboration on offshore wind energy and interconnection amongst the North Sea countries is imperative.
“So in case there is a surplus of wind generated electricity, it can be shared instantly to locations with a shortage of power, and vice versa.”
The Energy Security Secretary is also expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding between the UK and Denmark today, which will ensure further collaboration on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable technologies –offshore wind, especially.
· £1million raised in ongoing crowdfund for mass ownership of Highlands Rewilding
· Money raised comes from 622 investors, over 40% of whom are Scottish residents
· The for-profit rewilding company hopes to achieve 1,000 investors by 16 May
Highlands Rewilding, a pioneering Scottish project focused on scaling nature recovery and community prosperity through rewilding, has secured £1 million through its crowdfunding campaign, three weeks before it is set to close on 16 May 2023.
The company operates a frontier rewilding model that allows citizen rewilders to invest from between £50 to £200,000 to co-own rewilding land, earning a potential 5% return. This mass ownership approach has proved popular with smaller and larger investors alike, since it launched at the beginning of December 2022, despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.
Many founding funders who engaged with the company during its establishing year have also reinvested in Highlands Rewilding’s crowdfund, in a strong show of support for its pioneering project.
The £1 million has been raised by 622 ‘citizen rewilders’, 43% of whom live in Scotland, testament to the groundswell of support for nature restoration which is actively combatting climate meltdown and biodiversity collapse. The for-profit rewilding company hopes to achieve 1,000 investors in the crowdfund by the end of the campaign. Larger investors have also joined forces to raise many millions more, helping Highlands Rewilding expand its operations and take rewilding to scale in Scotland.
Further supporting the ambitions of Highlands Rewilding, this month the UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) committed £12 million to support the acquisition of Tayvallich Estate, a 1,300-hectare estate in Argyll.
The funding boost marked UKIB’s first deal exclusively in Scotland and will contribute to enabling Highlands Rewilding to develop new natural capital and revenue models on the Tayvallich Estate, and create an exemplar of community-company synergy.
Dr. Jeremy Leggett, CEO of Highlands Rewilding, said: “We are delighted to be hitting such a key milestone in our fight against biodiversity collapse and climate meltdown.
“We aim to play a lead role in the great diversion of investment from ruin to restoration, through rewilding.
The more citizen rewilders invest at the £50 to £100 level, the more the financial institutions are likely to invest at the £50 million to £100 million level. Hitting the £1 million mark in our crowdfund shows that our model is working in offering tangible hope, not just for nature but also community prosperity.
“Tayvallich is a new opportunity which has arisen since the start of our fundraising campaign. The success of our crowdfund and off-platform fundraise to date, has enabled us to sign a contract for the unique Tayvallich estate and expand our rewilding and decarbonisation work to three sites.
“Each site – Bunloit, Beldorney and Tayvallich – is unique in their own right, but together they are a powerhouse for Scottish nature recovery, and a beacon of hope for the global biodiversity treaty, recently agreed by 200-plus governments.”
With three weeks to go, Highlands Rewilding is inviting investors to join it during its scaling campaign, that moves beyond the simple protection of nature towards nature recovery and restoration in Scotland, and later, beyond.
As with any investment, those interested in the Highlands Rewilding project are encouraged to make sure they fully understand the process, what their investment means, and the potential risks of investing.
Find out more about Highlands Rewilding and the crowdfund here:
The shortlist for the 44th Scottish Press Awards has been announced, recognising excellence in national, regional and digital journalism from across the country.
With 34 categories this year, the judges have received a flood of entries, representing the finest talent from across the industry, with 145 finalists will be hoping to scoop an award in a range of categories including politics, business, sport and the arts.
The categories are:
Shortlists for the sought-after Daily Newspaper of the Year, Sunday Newspaper of the Year, Journalist of the Year and Chairperson’s Award have not been announced, as the winners will be announced on the night of the ceremony. The shortlist for the Weekly Newspaper of the Year will be revealed in May.
This year’s judging panel was led by Richard Neville, former Head of News Brands at DC Thomson and current Director of Neville Robertson Communications.
Richard Neville, chair of the Scottish Press Awards judges, said: “The pressure on journalists and news organisations continues to grow every year and, despite the incredible challenges the industry faces, the quality of entries to The Scottish Press Awards continues unabated.
“This year has been one of further diversification with digital content becoming the central feature of many newsrooms. At the heart of every entry, however, is simple good storytelling, digital or otherwise.
“While selecting the winners has been as difficult as ever, it has been clear throughout the process that Scotland is being well served because of the value our journalists and editors are placing on telling great stories, in every format.”
The 44th Scottish Press Awards are sponsored by Royal Bank of Scotland, Diageo, VisitScotland, Edrington, Openreach, Glenmorangie, The Law Society of Scotland, Muckle Media, Women in Journalism Scotland, BIG Partnership, Registrars of Scotland. Event Consultants Scotland and Scottish Newspaper Society.
The awards ceremony and dinner will take place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Glasgow Central on Wednesday 7 June 2023.
For more information and to view the (not-so-short!) shortlist, visit:
https://www.scotns.org.uk/2023/04/21/scottish-press-awards-shortlist-announced/
FREE CBT SESSIONS FOR CREWE-REGISTERED PATIENTS
At dawn on April 25th, 1915, the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC), together with British, French, and Russian forces landed on the Dardanelles Peninsula (now part of Turkey) at the start of the Gallipoli campaign.
This ended in a stalemate, with troops withdrawing in January 1916. More than 100,000 soldiers were killed.
At dawn on April 25th, 2023, Veterans and their families will gather at Comely Bank Cemetery, Edinburgh where 16 ANZAC Soldiers are laid to rest and take part in an international remembrance service to mark the 108th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign in the First World War.
Traditionally ANZAC Day services commence at dawn, coinciding with the moment ANZAC forces landed on the Gallipoli peninsula in April 1915.
Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland will join members of the Australian and New Zealand community for the service and wreath-laying ceremony at Comely Bank Cemetery at 5.00am. Led by Rev Dr Karen Campbell, it will feature Scots Guards Association piper Cameron Cochrane and bugler Iona McFarlane.
Later that morning, Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Robert Aldridge and Government representatives from Scotland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, France, and Turkey will take part in Legion Scotland’s annual ANZAC and Gallipoli Day Service at the Scottish National War Memorial inside Edinburgh Castle at 11am.
ANZAC Day marks the service and sacrifices made by the Australian and New Zealand Armed Forces, as well as those from Scotland and the rest of the world who served alongside them. It is the National Day of Remembrance in the two countries.
Both services are open to the public, with a limited number of tickets for the memorial available from 9:30-10:15am in front of the Castle on the Esplanade.
Dr Claire Armstrong, Chief Executive of Legion Scotland, said: “This is an opportunity to come together to remember the service and sacrifices of ANZAC servicemen and women through the years, as well as our own soldiers who fell during the Gallipoli campaign.
“It is a chance to reflect on the extraordinary courage of our Armed Forces community, both past and present, as well as the enduring friendship between our countries.”
