Tag: pollution

Prime Minister to highlight Scotland’s place in securing Britain’s long-term energy security

‘Greenwashing’, say environmental campaigners

  • Prime Minister visits North East Scotland, highlighting the central role it will play in defending the UK against disrupted global energy supplies.
  • There he will also meet with key figures in the energy sector and will visit critical infrastructure projects which will help grow the economy, reach Net Zero, and deliver the next generation of highly skilled jobs for young people in the region.

The Prime Minister will today confirm that Scotland will continue to be at the forefront of UK Government plans to strengthen the UK’s long-term energy security.

During a visit to the North East of Scotland, the Prime Minister will highlight the crucial role that the region will play in enhancing and delivering on the UK Government’s commitment to reaching Net Zero in 2050 and enhancing long term energy security for generations to come.

The UK is leading international efforts by setting ambitious net zero commitments, ramping up the transition to clean energy, reducing total greenhouse gas emissions by 32% since 2010, whilst bringing down energy bills and supporting households.

It is expected that the UK Government and energy authorities will go further than before in announcing continued decisive action to:

  • Boost the capability of the North Sea industry to transition towards Net Zero;
  • Strengthen the foundations of the UK’s future energy mix;
  • And create the next generation of highly skilled green jobs.

The Prime Minister will also meet with key energy industry figures and companies at the forefront of delivering the UK’s energy needs, as well as the next generation of highly skilled people who are working on the projects of tomorrow.

The UK Government says the package ‘will also underpin that Scotland remains a cornerstone of government plans for an energy-independent UK, as well demonstrating what can be achieved due to the strength and scale of UK collective action, in defending the public against global energy supplies which have been disrupted and weaponised by Putin’.

Environmental campaigners have condemned the plans, however. Friends of the Earth Scotland regards carbon capture and storage (CCS) as an attempt to ‘greenwash’ the oil industry and pointed to the long history of failure of the technology. 

They say that instead of giving more public money to oil firms it should be invested in climate solutions that work today and can improve people’s lives such as public transport and home insulation. 

Shell is a key partner in the Acorn project. Last week the fossil fuel giant announced profits of £3.9billion for just the last 3 months, on top of the £32.2 billion profit in 2022. Despite this vast wealth, the Acorn project appears to be totally reliant on further public subsidy to progress. 

Friends of the Earth Scotland head of campaign Mary Church said: “Carbon capture is a greenwashing tactic by profit obsessed fossil fuel companies to try and keep their climate-wrecking industry in business.

“CCS has a long history of over-promising and under-delivering yet politicians have fallen for the spin rather than face reality that the only solution to the climate crisis is a fast and fair phase out of oil and gas.  

“Funding for the Acorn project would be yet another massive public subsidy to oil companies who have been making billions in profits, while ordinary people are struggling to pay the bills.

“Instead of handing more money to polluters, it is time to redirect that investment to climate solutions that we know can deliver emissions cuts and improve peoples’ lives today – such as improving public transport and insulating people’s homes to help with energy bills.” 

Trust in Scottish Water down the drain as Scots call for ban on bonuses

New data from Surfers Against Sewage reveals the extent of anger at polluting water companies, as charity prepares to mobilise public in first ever mass paddle-out protest later this month. 

·       A mammoth 83% of residents in the Scotland support a ban on bonuses for CEOs who fail to adhere to minimum environmental standards. 

·       Trust in water companies is at rock bottom, with less than a fifth (16%) of adults confident that Scottish Water is using their money to improve services. 

·       In response to rising public anger, volunteers backed by Surfers Against Sewage will coordinate a paddle-out protest against sewage pollution at Portobello Beach, Edinburgh on May 20, one of multiple events occurring simultaneously across the UK. 

·       Surfers Against Sewage is demanding calling for an end to sewage discharges into UK bathing waters and a 90% reduction in sewage discharges by 2030. 

New data from charity Surfers Against Sewage (SAS) has revealed the extent of public distrust in Scottish Water amid ongoing outrage at the levels of pollution occurring in Scottish and UK waterways.  

The UK Government and regulators have also come under fire, with 7 in 10 (69%) saying the UK Government should be doing more to tackle sewage pollution. An even bigger proportion (80%) think water company regulators need to do more to make sure water companies reduce sewage pollution. 

The survey data also reveals the issues that are most likely to inform the public’s vote at the next election. A quarter (23%) of Scots report that environmental issues will be their most important factor for voting. Among these people, 6 in 10 (62%) said they cared about water pollution the most. 

SAS are seeking to convert public outrage into action by staging a mass paddle-out protest against sewage pollution, featuring simultaneous events at beaches and rivers across the UK on Saturday 20 May. 

Josh Harris, Head of Communications at Surfers Against Sewage, said: “Last year water companies paid out a combined £1 billion to their shareholders while dumping sewage into UK waterways almost 400,000 times.

“It’s time to put an end to this shameless profiteering. Water companies should not be allowed to profit from pollution, and our data shows that the public agree, with a huge majority calling for an end to industry fat cats pocketing bonuses whilst failing to meet minimum environmental standards. 

“And it’s not just the water companies that need to clean up their act. The Government and regulators should be enforcing high standards and holding water companies to account, but it’s clear to the public that they’re not doing enough. We’ve suffered decades of broken sewers because of our broken system, and now the public have had enough and are demanding an to end this sewage scandal.” 

The data also reveals the importance of river and sea spots for Scots’ physical and mental health.

Over half in Scotland (56%) say access to blue space is beneficial for their physical health, whilst nearly half (41%) go so far as to say that having limited access to blue space is detrimental for their mental health. Despite this, nearly two thirds (62%) say sewage pollution puts them off going in the sea and rivers in the UK. 

Josh Harris, Head of Communications at Surfers Against Sewage, continued: “We’re urging anyone who feels passionately about protecting our blue spaces to join us on 20 May as we rise up against the polluters and stage a mass paddle-out protest across the UK. Water companies are wreaking havoc on our precious rivers and seas, and we refuse to stay silent. Head to your nearest protest and make your voice heard.” 

At least 12 protests will take place across the UK on 20 May, at key locations covering each water company catchment. Swimmers, paddlers, surfers, canoers, kayakers, paddle-boarders, windsurfers and anyone who cares about the health of their local blue spaces will take to the water, beach or riverbank to make their demands heard. SAS are also urging the public to sign their ‘Dirty Money’ petition, which demands an end to water companies profiting from pollution. 

Kim Travers, a volunteer who is organising the paddle-out protest in Edinburgh, said: “We are calling for year-round water monitoring and an end to sewage pollution by 2030.” 

To mark the protests, SAS have worked with Niall Jones – a Cornwall-based product designer and owner of Benthos Surf – and creative agency Mr President to develop a surfboard to represent the extent of sewage pollution in UK seas and rivers.

Jones collected raw sewage from the sea and turned it into resin that soaked into the board, creating unexpected patterns. To maximise the impact of the design, he included two transparent windows in the top of the board that display the two litres of sewage water contained within. 

Mr President have created a video highlighting the extent of the sewage scandal in the UK, and featuring interviews with and footage of Ben Skinner, 11x European Longboard Champion, and other surfers riding the waves on the Floater. 

SAS’s new data comes just weeks after data from water companies and the Environment Agency revealed that sewage was dumped into UK rivers and seas in England, Scotland and Wales just under 400,000 times last year, despite 2022 being one of the driest years in decades.

Last year SAS found evidence of 143 ‘dry spills’ – sewage overflows that occurred when there had been no rain for two days – indicating potentially illegal activity by water companies.

The charity is calling for an end to sewage discharge into UK bathing waters and a 90% reduction in sewage discharges by 2030.

Emergency: Lib-Dem calls to stop sewage dumping in the Water of Leith

The Water of Leith deserves better. It’s been a freshwater resource for centuries – ebbing and flowing across Edinburgh, connecting the Pentlands to Colinton, Saughton, Roseburn, Stockbridge, Canonmills, Bonnington and Leith. Our communities were literally built around it’s clean, fresh flowing water (writes Lib-Dem Cllr JACK CALDWELL).

It’s home to over 11 species of fish, thousands of plant species and is absolutely vital to Edinburgh’s local ecosystem, providing a biodiverse habitat for birds, otters and ducks.

So why have we let it fill up with untreated human waste?

There are 65 Combined Sewage Overflow Stations (CSOs) on the Water of Leith, 14 of which are between the Leith Shore and Warriston, a stretch of the river where you can typically find ducks nesting, or people simply enjoying public “green and blue space” as many of us escape from our gardenless flats.

As of January, none of these CSOs currently retain any data of how much sewage they pump out of them when the drains are overwhelmed by harsher weather, which is becoming more and more common due to climate change.

However 24 of Scottish Water’s 108 highest priority assets for urgent upgrade across the country are located here. New screens have been fitted on several CSOs in the past few years with varying anecdotal results, but the issue ultimately lies with sewage flowing into our precious river in the first place. But how much?

When the ‘Sewage Scandal’ broke last in 2021, data was published across the UK. Sadly Not in Scotland though. We know Sewage is being dumped in the Water of Leith, but we don’t know the extent. We also know that extreme weather led to a 40% increase of raw sewage dumping across Scotland in 2021.

The data we do have in nearby rivers is concerning. In December 2019, the Newbridge CSO, which is monitored, spilled sewage water into the River Almond 13 times discharging over 2,100 litres of water in one month (source: SEPA FOI).

Lots of volunteer-led organisations are doing fabulous work trying to get more information or trying to help clean it up themselves. SOS Leith and the Water of Leith Conservation Trust, among others, both remove tonnes of litter every month from the river and surrounding paths. However, they can’t, nor shouldn’t have to, remove excrement and wet wipes.

Scottish Lib Dem MSP Liam McArthur has been pressing Holyrood Ministers to fund and fix the issues, but locally the new Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership must work with Scottish Water and SEPA (the Scottish Environment Protection Agency) to start collecting data before we can even begin to seriously tackle the issue.

With several Scottish Government officials quoted saying Scotland is “way behind” England in terms of solving the raw sewage spill problem, our country, city and communities deserve better.

We need to stop taking Edinburgh’s natural environment for granted. The Council recently declared a nature and biodiversity emergency.

This is why Lib Dem councillors have tabled a motion at this Thursday’s Council meeting to get a public meeting of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership as agencies working together and collecting data is a key and urgent part of ultimately stopping the discharge of human waste into Edinburgh’s longest river.

It’s a pity there aren’t more in Holyrood who see the urgency of this issue, but I hope that Councillors can back our plan to move this forward;–

The Lib-Dem motion:

“Council –

Regrets

1)    That there are a large number of Combined Sewer Overflow (CSOs) outputs in Edinburgh’s waterways, such as along the Water of Leith, the River Almond and the Figgate Burn.

2)    That many CSOs are not actively monitored, despite promises from Scottish Water and SEPA that a number of monitors would be installed by the end of 2022.

3)    That although plans have come forward Scottish Water to reduce the amount of CSOs in total, action is still to be taken outwith ‘upgrading’ a small percentage of CSOs.

Notes

1)    The important benefits that our rivers and coastline plays for our community, and that many voluntary organisations clean up our waterways, and thanks them for their ongoing service.

2)    The current situation is contradictory to the City of Edinburgh Council’s declaration of a Nature and Climate Emergency.

3)    The City of Edinburgh Council is a member of the Edinburgh and Lothians Drain Partnership along with Scottish Water, SEPA and others.

Requests

1)    The Edinburgh and Lothians Drains Partnership holds an extraordinary meeting to draft a publicly accessible plan of action and invites key stakeholders and campaign groups including (but not exclusive to) The Water of Leith Conservation Trust, River Almond Action Group, Figgate Friends, Forth Rivers Trust and SOS Leith with Full Minutes published on the Council website alongside a map of all river-based CSOs within the City of Edinburgh.

2)    That Transport and Environment Committee is:

provided six-monthly updates on the installation of sewage monitoring to the business bulletin.
provided ongoing data when this monitoring is live

3)    The Council Leader write to the Scottish Government, Scottish Water and SEPA, outlining the Council’s major concern that no-one knows how much sewage is being dumped in Edinburgh’s biodiverse waterways.

Believes

that the ambition should be that Edinburgh’s waterways are free from the discharge of human waste.”

Moved by: Councillor Jack Caldwell
Seconded by: Councillor Hal Osler

—

FoE Scotland: Yousaf must end relationship between Holyrood and the fossil fuel industry

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.

UK’s largest marine plastic mural to be unveiled in North Berwick

Eight-metre installation with vital message to launch this Saturday

LOCALS are encouraged to attend North Berwick Harbour for the official launch of a highly anticipated mural which is made up of 13,000 pieces of plastic collected from East Lothian beaches.

The event will be taking place on Saturday 25 March between 1pm and 4pm and will involve educational workshops from the Scottish Coastal Clean Up.

Attendees will also be able to speak to the artist behind the mural – award-winning local artist, Julie Barnes – who created the installation to illustrate the concerning levels of marine waste along Scotland’s coastline.

In partnership with North Berwick Harbour Trust, local businesses Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture commissioned Julie to create the 8-metre-long mural which is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the UK.

Julie, said: “As a local artist who loves living in East Lothian, I care passionately about our beautiful environment. Each piece of plastic tells the story of today’s culture and its obsession with convenience, despite the shocking consequences.

“It feels amazing to have been chosen to create this educational artwork and I hope, like all my work, it will inspire viewers to stop, think and make a conscious effort to help preserve our planet.”

The mural has been made from approximately 13,000 bits of a 27,000-piece plastic collection that was gathered by East Lothian local, Elizabeth Vischer, from a 200m stretch of Longniddry Bents.

Over lockdown, Elizabeth set herself the task of completing 100 beach cleans and decided to document the process along the way – the images she took will be on display in the nearby Seabird Centre for a 3-month period.

Simon Poole, co-founder of Jerba Campervans said: “It’s fantastic to see the local community supporting this inspirational initiative.

“Not only does it send out a vital message about plastic waste in our seas but also brings a new and vibrant piece of wonderful art to North Berwick Harbour.

“To see the project grow from an initial idea into a large-scale physical depiction of such an important issue in today’s society has just been incredible.”

The intricate artwork – which will illustrate a beach scene and image of Bass Rock – will span North Berwick’s harbour wall and will be accompanied by an interpretation board explaining the meaning behind the mural, urging people to act now.

Kate Miller, Head of Communications and Environmental Projects at Caledonian Horticulture said: “When Simon from Jerba got in touch after being inspired by another educational marine plastic mural and reading about our beach cleans, it was suggested we create something similar in East Lothian – it was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down!

“Caledonian Horticulture started The Scottish Coastal Clean Up initiative in 2021 and through our beach cleaning work, we became aware of Elizabeth and the monumental task she had taken on.

“The mural seemed like the ideal use of the astonishing 27,000 pieces of plastic gathered off the East Lothian coast line and really drives home the issue of marine plastic.

“From a distance, the mural appears to depict a colourful beach scene, but as you get closer and the details become clearer, you can make out the sheer scale of everyday items that have sadly ended up in our seas.

“We want the illustration to make people question how these items ended up in our seas and on our beaches and think about what they can do to help stop that happening.”

The artwork will last for many years in the sea spray environment and its impact is hoped to be maximised as tourists flock to the hotspot.

The North Berwick Harbour Trust, a small local charity that aims to maintain, conserve and improve North Berwick Harbour commissioned the co-operative project across the supporting companies, Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture and the artist, Julie Barnes.

The charity believes that all participants in the project are enhancing the Harbour and enlightening the massive numbers of visitors and locals at the community asset.

The eight panels making up the mural have each been sponsored by a local business; Steampunk, Turnbulls Home Hardware, The Lobster Shack & Rocketeer, Meg Maitland, Peppermint Beach, Fidra Charity and North Berwick Trust.

To find out more about The Scottish Coastal Clean Up and how you can get involved in future beach cleans visit: https://caledonianhorticulture.co.uk/the-scottish-coastal-clean-up/

To find out more about Jerba Campervans, visit www.jerbacampervans.co.uk

To find out more about Caledonian Horticulture, visit www.caledonianhorticulture.co.uk

To find out more about Julie Barnes, visit https://juliebarnes.co.uk/

Low Emission Zone begins to tackle Edinburgh’s air pollution problem

LOW EMISSION ZONE BEGINS TO TACKLE EDINBURGH’S AIR POLLUTION PROBLEM

It’s been revealed that Scotland did not breach air pollution limits in 2022 for the first time, excluding the impact of lockdowns in 2020. Campaigners say the improvement in air quality in Edinburgh shows the early benefits of Low Emission Zones, with reductions in pollution from diesel vehicles.

Friends of the Earth Scotland analysed official air pollution data for 2022, looking at two toxic pollutants which are primarily produced by transport. Legal air quality standards came into force in 2010, yet had previously been broken every single year since except 2020 when the lockdowns resulted in a big drop in car journeys.

The provisional data suggests that air quality across Scotland was within legal limits in 2022.

Edinburgh’s Low Emission Zone will formally begin in June this year. To support bus operators to meet the criteria, the Scottish Government has provided grants for buying new buses or retrofitting older buses. This has almost certainly led to air quality improvements on Edinburgh’s busier bus corridors, such as city centre streets.

Many areas across Edinburgh showed reductions in nitrogen dioxide, compared to 2021, with a slight increase on St John’s Road.

St John’s Road also experienced an increase in particulate pollution (PM10), the data suggest. In 2021, there was an annual average of 11.00 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) for PM10, rising to 14.31 µg/m3 in 2022.

There were year-on-year increases in PM10 across the city. These could be attributed to an increase in car traffic after all Covid-19 restrictions were removed, or a more general increase in commercial activity.

Dirtiest streets for Nitrogen Dioxide

The European Ambient Air Quality Directive set a limit for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) of 40 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3). The deadline for this limit to have been met was 2010.

Location  /              NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide Annual mean (µg/m3)

Edinburgh St John’s Road                29.26
Edinburgh Queensferry Road         26.86
Edinburgh Nicolson Street               23.40
Edinburgh Salamander St          18.34
Edinburgh Gorgie Road            17.37
Edinburgh Glasgow Road          15.14
Edinburgh St Leonards            13.09
Edinburgh Currie                        4.77

Dirtiest streets for fine particles (PM10)

The Scottish annual statutory standard for particulate matter (PM10) is 18 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3).

Location /                      PM10 annual mean (µg/m3)

Edinburgh St John’s Road                14.31
Edinburgh Salamander St          14.26
Edinburgh Queensferry Road         13.92
Edinburgh Nicolson Street               12.11
Edinburgh Glasgow Road          11.81
Edinburgh Tower Street          10.01   
Edinburgh St Leonards            9.22

Air pollution kills 2,500 people in Scotland each year and puts the population at risk of serious health conditions, like asthma, heart attacks, and strokes. It’s especially harmful to children, the elderly, and people living in poverty or made vulnerable from other health conditions.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Transport Campaigner Gavin Thomson said: “Air pollution from transport is responsible for thousands of premature deaths in Scotland every year, and causes serious heart and lung issues, so it’s great that some progress is being made in parts of Edinburgh.

“The provisional data show that the Low Emission Zones and the Scottish Government’s hefty subsidies for operators to buy new buses are having an immediate impact.

“The bad news is there’s persistent diesel pollution on St. John’s Road, and particulate pollution has increased across the whole city. If we want to stop breathing tiny particles that damage our vital organs, we need to change the way we move around. The evidence is clear – the more we can move away from fossil fuels, the more our health is protected”.

Joseph Carter, Head of Asthma and Lung UK Scotland said: “It is good news this year that air pollution on our streets has been kept within its legal limits, yet there is obviously more that can be done. We need the Scottish Government to make tackling air pollution a national priority.

“Air pollution is the biggest environmental threat to public health. At a cost of £1.1bn per year to the NHS, it is draining our resources, straining our health system and cutting short over 2,500 lives a year in Scotland. It is causing new lung conditions like lung cancer, and worsening existing ones.

“With 1 in 5 Scots developing lung conditions like asthma and COPD in their lifetime, for them, it can trigger life-threatening asthma attacks and exacerbations.”

England’s Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty recently noted that, ‘everyone is affected by air pollution, and it is everyone’s problem’.

‘Oily’ Roses expose toxic relationships around Rosebank oil field

Environmental campaigners have been highlighting companies and groups connected to Norwegian oil giant Equinor by delivering roses in order to expose their toxic relationships with the proposed Rosebank oil field.

Campaigners yesterday delivered bunches of ‘oil’ covered roses to locations in Glasgow and Edinburgh representing some form of financial or political influence over whether the Rosebank oil field goes ahead.

These included the Norwegian consulates in both cities; the UK Government building, Barclays bank and the First Minister’s residence Bute House in Edinburgh; and Glasgow City Chambers.

 + Equinor holds a 40% stake in the Rosebank field and is majority owned by the Norwegian state.
 + Barclays is one of Equinor’s corporate financiers providing them with $2.46 billion of backing since 2015.
 + The Strathclyde Pension Fund, which runs Glasgow City Council pensions investments, holds £9million in shares in Equinor.
 + Nicola Sturgeon has failed so far to explicitly oppose the  Rosebank field, despite objecting to the smaller Cambo development in late 2021.

Rosebank contains over 500 million barrels of oil, which if burned would produce the equivalent CO2 emissions of the 28 lowest-income countries combined. Ahead of the COP27 climate talks, the UN has warned that the world was on course for a catastrophic 2.8C of climate warming by the end of this century.

The UN report ‘The Closing Window’  demanded that emissions should fall 45% by 2030 if we are to stay within agreed climate limits.

Friends of the Earth Scotland’s Oil and Gas campaigner Freya Aitchison said: “Equinor is propped up by governments, investors and pension funds, but by drawing attention to these toxic relationships we can undermine their reputation and highlight the dangers posed by the vast Rosebank project.

“Today’s deliveries show that support for Equinor and Rosebank is all around us, and these links must be broken if this climate-wrecking development is to be stopped.

“Climate science is clear that the development of new oil and gas fields will take us even further past safe climate limits. Lending financial or political support for new fossil fuels is climate denial.

“Governments, banks and investors urgently need to redirect support away from the fossil fuel industry that is driving the death and destruction across the world and instead invest in ramping up affordable, reliable renewable energy.”

Separate analysis has shown that developing the Rosebank field will cost UK taxpayers over £100 million, due to a deliberate loophole in the UK Government’s windfall tax.

Equinor recently declared profits of £21 billion for the third quarter of 2022.

Inspiring plastic waste artwork planned for North Berwick

Work to begin on eight-meter installation with vital environmental message

A MURAL made up of 27,000 pieces of plastic collected from East Lothian beaches to illustrate the concerning levels of marine waste along Scotland’s coastline is going through the planning process.

In partnership with North Berwick Harbour Trust, local businesses Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture have enrolled Julie Barnes – an award-winning local artist from Aberlady – to create the educational mural.

The intricate artwork – which will depict a beach scene and image of Bass Rock – will span eight-metres along North Berwick’s harbour wall and will be accompanied by an interpretation board explaining the meaning behind the artwork and urging people to act now.

Both the family-run campervan convertor and the horticultural products producer are the main financial contributors towards the project, inspiring other local business to also make donations.

Simon Poole, co-founder of Jerba Campervans said: “The planned mural will not only be visually breath taking, but will also send a clear message about the real harm that waste plastic is causing to our seas and beaches.

“We’re delighted to have Julia on board with this project as it is an important message that hopefully will chime with a range of audiences, locally and also out with the area.

“As a company that is enthusiastic about all things outdoors, these initiatives are so important to us as we strive to preserve the beautiful coastlines and natural land. A plastic-free beach shouldn’t be a novelty, but should be something that is standard.

“East Lothian is becoming increasingly popular with tourists, with so many visiting North Berwick’s Harbour, so the visual representation will be seen by hundreds. We expect it to very quickly become a local talking point and quite possibly a tourist attraction in its own right.”

In addition to being one of the primary sponsors, Jerba has also helped Julia prepare eight individual panels required for the base of the artwork which have been treated and cut to size before being delivered to the artist.

The 27,000 fragments of plastic were collected by one dedicated local who spent 100 days gathering the pieces along Longniddry Bents and the intricate artwork is expected to take Julia over two months to produce.

Kate Miller, Marketing, Communications and Environmental Manager at Caledonian Horticulture said: “We are committed to being a business with a positive environmental and social impact, as we’ve seen first-hand the damage marine waste is causing to our wildlife.

“Simon from Jerba got in touch after being inspired by another educational marine plastic mural and reading about our beach cleans. It was suggested we create something similar in East Lothian – it was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down!

“An East Lothian local, Lil Vischer, who was just about to complete a challenge she had set herself over lockdown to achieve 100 beach cleans on a 200m stretch of beach at Longniddry Bents removed around 27,000 pieces of plastic over her challenge. Her collection of marine plastic is being used to create the mural, raising awareness of the issue that is so close to our hearts.”

The planned artwork will last for many years in the sea spray environment and its impact is hoped to be maximised as tourists flock to the hotspot.

Julie Barnes, whose most recent project comprised a life-sized seal structure made from waste plastic for an environmental competition, said: “Art can speak a thousand words and I hope that this important mural will make a connection with the viewer.

“Alongside my regular work as a painter, I use the power of art to provoke emotional and practical responses to environmental issues facing us all.

“It’s an honour to do the installation and the visual power of art is an incredible way to inspire, educate and bring vital behaviour change across society as a whole.”

The North Berwick Harbour Trust, a small local charity that aims to maintain, conserve and improve North Berwick Harbour commissioned the co-operative project across the supporting companies, Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture and the artist, Julie Barnes.

The charity believes that all participants in the project are enhancing the Harbour and enlightening the massive numbers of visitors and locals at the community asset.

Current additional sponsors who have each pledged a donation towards the artwork include Peppermint Beach, Turnbulls Home Hardware, North Berwick Trust, Steampunk, Meg Maitland, Fidra Charity and The Lobster Shack & Rocketeer.

To find out more about Jerba Campervans, visit www.jerbacampervans.co.uk

To find out more about the organised beach cleans, visit: 

www.caledonianhorticulture.co.uk/the-scottish-coastal-clean-up

UK backs ambitious global action to tackle plastic pollution

The UK provided support to kick start negotiations on a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution at the United Nations Environment Assembly.

Plastic cup on a beach

As the fifth session of the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) in Nairobi draws to a close, the UK has worked with international partners to secure a breakthrough on negotiations to kickstart a new legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.

While the terms of the treaty are still to be negotiated it could include measures that promote sustainable production and consumption of plastics, as well as more environmentally sound waste management.

It is also hoped it will help tackle marine plastic pollution, one of the greatest global environmental challenges. It’s predicted that unless action is taken there will be a threefold increase in the amount of plastic flowing into the ocean between 2016 and 2040.

This comes as our landmark Environment Act gives us a raft of new powers to step-up our war against plastic pollution. We are also committed to introducing a Deposit Return Scheme for drinks containers, which will recycle billions more plastic bottles and stop them being landfilled or littered.

At the conference, which was attended by the Lord Zac Goldsmith, UK Government Minister for International Environment, the UK provided support to kick start negotiations on a legally binding treaty on plastic pollution.

The UK has also supported other ambitious action, including on:

  • Establishing an intergovernmental Science Policy Panel to conduct horizon scanning, assess current issues and facilitate communication between scientists and policy makers
  • Agreeing on the importance of nature-based solutions and on actions to scale up their implementation to simultaneously provide benefits to people and the planet.

Lord Zac Goldsmith, UK Government Minister for International Environment said: “This agreement by governments at UNEA is truly historic, and I’m so proud that the UK co-sponsored the proposals and helped get them over the line.

“In the space of just one human lifetime, we have caused unimaginable damage to the global environment, choking every single part of the global ocean with plastic pollution. And although there is much to be done now to turn it into an ambitious and far-reaching treaty, we can now begin to close this ugly chapter. I am so grateful to UK negotiators for their fantastic work securing agreement this week.”

While there are multilateral agreements to tackle biodiversity loss and climate change, up to now there has been no equivalent agreement to tackle plastic pollution.

The resolution, proposed by Peru and Rwanda, had received strong support and was backed by over 60 countries.

The plans have also received considerable support from the private and third sector with 111 organisations having signed The Business Call for a UN Treaty on Plastic Pollution including Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, P&G and Unilever.

The resolution titled “End plastic pollution: towards a legally binding international instrument” establishes an Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) tasked with preparing a new treaty that would address plastic pollution through a life-cycle approach, with the aim of producing the treaty by 2024.

The UK was also a key proponent of plans for a new science-policy panel to contribute to policy making on the sound management of chemicals and waste, and preventing pollution. This will act in a similar way to the IPCC — Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which provides advice to governments on the scientific consensus on climate science.

This new science-policy panel will produce assessments on current issues; identify possible future risks and opportunities and provide up-to-date and relevant information, promoting effective communication between scientists and policy makers.

The UK has made nature a top priority during our COP26 Presidency year alongside strong action on cutting emissions. The UK has continued to drive international support for nature-based solutions that address biodiversity loss, climate change and poverty, co-sponsoring a resolution on their benefits and how to scale them up.

Dirty Old Town

FoE Scotland: Pollution rebounds to illegal levels in 2021

Scotland breached legal air quality limits in 2021 after a historic low in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Hope Street in Glasgow recorded an annual average above the legal limit for diesel pollution, while many streets across Scotland saw pollution spike back up despite Covid-19 restrictions like working from home continuing through the year and the country being in lockdown for the first few months. 

Friends of the Earth Scotland analysed official air pollution data for 2021, looking at two toxic pollutants which are primarily produced by transport. Legal air quality standards came into force in 2010, yet have been broken every single year since except 2020. 

As traffic levels increased through 2021, air pollution rose correspondingly. While Hope Street in Glasgow once again breached legal air quality limits for nitrogen dioxide, other streets such as Salamander Street in Edinburgh and Atholl Street in Perth experienced increases in particulate pollution.

Campaigners say this data shows governments and councils have not done enough to reduce car traffic. Measures such as Spaces for People – brought in during lockdown to ease social distancing and create temporary cycle lanes and pedestrian spaces – were soon ripped out by councils like Edinburgh while other councils, such as Falkirk largely ignored the funding.

Air pollution kills 2,500 people in Scotland each year and puts the population at risk of serious health conditions, like asthma, heart attacks, and strokes. It’s especially harmful to children, the elderly, and people living in poverty or made vulnerable from other health conditions.

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Dirtiest streets for Nitrogen Dioxide 

The European Ambient Air Quality Directive set a limit for Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) of 40 micrograms per cubic metre. The deadline for this limit to have been met was 2010.

Location  / NO2 Nitrogen Dioxide Annual mean (µg/m3)

Glasgow Hope Street 45.411

Dundee Lochee Road 31.840

Falkirk West Bridge Street 31.219

Perth Atholl Street 31.077

Dundee Seagate 30.136

Edinburgh Queensferry Road 29.625

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Dirtiest streets for fine particles (PM10)

The Scottish annual statutory standard for particulate matter (PM10) is 18 micrograms per cubic metre. 

Location PM10 annual mean (µg/m3)

Edinburgh Salamander St 15.439

Perth Atholl Street 14

Glasgow Kerbside 13.138

Fife Cupar 12.955

Aberdeen Wellington Road 12.314

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Friends of the Earth Scotland’s transport campaigner, Gavin Thomson, said: “Scotland once again has illegal air quality in 2021, which is shocking but not surprising given the lack of political action on the issue. 

“2020 was an outlier for obvious reasons and we witnessed unprecedented changes to all areas of public life. But for traffic emissions, it was back to business as usual in 2021. From the evidence we have, virtually every street in Scotland experienced higher levels of pollution in 2021 than the previous year.

“Air pollution from transport is responsible for thousands of premature deaths in Scotland every year, and causes serious heart and lung issues. The growing evidence base showing the links between air pollution and vulnerability to Covid-19 is only the latest reason why we have to act to protect public health.

“The Low Emission Zones being introduced will not restrict private cars until summer 2024. Meanwhile, with pollution spiking in Perth, we should be asking why only four cities in Scotland are introducing LEZs. 

“The temporary improvements in air quality in 2020 arrived at an enormous cost to our communities and societies. There was no intention or concerted political action to reduce emissions, which is why the falls were not maintained when restriction eased.

“We need a just transition for transport, including taking control of our public transport to run comprehensive services that serve passengers not profit, and more options for safe walking and cycling, to improve the air we breathe permanently.”

Felicity Neyme runs the Clean Air & Active Travel group at Davidson’s Mains primary school in Edinburgh. The group works to make routes to school safer and actively campaigns in the community for measures to monitor and improve air quality.

She said: “These days we all know about the dangers of smoking and even plastic in waterways but I am concerned about the lack of awareness amongst parents and grandparents about the impact of air pollution on children’s lungs. 

“I regularly see cars idling at pick-up and drop-off whilst collecting the children they love, dearly ignorant of the fact that they are complicit in creating dangerous levels of pollution around school. We need publicly available data on air quality at schools, safer routes to school so parents don’t feel they have to drive and we need stricter regulation banning vehicles near school.”

Paul Wilson, 47, social care worker based in Ayrshire, said: “I’ve had serious asthma since I was a young child, and have been admitted to hospital over 50 times throughout my life. I have the condition in good control now through medication and lifestyle, but air pollution is something that can be really hard to avoid. 

“I live in a small village in Ayrshire now, but when I lived in Glasgow I had far more attacks. Whenever I’m in the city now I’m aware of my chest being tighter, and I make sure to avoid certain streets like Hope Street in the city centre which are especially polluted.

“I always take my inhaler when I’m going through too. I’m incredibly aware of what affects my asthma because I have to be, but some people don’t realise what’s causing it to get worse when it’s something invisible like air pollution, and it must be very hard for people who can’t avoid these really polluted areas because of work or where they live. 

“Tackling air pollution will obviously make a huge difference for asthma sufferers like me, but it’s also affecting everyone’s health so I think it needs to be prioritised more than it is currently.”

Caitlin Smyth, 24, a nurse based in Paisley said: “I’m really concerned about the damage done to people’s health from air pollution. Things like engine idling outside hospitals and schools needs to become a thing of the past. Your car fumes might be harming someone who is vulnerable. 

“That air quality is getting worse, year-on-year, is shameful. We need to make our towns and cities safer and healthier. I’d like to see a big focus on public transport, but also we need to stop cars running their engines for no reason.”