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Holyrood2016 (via Paris)

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  1. chdot
    Admin

  2. chdot
    Admin

  3. LaidBack
    Member

    Well attended Spokes meeting. Speakers were good. Dave Gorman from Edinburgh University, Social Responsibilty & Sustainability Dept had a big collection of data showing how uni energy use is still growing but on a per capita is coming down.
    Stats show record numbers not driving to campuses.
    So message is don't supply too much parking and re-allocate land to more productive uses. Uni is a world in miniature where enlightened policies can be implemented (not all are ok though as recent investment protests showed). Of course staff that liked driving found the change tough.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  4. LaidBack
    Member

    Heard that turn out at Stop Climate Chaos March was good. I missed as was at shop. I also went by Bike Station to see the six? intrepid cyclists heading off to Paris at 10. First stop Moffat.

    Bit of slight seasonal chaos this morning with a big gust of wind blowing a road works sign sideways along road. Missed me and think it hit a Jaguar going other way. Damaged door of car possibly.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  5. LaidBack
    Member

    Cycle Edinburgh to Paris COP21 by LaidBackBikes, on Flickr

    Posted 8 years ago #
  6. LaidBack
    Member

    This seems to have slipped back. I'm not expecting the agreement will mean much here as Scotland is already well on the way to de-industrialising from heavy industry (but hopefully not completely!).
    China however will need more coal fired power stations to make more solar panels.

    The Edinburgh cycling group made it to Paris with a few adventures along the way.
    Group of 130 went on from London. Blog hasn't been added to since then - think FaceBook is the main thing they've used.
    They had a guided bike tour of London though...
    http://edinburgh2paris.org/2015/12/08/day8/

    Posted 8 years ago #
  7. chdot
    Admin

    "

    It’s just one online report on this week’s huge climate change conference in Paris, universally known as COP21; but the headline seems to sum up the whole strange event, with its fine words, and conspicuous lack of guaranteed action. “No-one here believes this deal will save the world,” it says, before going on to outline a few positive outcomes.

    "

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/joyce-mcmillan-walking-the-walk-on-climate-change-1-3972665

    "

    I doubt any of the negotiators believe that there will be no more than 1.5C of global warming as a result of these talks.

    "

    http://www.theguardian.com/environment/georgemonbiot/2015/dec/12/paris-climate-deal-governments-fossil-fuels

    Posted 8 years ago #
  8. chdot
    Admin

    "

    BATTLE is about to commence among 13 Labour hopefuls bidding for top places on the party’s Lothian list for next year’s Holyrood elections.

    Opinion polls suggest Labour will struggle to win any constituency seats in the face of another forecast SNP landslide, leaving the regional lists as the best route to becoming an MSP.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/labour-hopefuls-vie-for-top-spots-on-lothian-list-1-3976420

    Posted 8 years ago #
  9. chdot
    Admin

    "

    A large number of the homes identified cover areas within the Forth Valley, as well as others in and around Edinburgh and the Lothians.

    The Scottish government report said that ”Climate change is likely to aggravate the frequency and severity of flooding in Scotland”.

    "

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/more-than-100-000-homes-in-scotland-face-flood-risk-1-3983169

    Posted 8 years ago #
  10. chdot
    Admin

    "

    AN adviser to former US Vice-President Al Gore has been put in charge of Scottish Labour manifesto for next year’s Holyrood election.

    Evan Williams, an environmental economist, has been given the role by party leader Kezia Dugdale as Labour attempts to re-gain a foothold in Scottish politics.

    "

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14168738.Former_Al_Gore_adviser_to_help_write_Labour_manifesto/

    http://www.setn.org.uk/wordpress/members/environmental-and-resource-economics

    Posted 8 years ago #
  11. chdot
    Admin

    "

    SCOTLAND’S newest political party will announce its first candidates this week, with one former and one serving MSP expected to be among the frontrunners.

    RISE, Scotland’s Left Alliance sometimes dubbed the Scottish Syriza, unveils its regional list candidates for Holyrood on Tuesday.

    "

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/14168743.Anti_austerity_RISE_to_unveil_its_first_Holyrood_candidates/

    Posted 8 years ago #
  12. crowriver
    Member

    The Scottish government report said that ”Climate change is likely to aggravate the frequency and severity of flooding in Scotland”.

    Very few (with the exception of Greens) are bothering to mention that land use is the main culprit in flooding.

    Take Cumbria: the hills around Carlisle, etc. are a man-made monoculture, a virtual desert, due to sheep grazing the hills. Hence the run-off is enormous as there are no tree or shrub roots to hold the soil together, and to absorb water before it gets to the streams, which flow into the rivers, which flood the flood plains.

    Similar issues in Scotland relating to grouse moors and sheep grazing on hills. Also the removal of hedgerows on agricultural land to create bigger pastures or larger arable fields exacerbates flooding.

    Very few (except the greens) also talking about the building of new homes of flood plains...

    Never mind, we'll just chuck money at flood defences and hope for the best eh? No point upsetting the hill farmers, shooting estate owners, or housing developers, eh Dr McLeod?

    Posted 8 years ago #
  13. cc
    Member

    George Monbiot made that same point a couple of years ago. Popped up on twitter again this morning.

    Drowning in money: the untold story of the crazy public spending that makes flooding inevitable

    Posted 8 years ago #
  14. sallyhinch
    Member

    I thought all the little copses and woodlands that remain were there for the shooting? Not grouse, maybe, but pheasants which need a bit of tree cover.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  15. crowriver
    Member

    The point is, there's not enough vegetation to reduce run-off from the hills. Every year in the Highlands, grouse moors are subjected to muirburn, i.e.. setting fire to the heather so that it dies back and regrows fresh. Of course this practice also kills off saplings, shrubs, and any wildlife that can't escape.

    Posted 8 years ago #
  16. crowriver
    Member

    Scottish Greens slam plans to cut cycle routes funding

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-greens-slam-plans-to-cut-to-cycle-routes-funding-1-3986188

    Posted 8 years ago #
  17. crowriver
    Member

    David Torrance on the SNP: Rarely has such political success rested upon so little

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/14169392.David_Torrance__Rarely_has_such_political_success_rested_upon_so_little/

    Posted 8 years ago #
  18. HankChief
    Member

    Thought I'd write up my dealings with Western Edinburgh Candidates...

    https://hankchiefblog.wordpress.com/2016/01/04/cycling-politics-in-western-edinburgh/

    Posted 8 years ago #
  19. gembo
    Member

    @hankchief, excellent blog

    Posted 8 years ago #
  20. chdot
    Admin

    "

    Latest data on accidents in and around the Scottish Parliament show four separate incidents in the past year when members of the public went headlong into the water.

    In each case, the accident was blamed on “lack of attention”. The official accident register shows there were no injuries as a result.

    "

    http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/politics/holyrood-s-parliament-ponds-people-still-falling-in-1-3990867

    Posted 8 years ago #
  21. HankChief
    Member

    @Gembo. Thanks - didn't realise how easy wordpress is once you get going.

    It's trying not to make them not just a stream of consciousness is the hard bit...

    Posted 8 years ago #
  22. chdot
    Admin


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