Tag: environment

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BBC Scotland wildfires report ignores the role of the big private grouse estates to blame you, me and the SNP

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON In a BBC Scotland report yesterday: Scotland facing escalating threat from wildfires – report https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cx28wez183eo There’s not a word criticising the big grouse estates or their practice of muirburn and its role in wildfires. There is also, a complete failure to report the steps the Scottish Government is taking to manage that: From the Scottish Government in October 2025: Link – https://www.gov.scot/news/muirbuirn-licence-scheme/ This diplomatic account conceals, I feel sure, a determined policy by the SNP to reign in grouse moor owners … Continue reading BBC Scotland wildfires report ignores the role of the big private grouse estates to blame you, me and the SNP

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Could a huge data centre revitalise Ayrshire – or ruin it? How Scotland’s massive water and electricity resources make it the perfect location for an industry which we could, after independence, tax fully

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON BBC Scotland, Glasgow & West today has: Could a huge data centre revitalise Ayrshire – or ruin it? Supporters talk of it revitalising the region, bringing new jobs and investment that would be ploughed back into the community. But the plans have met strong opposition from locals concerned about the impact on the wider area. Some of those opposed have contacted BBC Your Voice, and say the firm has not provided concrete details about a building that would dominate … Continue reading Could a huge data centre revitalise Ayrshire – or ruin it? How Scotland’s massive water and electricity resources make it the perfect location for an industry which we could, after independence, tax fully

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French owned Somerset nuclear power station delayed by 13 years with construction costs soaring from £18bn to more than £50bn and to produce electricity costing more than 3 times that of wind power

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: From the Guardian today: Britain’s first new nuclear plant in a generation at the Hinkley Point C site will face further delay, at a cost of €2.5bn to the French utility company EDF. EDF said the first reactor at the site in Somerset will begin operations in 2030, a year later than planned – almost 13 years after construction work began – after a series of delays to the project. The latest … Continue reading French owned Somerset nuclear power station delayed by 13 years with construction costs soaring from £18bn to more than £50bn and to produce electricity costing more than 3 times that of wind power

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News houses built in flood risk areas – 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 in Scotland

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Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON In the Guardian today, the above, and: One in nine new homes in England built between 2022 and 2024 were constructed in areas that could now be at risk of flooding, according to new data. The figures show the number of homes being built in risky areas is on the rise – a previous analysis showed that between 2013 and 2022, one in 13 new homes were in potential flooding zones. The research comes with the government under huge … Continue reading News houses built in flood risk areas – 1 in 9 in England but only 1 in 200 in Scotland

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Scottish homes will probably not have to be abandoned: how climate crisis has reshaped RumpUK’s flood risk

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Support Talking-up Scotland to keep rebutting the lies almost every day of the year, at https://t.co/xFcIcegHTy In the Guardian today: ‘Homes may have to be abandoned’: how climate crisis has reshaped Britain’s flood risk https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jan/31/climate-crisis-flood-risk-britain There’s only one mention of Scotland: But it is not just the south-west facing ever more floods as the climate crisis bites. Environment Agency data estimates 6.3m properties in England are at risk of flooding, rising to 8m by 2050, with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland also hit hard. Wow, impressive research there…not. In the Guardian 14 October 2025, the above maps showing only two wee bits of Scotland … Continue reading Scottish homes will probably not have to be abandoned: how climate crisis has reshaped RumpUK’s flood risk

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School suspensions fall again to only one-tenth of the level in England and a quarter of that under Scottish Labour as SNP policies embed

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On BBC UK’s Breakfast show this morning, a piece on the shocking increase and overall level of temporary suspension’s and permanent exclusions in England’s schools. There were 10 900 permanent exclusions! They didn’t mention other parts of the UK and BBC Scotland did not cover the issue despite having had frequent reports on various supposed crises in Scottish schools based on supposed evidence from the opposition parties. This may be why they’re not going there: Last year in Scotland’s schools there were 10 647 temporary exclusions, down from 11 672 the previous year and nearly 40 000 (39 553) when … Continue reading School suspensions fall again to only one-tenth of the level in England and a quarter of that under Scottish Labour as SNP policies embed

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Scotland has far far fewer homes at risk of flooding after 19 years of SNP leadership

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From John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie for alerting me to this: In the Guardian today; Labour’s “build, baby, build” housing policy means more homes are being built on green belt land, meaning less natural flood defences, more runoff and increased flood risk for existing homes. Even worse, Guardian analysis has predicted that more than 100,000 of these new homes could be built on the highest-risk flood zones in England. At the same time, extreme weather is increasing because of climate breakdown and the Environment Agency data says 6.3m properties, residential homes and businesses are in areas at risk of flooding, rising to 8m by 2050. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/02/flood-home-unsellable-britain Predictably … Continue reading Scotland has far far fewer homes at risk of flooding after 19 years of SNP leadership

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Confused Sunday Mail misses how Scotland’s massive energy over-production could make billions after independence easily feeding and watering the ‘gobbling’ AI data centres

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Professor John Robertson OBA From the Sunday Mail yesterday the above back-to-front headline and: Massive new data centres planned in Scotland to power the AI revolution would use up to three quarters of the country’s total electricity demand [sic], a new study has claimed. Research firm Foxglove, which campaigns for fair tech, found the “staggering” amount of power as well as water required by data centres “carries serious environmental risk” for Scotland. Its study this month found 11 “hyperscale” data centres currently in the planning system could use up an astonishing 3000 megawatts of electricity supply once all operational. “And they produce a huge amount … Continue reading Confused Sunday Mail misses how Scotland’s massive energy over-production could make billions after independence easily feeding and watering the ‘gobbling’ AI data centres

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Why the wind doesn’t need to blow all the time – breakthrough in new technology to blow all Scottish Labour arguments for nuclear ‘out of the water’

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EBARGOED UNTIL 15 Dec 2025 00:01 Professor John Robertson OBA From BBC Scotland, three days ago: In East Lothian, council leader Norman Hampshire has asked UK ministers to draw up a “characterisation” of the Torness power station site in the hope that it could still be considered for a replacement. The Labour councillor says the closure of Torness without a replacement would be devastating to the community in Dunbar and across Scotland. “There’s a lot of jobs… and all of that feeds into the local economy. So, if Torness isn’t there it’s going to be a huge blow and there’s … Continue reading Why the wind doesn’t need to blow all the time – breakthrough in new technology to blow all Scottish Labour arguments for nuclear ‘out of the water’

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Storm Brann fails to breach even one of Scotland’s flood defences after 18 years of SNP Government but 8 500 fail in England

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Professor John Robertson OBA Yesterday, Sepa forecast widespread and intensive flood risk across the most populous parts of Scotland. Today BBC England had Thousands of flood defences meant to protect multiple homes or businesses in England were below the required condition when winter began, a new analysis has found. The 6,498 “high consequence” defences were among about 8,500 that were not fully working as intended due to erosion, damage or being overgrown. BBC Scotland and all of Scotland’s newspapers have nothing at all on flooding. In 2022, BBC Scotland reporters were all over the North-east interviewing the flooded and letting … Continue reading Storm Brann fails to breach even one of Scotland’s flood defences after 18 years of SNP Government but 8 500 fail in England