Tag: sustainability

6 Comments

UK water scientists do not look next door at a country with 5.5 million litres of drinkable water per person, 40 times that where they are in London and nearly 4 000 times that globally

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The Guardian today has the above and: Vast swathes of Europe’s water reserves are drying up, a new analysis using two decades of satellite data reveals, with freshwater storage shrinking across southern and central Europe, from Spain and Italy to Poland and parts of the UK. Scientists at University College London (UCL), working with Watershed Investigations and the Guardian, analysed 2002–24 data from satellites, which track changes in Earth’s gravitational field. As per usual, UCL scientists, despite often vacationing, here did not think to look at Scotland’s water supplies. Before comparing with the world, how much more fresh … Continue reading UK water scientists do not look next door at a country with 5.5 million litres of drinkable water per person, 40 times that where they are in London and nearly 4 000 times that globally

1 Comment

Scots taxpayers to pay £200 million for new nuclear power stations in England

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dorothy for alerting me to this. In the Guardian today, the above and: UK energy bill payers will hand over £2bn a year in subsidies to EDF, the French company building two nuclear power stations, according to government figures. EDF, owned by the French government, will be entitled to £1bn in annual payments as soon as Hinkley Point C, in Somerset, comes on to the grid in 2030. The sum is due under the contracts-for-difference system that guarantees low-carbon energy companies a fixed price for the electricity they generate. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025/nov/28/uk-energy-bill-payers-edf-hinkley-point-c-sizewell-c Will Scottish Taxpayers Share the … Continue reading Scots taxpayers to pay £200 million for new nuclear power stations in England

5 Comments

Another fracking dangerous technology only suitable for Scotland and the North apparently emits more CO2 than it stores

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Bernadette Robertson for alerting me to this. In the UK Daily Mail, today, but not on the ‘Scottish’ edition’s front page: The long–awaited solution to Britain’s climate crisis could finally be here. Scientists have identified eight potential sites for the ‘direct air capture machines’ (DAC), which would extract CO2 from the air and turn it to stone. The eight promising locations include Antrim in Northern Ireland, Borrowdale in the Lake District and the Isle of Mull in Scotland. According to the experts, the sites have a wealth of volcanic rock underground that would react with CO2 and … Continue reading Another fracking dangerous technology only suitable for Scotland and the North apparently emits more CO2 than it stores

3 Comments

Why Scots have a ‘critically low’ democratic well-being score – the 50 years theft of their energy supplies for one thing?

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Carnegie UK today have reported (previous TuS post) that Scots have a ‘critically low‘ democratic well-being score of only 40%. Who is surprised? I’m surprised it’s not zero, same as mine. If you are at all aware of Scotland’s 300 year plus and current predicament in the Union, how could you get anywhere near 40%. Given their many problems with crap governance but at least their own crap government, 40% would be a fair guess for Ireland. I asked the document’s built in AI why this might be. It just listed all the wee parts leading … Continue reading Why Scots have a ‘critically low’ democratic well-being score – the 50 years theft of their energy supplies for one thing?

2 Comments

Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from history as global uranium demand and Labour’s nuclear plans threaten the lives of the people of the Orkney Islands: Edited

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Frances McKie for alerting us to this again, as she did in March 2025. In Investing.com, two days ago, the above graph and: When the U.S. government announced an $80 billion commitment to build new nuclear reactors, Cameco Corp (NYSE:CCJ) became the talk of Wall Street. The stock skyrocketed 20% in a single day, adding $9 billion to its value and reaching an all-time high of $106.91. Analysts gushed. Investors piled in. It was the obvious winner. But here’s what almost nobody noticed: America is about to need far more uranium than it can get, and the companies … Continue reading Let’s be sure we learn this lesson from history as global uranium demand and Labour’s nuclear plans threaten the lives of the people of the Orkney Islands: Edited

16 Comments

Scottish Labour’s nuclear energy policy shattered by latest estimate for one half-mile deep (!) waste storage facility costing nearly £70 BILLION 40 years after a Scottish Labour council rejected the idea

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Frances McKie, once more, for this alert. When I arrived in Ayr in 1984 and began hillwalking in the nearby hills, I heard of the local community’s recent campaign of resistance to plans to bury nuclear waste under the granite 2 270ft mountain, Mullwharchar, 30 miles away but visible from the town,  in the Dungeon Hills, a sub-range of the Galloway Hills range. From No2NuclearPower: The first planning application was made in January 1978 to Kyle and Carrick District Council (South-west Scotland) by the UKAEA to test drill on Mullwharchar Hill near Loch Doon on the border … Continue reading Scottish Labour’s nuclear energy policy shattered by latest estimate for one half-mile deep (!) waste storage facility costing nearly £70 BILLION 40 years after a Scottish Labour council rejected the idea

3 Comments

Scottish fishing fleet has double the catching capacity of English fleet, lands more fish and generates more income but only 7% of UK development funding comes to Scotland

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA Thanks to Dottie, once more, for alerting us to this. In the National, yesterday: Scottish Government hits out over ‘totally unacceptable’ fishing deal – MAIRI Gougeon has hit out at the UK Government for short-changing Scotland’s fishing industry over “totally unacceptable” funding allocation.  https://www.thenational.scot/news/25558212.scottish-government-hits-totally-unacceptable-fishing-deal/ According to the National report, Scotland, despite having 70% of the catch and generating 58% of the UK revenue, will only receive £28 million out of the total £360 million of investment through the new Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund, 7%. Wales and N Ireland get even less, £18m and £10m. So, £304 million, … Continue reading Scottish fishing fleet has double the catching capacity of English fleet, lands more fish and generates more income but only 7% of UK development funding comes to Scotland

4 Comments

It’s been a while since Andrew Bowie last sickened us. Then, it was the risk of radiation sickness

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA The National today has the above headline and: Andrew Bowie, the MP for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, embarked on an all expenses paid trip to Israel between August 25 and 29 this year. The trip was described as a “fact-finding political delegation” in Bowie’s MP register of interests, and was paid for by the Conservative Friends of Israel. Bowie registered air travel, accommodation and hospitality for the visit to Israel as costing £4200. He told The National that he met with senior members of the Israel Defence Force (IDF) during the trip. The shadow Scottish secretary was not … Continue reading It’s been a while since Andrew Bowie last sickened us. Then, it was the risk of radiation sickness

1 Comment

As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Michael Shanks will not protect us and why Scots would pay far less after independence

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Scots would pay far less once independent. From stewartb in June 2025: I fear that a majority of the electorate in Scotland still have NO IDEA of – (perhaps even conditioned to have no interest in?) – Scotland’s indigenous energy assets and their potential significance for their own lives and those of their children and grandchildren. Little or no awareness of the scale of value of offshore oil & gas assets in the … Continue reading As energy price rises loom, a reminder of why Michael Shanks will not protect us and why Scots would pay far less after independence

2 Comments

Water restrictions have NOT been imposed on customers like you and me in Scotland

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA I’ll be quick on this one. They, the MSM and politicians, would just love it if Scotland had the same water shortage problems as England does and they’ve pounced on these ‘restrictions‘ in only Aberdeenshire’s Ythan and the North Fife areas. So, are the folk there suffering a hosepipe ban, running out of water for a bath on these steamy days? No, ‘restrictions’ does not mean the general public. From STV, yesterday: The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency has now imposed restrictions in … Continue reading Water restrictions have NOT been imposed on customers like you and me in Scotland