'Misguided' minority should not derail climate change fight
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Despite this surge, an investor famine in Europe is slowing development on and offshore in Scotland and the UK.
Back home negative local headlines make unfounded claims by a clique of campaigners that most people want nuclear power and that school-based turbines should be turned off.
Despite these protesters who oppose farming the wind and waves, Caithness and North Sutherland Regeneration Partnership (CNSRP) reported that north businesses have been in Aberdeen last week at the annual All-Energy Exhibition and Conference at the UK’s largest renewables event. Last year it attracted over 500 companies and organisations and attracted over 8,000 visitors from 49 countries.
Happily, Caith-ness Chamber of Commerce again co-ordinated an Invest Caithness presence within the overall HI-Energy Pavilion, sponsored by CNSRP partner Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), offering local companies the opportunity to exhibit.
It is an important shop window for the north, and part of an on-going series of events designed to raise awareness of the area’s assets and opportunities with key business sectors.
Most scientists show that climate change is accelerating so the reason for the Renewable Obligations subsidy regimes is to tackle that issue. In “Reducing emissions in Scotland: 2013 Progress Report”, the UK Committee on Climate Change says that Scotland leads on installed capacity and that there is a “healthy pipeline” of projects.
The question of how we tackle climate change is absolutely central to renewables development. It was Bill Fernie who mentioned that there will be no landscape to protect if we don’t allow appropriate development by farmers. I would add communities or commercial projects. It beggars belief that the jobs potential and environmental factors can be ignored by a determined but misguided few who play up fears of change without any solutions in mind.
The area covered by HIE is home to more than 10 per cent of Europe’s wave energy resource, more than 25 per cent of Europe’s tidal energy resource and more than 25 per cent of Europe’s wind energy resource. On the wind front, a third of schemes never get past scoping, a third are rejected at planning and a third are agreed subject to strict conditions.
We now have the Scottish Natural Heritage map of wild land areas and a planning policy to accommodate biodiversity and landscape issues. Yet a tiny vocal minority want to shun clean energy opportunities entirely. They want to hunt every wind farms out of Scotland. They ignore the climate change crisis, shunning the blessings of Scotland’s uniquely favourable natural resource which is a boon to our country.
THE long-standing contribution of farming and fishing to the Caithness economy needs a louder round of applause. Caithness Livestock Breeders recently announced the largest dividend in many years while North Highland Products Ltd – the beef and lamb arm of North Highland Initiative – have consolidated the Mey Selections brand and reached a new stable platform for food produced within a 150-mile radius.
Scrabster Harbour, as the third largest white fish landing port of Scotland, plays a big part in creating and maintaining many jobs that would otherwise bypass the county.
I’d like to see the Caithness Chamber of Commerce featuring more of the prime food and drink made in Caithness in its promotions. I believe the expertise of local producers and processors on land and at sea is a key stabiliser in our economy.
I hosted a parliamentary reception last week for the Soil Association’s Food for Life scheme. I’m glad to say that Highland Council holds a silver medal in the Food for Life Catering Mark. Cabinet Secretary Richard Lochhead, Food Standards Agency chair Charles Milnes and Quality Meat Scotland chief executive officer Uel Morton joined a dozen MSPs and guests to sample some prize-winning school lunches cooked by two award-winning Gold (Food for Life catering mark) school meal providers, North and East Ayrshire Council.
The association’s Food for Life Scotland programme aims to transform food culture across the country, so we can all eat things that are good for us, our communities and the planet.
Since the programme received increased funding in August last year, the Soil Association has seen an impressive rise in the number of organisations getting involved. More than 35,000 school meals in almost 500 schools across six local authorities are being served which meet the Food for Life catering standards. This means children across Scotland are having a freshly prepared, healthy, seasonal lunch and are eating meat which is traceable back to the farm.
As the recent horsemeat scandal has reminded us, serving fresh food you can trust has never been more important and it’s vital that some of the most vulnerable members of our communities are getting access to fresh and healthy food.
This not only brings health and well-being benefits but when it’s also sustainably sourced food, there is real potential to help support thriving, resilient communities and provide our children with learning opportunities to build their awareness and understanding of the connections between food, health, the economy and the environment.
I want to see the Highland Council procurement regime and NHS Highland and the Scottish Prison Service making sure that local producers can bid to provide fresh ingredients, as well as our best meat serving big Sainsbury’s stores in south-east England.
rob.gibson.msp@scottish.parliament.uk
