Issue 92

November 2018

Hello, and a warm welcome to the November edition of the Voice.
Over the last month the world has seen, among other things, the publication of the International Panel on Climate Change’s report, a Scottish Green Party conference, the re-starting (and stopping again) of fracking in Lancashire, and the UK government’s latest budget. We are hearing the voices stacking up, warning us about the consequences of not taking urgent measures to limit global warming, yet witnessing action that still amounts to not very much, and much worse, which contributes further to the impending problems.

There seems to be a blind spot, highlighted clearly in this journalist’s comments in the Independent, on Chancellor Hammond’s failure to outline comprehensive plans for the global situation.
“In the Budget Philip Hammond announced schemes to encourage tree planting and to tax plastics, but critics said such actions fail to tackle the problems Britain and the planet as a whole faces. Many pointed out that the chancellor’s speech contained no references to climate change, despite coming in the wake of a major report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the devastating impacts of rising global temperatures. Given the widely reported estimate that world leaders have roughly 12 years to dramatically cut emissions and restrict global warming, environmentalists criticised the government’s focus on road building and fossil fuel infrastructure”.

Or, according to the Green Party (see in this issue their party conference review and ‘What planet are these people on?’) and others (see the Listening Post video in the Media and Climate Change article), not so much a blind spot, but a political system that cannot put people and planet before profit. As journalists and researchers point out, it is a really disconcerting place to be – on the one side hearing scientists and some politicians telling us in stark terms the critical nature of the situation, and stating what needs to be done, and on the other, witnessing those in power continue to support and develop the industries and businesses that directly run against both the evidence and this advice. As The Listening Post film points out, climate change should be connected to all news items now being reported, and as Green Party members pronounced there needs to be a “system change not climate change”.

Elsewhere in the Voice this month, we take you to Corrie and their recent food festival, to the Darien Disaster of the late 17th Century and point you in the direction of the Arran churches who join the nationwide bell-ringing for the Armistice on 11th November. Hope you  enjoy the issue and have a lovely month!

‘What planet are these people on?’

SCOTTISH GREEN MSP Andy Wightman slams forecasts for north sea oil extraction until 2050, his comments in contradiction to SNP which welcomed the new report, reports Ben Wray for Common Space at the end of last month.

Wightman has criticised a new report forecasting increased oil & gas extraction from the north sea up until 2050, after the UN’s International Panel on Climate Change report just two weeks ago argued that the world economy needed to be carbon neutral by at least the mid-century to prevent catastrophic and irreversible climate change.

New Tim Pomeroy Exhibition in Edinburgh

MARBLE SLATE WOOD - NEW SCULPTURE BY TIM POMEROY

Arran-based stone carver and artist, Tim Pomeroy, opens a one man exhibition at The Fine Art Society in Edinburgh on Friday 16th November. It runs until Saturday 22nd December. This is his third show with
The Fine Art Society. Based on northern European archaeology, natural history and the everyday designed world, the sculptures on display (25 works including wall mounted pieces) are made in traditional sculptural materials: stone,wood, slate, and marble. The forms, shapes and ideas are both contemporary and ancient. The Neolithic archaeological finds of Arran inspire Pomeroy. They lend his work a mysterious and precious quality andhint at otherworldliness.

Arran churches join national bell ringing for WW1 Armistice

On Sunday 11th November, Arran churches will be among 1000s of others across the country to ring their bells to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war.

Across the UK, many thousands of bellringers at more than 3,000 towers are preparing to join the international initiative to celebrate the day the guns fell silent after more than four years of fighting – and the peace and friendship that now exists between former enemies.

The Darien Disaster 1698 – 1700

The Darien disaster 1698 – 1700. King of Scotland & England William 11/111 1689-1702. A Protestant with Dutch connections.

Leading up to the year 1700 a total of 7,000 Scots emigrated to the America’s, Between 10 and 20,000 moved to Europe and between 60 and 100,000 went to Ireland. This was 60 years before the clearances started in Argyle. In 1755 the first reliable census was carried out, the Scot’s population was only 1,265,380. England’s population 5,400,000.

Corrie Food Festival

The first ever Corrie Food Festival was held in the Village hall last Saturday, 27th October, and by the large numbers filling the hall (people were apparently queuing to get in before the event opened at 12), it got off to a thriving start. By 2.30pm the hall was so crowded it was hard to move around to sample the produce at the different stalls, some of which were close to selling out.

Showcasing the best of Arran’s food and drink, over 10 stall holders set up in the hall serving a variety of items for visitors to try. There was food from the newly established Arran Supper Club, Mara fish bar and deli, Ferghan Mhor Vegan B&B, Thai Street Food, the Sandwich Station, Blackwater Bakehouse and many more. There were also Wine tasting sessions with Tony Burrin, as well as drinks from the Isle of Arran Gin Company. Just some of the delicious things to try included Mackerel and Kimchi Stew and fillet of Ling en Papillote from Mara, Turkish themed dishes from the Arran Supper club, including an amazing Tabbouleh (see recipe below), and vegan Hug in a Bowl soup, cashew cheese, chutneys and cakes from Ferghan Mhor.

Scottish Salmon Company, American Excellence Awards, and Other Issues

On Landward, a special programme on Saving our Salmon (see Landward on BBC iplayer 2018.2019: 25 Saving our Salmon) the Scottish Salmon Company (SSC) declined to come clean and discuss the appalling sight of salmon damaged with raw flesh eaten by parasitic sea lice in their Roag salmon farm in the Outer Hebrides.

The following day the SSC announced that it is in the awards competition for The Drum B2B Brave Awards in America; it had already reached the short list and was making lots of fuss about their nominations in three categories at this year’s awards following the launch of new “Premium Scottish farmed salmon brand Lochlander” into the North American market earlier this year. Winners are to be announced at a “gala ceremony on 15 November at the Edison Ballroom in New York”. The three categories, are would you believe :
Best Brand Campaign
Best Product launch
Best ROI campaign

A report from the Scottish Green Party conference

Ben Wray reports on the Green Party conference last month, which was held on 20-21st October at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow. First published online at Common Space.

THE Scottish Greens conference began with a call for a socialist transformation to create an economy “that puts people and planet ahead of profit”.

Maggie Chapman, co-convenor of the Scottish Greens, outlined a radical vision for “system change not climate change”, saying that the present democratic structures were “the institutions of a dying world” and called on Greens to throw “moderation” to the way side.

Marine News

Did sonar cause unexplained deaths?

Scientists are investigating why 75 deep water whales washed up on Scottish and Irish coasts during August and September this year. Most are Cuvier’s beaked whales, which are among the deepest diving whales on the planet. Experts said 45 badly decomposed beaked whales were washed up on Hebridean Islands such as North and South Uist and Tiree, with another 22 stranded on the west coast of Ireland and one in Northern Ireland.They said it was highly unlikely that the animals were killed by natural phenomenon such as disease.

Three ways to help a child to live the good life

So what exactly is ‘the good life’?

The 1970s sitcom called ‘The Good Life’ made an impact on me. I was very young when it aired, but I realised when watching it that in many ways, as a family, we were already living the good life. I had a fairly unusual upbringing on a farm on the Isle of Islay – I say ‘unusual’ because at any point in time our house was home to at least 4 different species of animal, plus my sister, my mother and me. It was not uncommon to find ducks waddling around the house, lambs in the playroom, plus the more mundane – dogs, cats guinea pigs etc. We lived off the land – grew our own vegetables, ate our own meat (a concept I sometimes struggled with), and often bartered for whatever we didn’t have. My sister and I spent our time, when not in school, barefoot and outdoors; we climbed trees and invented games. This closeness to nature encapsulates some of what the good life is, but it certainly isn’t the whole story...

Red Squirrel Re-wilding in the Highlands

The new squirrel hide that was set up in Brodick castle gardens over the summer has thrilled visitors, providing both a great place for some of the island's squirrels to feed and play, and a brilliant viewing place to watch the creatures feisty antics. While Arran’s red squirrel population can thrive in relative undisturbed safety, their brothers and sisters across the water have a much harder time trying to survive.

To help the red squirrel’s plight in Scotland and to make sure their populations can thrive, the organisation Tree’s for Life are introducing a re-wilding programme in specific areas to help them flourish.

Update on Friends of the Firth of Clyde campaign to stop oil rig decommissioning in the Clyde

The Friends of the Firth of Clyde are currently fighting a proposal by Peel Port to develop an oil rig decommissioning plant at Hunterston. They are waiting on an imminent decision by Scottish Enterprise as to whether SE will grant Peel Port £10 million of extra funding to enable the plan to go ahead. Here Friends of the Firth of Clyde write about their objections to the proposal and how it got through planning without a proper environmental assessment.

Local MP mark’s baby loss awareness week in Westminster

Patricia Gibson, MP for North Ayrshire and Arran marked Baby Loss Awareness Week in the House of Commons by recalling her own experience of stillbirth during a debate at Westminster.

Baby Loss Awareness Week, now in its 16th year, sees 60 charities come together to raise awareness about the key issues affecting those who have experienced pregnancy loss or baby death in the UK.

Mrs Gibson has previously spoken in Parliament about the loss of her baby in 2009, whose anniversary falls on 15th October, International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Corrie Film Club

The film showing at Corrie film club on Sunday November 11th is Oh! What a Lovely War ( Richard Attenborough UK 1969 138 minutes Cert PG).

Based on a celebrated anti-war stage piece produced by Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop, the film chronicles the various madnesses of the First World War. Along with vignettes involving the members of the fictional Smith family, the film uses songs of the war, mostly patriotic; and by using the real-life words of various figures from WWI.

Music Arran present AB24

The next Music Arran concert is on Saturday 17th November in Brodick Hall at 7.30pm, with music from AB24 Aberdeen Baroque.

AB24 Aberdeen Baroque are a violin, piano, and cello trio, and will be playing music by Bach and Vivaldi. AB24 is a new ensemble offering a myriad of different instrumental combinations. Its three players between them can offer a variety of sound combinations usually available only with a much larger ensemble.

Amanda Babington is a violinist and recorder player, specialising in historically informed performance. She plays regularly with many of the leading British and European period-instrument ensembles including Les Talens Lyrique, the Wallfisch Band, Dunedin Consort, Ex Cathedra, the Gabrieli Consort and Players and Fiori Musicali. Amanda is also currently studying the Musette.

Media and Climate Change: Why we need a total overhaul

Mike Small, reporting for Bella Caledonia, shares a video from The Listening Post on the Al Jazeera media network, which explores the global phenomenon of the media failure to report and understand the global warming crisis. He says “much of the traditional media just can’t cope with the reality of climate breakdown. It doesn’t know how to respond to the scale of such a crisis, it can’t de-couple itself from the hegemonic norms of growth and all the things we’re told – and tell ourselves – are good. This is a particular problem in Scotland where many of us are still wedded to the 1970s notion that the North Sea Oil will somehow be our saviour, our liberator.”