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 …
By Mike Small, originally writing for the DeSmog UK website For the first time, Scotland has a carbon budget under the international climate agreement made in Paris in 2015. A new report by experts from the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research at the University of Manchester and Uppsala University in Sweden concludes that for …
Dr Sally Campbell, local resident and marine scientist, reports on the plans by Marine Harvest to establish a new salmon farm and the problem of untreated waste going into the Kilbrannan Sound. It must be nearly ten years ago since Arran defeated a Marine Harvest proposal for a huge 2500 tonnes max biomass fish farm …
An article by Mike Small, writing in Bella Caledonia, on the recent vote by MPs in Westminster to expand Heathrow airport, a decision with enormous implications for the government’s commitment to cutting carbon emissions and for the This isn’t really about Boris, who we know is a liar and a hypocrite and a coward. This …
An update on TAP Arran, and Albatross film showing Think About Plastics – Arran (TAP) took shape at the Coast screening of A Plastic Voyage in February. A steering group was formed there to help gain Arran Plastic Free Coastline status under Surfers Against Sewage guidelines. This website gives more information about plastic free status and …
A report from Dr. Sally Campbell “We need to join forces against resistant microbes” – with particular reference to current aquaculture practices The further concern for us all, after microplastics, is the UK rising challenge of antimicrobial resistance, known by AMR, its three-letter abbreviation. It is estimated that over 700,000 people die each year across the …
Scientific microplastic survey of Scottish coastal waters confirms contamination The results from Greenpeace’s 2017 ship tour of Scotland have been published at the beginning of March. The scientists on the Greenpeace ship the Beluga utilised a number of different methodologies to gather more data on plastic pollution in Scottish waters than any previously published survey. …
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR ARRAN’S MARINE ENVIRONMENT? Recently The Arran Banner headlined “Early Chance to bag first taste of Lagg. Arran Distillery Ltd hopes to raise £4.2million boost from whisky sale” and residents and visitors of Arran are encouraged to purchase casks at £6000 each of heavily malted malt whisky from the new distillery. …
The Voice has spoken to one Arran resident who has embarked on a personal plastic free journey, A Plastic Free Lent… Isla Blair says “This year, for Lent, I have decided to give up plastic! Whether this shall be possible I don’t know, but I will give more of my non-plastic experiences next month. So …
With the Sunnyside’s school #NaeStrawAtAw Campaign gathering pace, and their Ocean Defenders visiting Arran early on last month, February was a month of action concerning Arran’s plastic free status and the campaigns around it. After the Sunnyside school visit, there was an evening at COAST hosted by Sue Weaver and Deborah Maw, both crew on …