Report to the People
12th June 2006
Climate of Change
We might have had to drag it kicking
and screaming, but it looks like summer has finally arrived - just as everyone
disappears into the lounge or the lounge bar to watch the World Cup.
In the past, when we got a
few sunny days in a row in the west of Scotland, we used to say, “it’ll
no’ last.” Now we joke, “if
this is global warming, let’s have some more of it.”
But, as the winter storms and
recent flash floods remind us, climate change is no laughing matter.
It is now a reality - a point underlined on Thursday when MSPs debated
what the government is, and should be, doing about it.
There’s no doubt that
governments have a duty to take the tough, perhaps unpopular, decisions:
replacing gas and oil burning power stations with nuclear and wind power, for
example. But, as the Executive said
last week, we as individuals can also play our part if we embrace a few changes
to our lifestyle.
And, for most of us,
they’re not that difficult. Have
a shower rather than a bath, or turn the tap off while you brush your teeth.
Use rechargeable batteries, re-use shopping bags and, when
possible, dry your clothes outside or on a clothes horse, rather than in your
tumble dryer. Not only do these
simple steps save energy and resources, some obviously save money too.
Climate change might be a
global problem, but that doesn’t mean concerted local action can’t help beat
it.
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