New Vision for Land Use in Scotland – Ecosystems and Energy

This afternoon sees the third of six conversations about Land Use hosted by SEDA. Today’s topic is Ecosystems and Energy and asks: “How can we ensure we start to restore our biodiversity while meeting our renewable energy needs?”

The panel this afternoon is chaired. by Prof Dan Van Der Horst, Professor Lecturer, Environment, Energy & Society, University of Edinburgh and includes: Nicholas Gubbins, CEO Community Energy Scotland, Caroline Drummond, Chief Executive LEAF (Linking Environment And Farming), Alison Hester,  Senior Scientist , The James Hutton Institute, Jim Birley Scottish Wood & ASHS, Adrian Loening Mór Hydro Ltd. and Jeremy Leggett Solarcentury & Bunloit Wildland.

Monday 15 March 4pm – 6pm

Tickets are available here.

Each of the six conversations will include four artistic contributions, from poets, musicians and video artists, bringing a cultural perspective to each event. The contributors tonight are from:

Moteh Parrot Song for the Insects
Sophie Cooke Clockwork World
Roseanne Watt Kishie Wife
Su-a Lee Songs My Mother Taught Me

 

You can see the previous two conversations here:

 

Conversation 1-The Lie of the Land from ScotEcoDesign on Vimeo.

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Conversation 2: Soil and Growth from ScotEcoDesign on Vimeo.

Comments (2)

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  1. John McLeod says:

    The first three of these conversations have been well worth watching – informative and provocative. Really knowledgeable speakers from different backgrounds, along with some wonderful creative interludes. A few techno-zoom problems, particularly in conversation 3. It is good to be able to get a bit closer to what is actually happening in Scotland around land, energy, biodiversity, soil, etc. The questions it has raised for me are:
    1. Where are the cities? Almost all of the discussion has been around rural areas. Cities are land too. The multiple challanges that face us in developing a more susttainable relationship with land and nature need big changes to occur in city life.
    2. Where are the politicians? It does not look as though any elected representatives will be speaking in any of the conversations. I hope they are listening. Presenters give the impression that they view the Scottish Government attitude to land, energy, buidiversity as generally supportive, benign, etc. But is is also clear that there are many areas in which legisltation and policy needs to be updated. It could be a good idea to hold an additional event where local and national politicans are able to respond. This would be like an eco-hustings for the May election.
    3. Where is the urgency? Given the quickening pace of climate change, biodiversity loss, plastic (and other) pollution, etc, there is a huge amount to be done. These are things that should have been done 10-20 years ago. My impression from attending the SEDA converastions is that there is no shortage of expertise, good ideas, solutions etc, but a major lack of a co-ordinated coherent approach that makes it clear the contribution that every one of us can make toward ameliorationg the massive damage that has already been done and building a capacity to cope with future challanges.
    4. Whay aren’t we leading? It is clear when you listen to the speakers at the SEDA events that Scotland has major advantages in respect of natural resources for a sustainable future, alongside substantial knowledge, skills and experience. Surely Scotland could/should be one of the places that is leading the way in relation to sustainability and a better relationship with the biosphere.
    5. Why aren’t these conversations happening all the time? If we had a decent national broadcaster and print media something along these lines would going on all the time.

    1. Graham Ennis says:

      I have to point out a stark truth:
      That there isd a mention of climate but
      no data. (This really becuase the scirentists involved have been strongly dissuaded from releasing it.
      I was a member of A.M.E.G. (Arctic Methane Emergency Group.)
      Blunt truth:
      The enormous Tundra, right across Sibera. across to Canada, is melting and venbting Methane gas.
      Methane is a lot more dangerous that the Carbon Dioxide they do talk about.
      Bluntly, we are approaching the point of No Return.
      The feedback from this is driving a large part of the temperature rise.Not just CO2.
      The temperature rise was about 1/10th of a degree, three years ago, in the North.
      This is what is driving the rapid change in the weather and wind system.
      You have no idea of how bad it is. Thats 1.50C perdecade, now. 1.50C is the marign left before we end up with a runaway
      climate that cannot be stopped. If you raise the temerature of Billions of tons of atmosphere by that amount, the mass of heat in it is huge.
      Already there are horrifying videos on the news, of vast areas of forest burning, massive oceanic storms.
      The awareness of SCOTGOV about this is on the level of what they read in the Media.
      They have no conciousness of what is actually happening. Neithedr does the General Public.
      In the three years I left the research group, the rate of temperature rise has probably risen.
      What I write here is going to be ignored, by most reading here. But it does happen to be true.
      Immediatly after the election, some urgent work needs to be done, by SCOTGOV. they will ignore it, and
      when they do pay attention, it will be too late.
      If Scotland does not leave the UK., it will slide right to the bottom of ther list of issues, for a Lopndon Goverment
      dealing with this. This is a survival issue.
      Comments please.

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