by Phyllis Stephen

When asked what was important to them, most Scots questioned said that the environment ranked in importance with the economy – when considered in global terms. But, when asked about what matters particularly to Scotland, they thought the economy essential.

It seems many Scots still have to be persuaded to think about the environment in a local sense rather than as a global issue. The results of the Scottish Environmental Attitudes and Behaviours Survey (SEABS) 2008 are published today. This survey was conducted by face-to-face interviews of over 3,000 Scots over 16 between August and November 2008.

Consequences of climate change such as flooding and milder winters affect all of us in Scotland. But do people see the connection? Apparently, a third of people interviewed did not believe that their behaviour contributes to the problem. And just under half thought that the cost of dealing with climate change should not be a Scottish Government expense.

Environment Minister Roseanna Cunningham said:

“We need to do more to get people to see the environment as a local issue. Many people see climate change as a global problem but not as an issue affecting Scotland or their communities. But milder winters and more floods mean the evidence is now on our doorstep and can no longer be ignored.
“People have to realise that they are a fundamental part of the environment. Just as we impact on it, it has an impact on us. Our own behaviour makes a real difference and the good news is that greener behaviour not only helps save the planet it helps save us money too.”

We all know that we should take our reusable bags to the supermarket now. We all know about the recycling of newspapers, but hardly anyone knows the energy rating of an electrical appliance bought in the last year. Driving is still the most common form of transport for commuting and grocery shopping. So, would it be a good idea if the Scottish Government takes the lead and heeds the advice from the Scottish Labour Party at the weekend to invest in electric cars?

Allied Vehicles of Glasgow have asked the Scottish Government to buy 1,000 vehicles at a cost of £15million. This would not only create around 100 jobs according to the Labour Party’s economy spokesman but he says it would allow the company to become a European leader.

As well as encouraging the Government to buy the cars themselves there are also calls to local authorities to invest in the infrastructure which would be necessary to allow their use.

John Park went on to say:-

“These clean, green vehicles are the outcome of three years of research and development by Allied Vehicles.

“To make them a common sight on the High Street, the company need local authorities to invest in recharging stations and help from the Scottish Government.”

Sarah Boyack, Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Environment, said:

“If this industry is supported properly then electric cars could be regarded as commonplace over the next few years and the potential for job creation is substantial.

“The government needs to step up a gear and help develop a mass market for these low emission vehicles.”

Gerry Facenna, Chairman of Allied Vehicles said in an interview with The Herald last year

“With the right investment Scotland will become Europe’s leader in the production of electric vehicles.

“Electric power offers an ideal solution, especially for congested urban areas where traffic is stop-start for much of the day with zero emissions of any type.

“This is an opportunity to create hundreds of highly skilled and well paid jobs that could sustain the Scottish economy for years to come and contribute to improving the environment for all of us.”

Allied has a total workforce of about 360, with sales staff based around the UK in addition to its employees at its Possil factory.

So we hope the Government will have a spark of inspiration and give them the financial boost they need.

Stun guns, syringes, baseball bats and socks containing snooker balls are just some of the offensive weapons seized from people every day in Edinburgh.

New police statistics show that two people every day are caught in Edinburgh in possession of some of these weapons.

The report has also shown a 35% rise in people arrested for carrying a knife in public over the last three years.

Police claim that the increase is because of more aggressive stop and search tactics, as well as a string of operations outside nightclubs and on buses in the city.

In 2006 the Scottish Parliament passed legislation extending the maximum prison term for carrying a knife to four years.

Solicitor General for Scotland Frank Mulholland QC said that tougher guidelines for police and prosecutors meant “those caught carrying knives are being taken off the streets more quickly and kept in custody for longer.

Additionally, figures were unveiled yesterday showing significantly higher conviction rates since the legislation passed, with 78% of convictions for carrying a knife resulting in imprisonment.

A police spokeswoman said: “We believe the force has a key role to play in prevention through enforcement. The Edinburgh violence reduction programme and the Unight scheme are a vital part of this, both acting as deterrents and making carrying a knife socially unacceptable.

“The rise in the number of people caught in possession of a knife is testament to the proactive approach we are taking to make sure our communities can live without the fear of violent crime, with targeted initiatives as part of a number of ongoing campaigns.

Seventy-five percent of Scottish primary schools are breaking the new laws regarding healthy school dinners.

A recent inspection by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Education (HME) across thirty-four Scottish schools showed that only a quarter of them were sticking to the strict guidelines introduced by the Government last September.

Children’s Minister Adam Ingram launched the guide, which was to focus on diet and health promotion in schools and to give instructions on the new requirements while offering advice for caterers on the nutritional content of meals. However, despite this help and information, a lack of awareness on the part of staff has been blamed for the three quarters of schools still serving unhealthy food. Excessive levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat are still on the menu.

According to the NHS website Change for Life, the maximum amount of salt a child aged between 7 and 10 years should consume per day is 5 grams, and for those between the ages of 4 and 6, it should be no more than 3 grams. At the moment, we eat, on average, 8.6 grams per day.

Added to this, The Scottish Health Survey conducted in 2003 showed that eighty percent of children are eating too much sugar, ninety percent too much fat, and that one third of children are overweight or obese.

In a bid to combat these worrying findings, schools have been asked to make a number of changes to the way food is served.

Such alterations include:

- whole milk should be replaced by semi-skimmed;

- fatty spreads and oils should be replaced by non-fat alternatives;

- more attention should be paid to the amount of sodium and sugar added to food.

The environment in modern-day Scotland has been described as ‘obesogenic’ and approximately £171 million is spent treating obesity-related illnesses each year. These health and wellbeing guidelines will have to be followed in order for the country to make any significant cut in the obesity epidemic.

by Phyllis Stephen

It’s the end of happy hours… but surely few people can be unhappy about the announcement from the Scottish Government to bring to an end our national love affair with the bottle.

Politicians are today taking steps to curb excesses in drinking, particularly under-age drinking and other forms of alcohol abuse.

It will as a result be more difficult to buy alcohol as it will be both more expensive and more elusive.
The plans were revealed when the Scottish Government announced its proposed action plan to end the binge drinking culture in Scotland, especially among the young.

The crackdown was launched at Glasgow Royal Infirmary by Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon and Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill.

The new pricing structure in pubs and clubs will be calculated by applying a minimum price per unit of alcohol. So any sales promotions, such as cut price shots, will be banned in an effort to stop people drinking too much in one evening.

From a health point of view, the Government hopes that this will mean a reduction in the number of people going to hospital rather than going home at the end of a night out. Over 40,000 were admitted to hospital last year suffering from alcohol-related complaints. And here is a sobering statistic – at least 1500 people died from alcohol abuse during the year.

The estimated bill for all of the extra costs, whether incurred in caring for those who end up in hospital wards or simply as a cost impact on the country’s productivity, is over £2 billion. We all know someone who has taken a sickie as a result of a night out on the town.

Characters such as Rab C. Nesbitt are all too common on our Scottish streets, and while they may be a source of fun, the reality is very scary. Cases of diabetes, obesity, dementia and cancers as well as the more common cirrhosis of the liver are all on the rise, according to NHS figures.

In some areas local licensing boards will be able to put up the off-license age limit to 21 if local circumstances call for it.

Crime figures have increased as a result of crimes commited by drunks. Justice Minister Kenny MacAskill said today that he believes this is the “right package of measures to make a real difference”. It is also hoped that the drink driving limit will be reduced. DCS John Carnochan, Head of the Violence Reduction Unit, said, “Through its significant contribution to violence, it (alcohol) has placed an immense financial burden on this country. But there are hidden costs – those to communities, relationships and lives that could have been better lived. Fundamentally if you want to reduce violence then you need to reduce access to alcohol.

Fiona Moriarty, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, was critical of these proposed measures.

“Irresponsible drinking is not about price or availability yet this is the main focus of the Government’s approach,” she said.

“We need to develop solutions that educate rather than alienate and instead the Government has retreated to its bunker and is neither listening to the evidence presented or willing to tackle these issues in a consensual manner.

She added: “Prices and promotions are broadly the same across the UK but alcohol-related deaths are far higher in Scotland than England, which clearly shows Scotland’s relationship with alcohol is deep-rooted and complex.

“At a time when customers’ finances are under severe pressure it’s incredible that the Scottish Government believes voters will thank them for using the force of law to push up prices.

The Scottish Government will debate the measures in the Criminal Justice and Licensing Bill when it comes before Parliament later this year.