Latest news with #EnvironmentalImpact
The National
2 days ago
- General
- The National
Yet another triumph of money over people disrupted Beauly's gala day
He says the original journey date for the second transformer was Friday July 4, leading the reader to be perhaps more understanding that SSEN was only a day late with their delivery due to 'necessary maintenance and additional safety checks'. However, the transformer was scheduled to travel through Beauly on the day before, according to SSEN's own notification to residents: 'The second unit will be transported on 3rd July 2025 between 18.00hrs and 20.30hrs. The time and date of this transport have been selected to reduce the impact on roads.' READ MORE: Extra safety checks led to delayed transportation of SSEN transformer There followed a short-notice update of travel for the Saturday gala day: July 5th between 8am and 10.30am. They got the day right the second time, but missed their timings by some margin. A modicum of research would have told SSEN they should have delayed again until late on the Saturday evening when the village would have been quieter but no, money over people won again and the promised effort to 'reduce impact on roads' was thrown out of the window. Mr Smith refers to the scoped-out topics that SSEN has seemingly repeated across all of their planning applications, topics that they DO NOT have to address in their Environmental Impact Assessments. It is only fair that people understand exactly what those topics of most concern are: 1. Population and Human Health, 2. Electric and Magnetic Fields, 3. Radio Frequency Interference 4. Major Accidents and Disasters, 5. Air Quality and Climate and 6. Disposal and Recovery of Waste. A slide listing these topics was shown at a public presentation by SSEN regarding the 868-acre substation site at Fanellan within the rural community of Kiltarlity and was met with horrified gasps from the audience. It was swiftly taken down. READ MORE: Timing of disruption by SSEN demonstrates lack of regard for locals It is the opinion of those fighting for their health and wellbeing within this unprecedented electrical experiment that all these relevant subjects should be included and scrutinised in SSEN's planning applications and satisfactory answers given before any approval is considered. Mr Smith then takes the opportunity to attempt to justify what SSEN is doing and dangle the rotten carrot of community 'benefit'. Unfortunately, without a full, independent cost/benefit analysis for Scotland and justification as to why our rural communities are being sacrificed to export electricity out of the country, with no guaranteed customers and for the enrichment of their shareholders, his 'explanations' are at best inadequate. Ed Miliband is hell-bent on industrialising England with renewables plus nuclear and new gas generation, and it is entirely possible they won't even want to buy what the global investment companies here in Scotland have to offer. Lyndsey Ward Communities B4 Power Companies, Beauly THANK you to The National for publishing the revised route for the Palestine protest demonstration in Edinburgh on Saturday. I am guessing that this change was enforced following discussions with police. One consequence for my friend Alex in his wheelchair and myself in my scooter was to rule out our participation from St Giles'. Neither of us can manage cobbles, so this starting point was impossible for us. We were both keen to add our protest against the continuing genocide of the Palestinians people in Gaza by the Israeli Defence Force and the continuing implicit support from our UK and Scottish governments. The UK Government for refusing to recognise the state of [[Palestine]], for continuing to assist the attacks by arms exports, by providing surveillance information and by proscribing a protest group and by using the new law to attack those who object to this proscription. Our Scottish Government for their non-recording of meetings with Israeli officials and the continued subsidies to our defence companies who are supplying military equipment to the Israeli government. READ MORE: I was at the national Palestine protest in Edinburgh and saw hope So, guessing the travelling time from St Giles', we met on Waverley Bridge to join the protest as it passed at our estimate of 1.45pm. We waited for more than one hour in heavy rain after our estimate before the march arrived. Apparently there were speeches before they started. Had this information been released, we could have avoided getting such a drooking. We were, however, pleased to participate. Come the time to man the barricades, could some consideration be given please to provide a ramp for those of us less mobile but equally committed? Campbell Anderson (self-appointed correspondent for the ancient society of disabled Old Age Protesters!) Edinburgh
Irish Times
12-07-2025
- Health
- Irish Times
Ash dieback: It's hard to ignore the lines of dead and dying trees around Ireland
Travelling across Ireland, it is hard to ignore the lines of dead and dying ash trees in the hedges. Ash dieback is a serious disease caused by the fungal pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus. The spores of the fungus blow in the wind and infect ash foliage, turning the leaf-tips brown. It damages the leaves and twigs by making a chemical that is very toxic to the ash. The fungus produces spores which form sticky masses which then spread through the leaf stalks, down into the branches, trunk and roots, blocking off the tree's water supply. The leaves wilt and turn brown, lesions appear on the trunk and twigs decay resulting in crown dieback. The spores can only survive in the air for a few days so dispersal is limited. Even so, the disease has spread rapidly across much of Europe. It was first noted in Ireland in October 2012 on plants imported from Continental Europe and is now recorded in every county. The disease can affect ash trees of any age and in any setting. It can be fatal, particularly among younger trees, while older specimens can hang on a bit longer as they have greater resources at their disposal. While I will mourn the loss of ash in our own woodland it will also be interesting to see which species takes its place as gaps open up in the canopy. The loss of ash trees is likely to lead to their replacement by sycamore and other species which are not native in Ireland, resulting in changes to the composition of the woods. Ash is so common in the landscape that the dieback is already having dramatic effects across the country. Almost every hedgerow has some ash and, along with hawthorn, it must be one of the most abundant woody plants in Ireland. History tells us that ash trees were often grown in important locations of Ireland. The historic kingship of Usnagh had an ash at its centre. Another one, known as Bile Tortan , stood in Co Meath and was regarded in Celtic times as a protection by the gods of the land and its fertility. The appearance of new leaves on the trees is often considered in rural areas as a sign of the summer to come. 'Oak before ash, we're in for a splash; ash before oak we're in for a soak,' was a traditional country saying that I learned as a child. I wonder if there is any hope for ash trees in view of the rapid spread of the disease. Is there a resistant strain of the species that will survive the initial onslaught to pass on its genes to the next generation? A very small proportion of ash trees show natural tolerance to the pathogen. This means that they show minor symptoms and the disease does not have a noticeable impact on their growth or health. Teagasc , the agriculture and food development authority, is working to identify such trees and build up a gene bank with the ultimate goal of producing tolerant ash seed and restore ash trees to Irish forests and hedgerows. These genotypes will be used to bulk up stocks of tolerant trees and establish seed-producing orchards. They are forming a collection of tolerant genotypes of ash by importing material from different ash breeding programmes in Europe. To date, Teagasc has built a collection of 200 tolerant genotypes. Multiple copies of each genotype have been produced by grafting. I will be watching our ash trees closely over the next few years to see if there is any inherent resistance here. In a woodland such as ours, where biodiversity is more important than timber production, we will be leaving nature to take its course and it will become apparent quite soon which, if any, of the ash trees are tolerant of the disease. Whatever happens in the future, it is certain that some plants and animals associated with ash will suffer. Recent research in the UK has produced the most comprehensive account of all plant and animal species known to use ash. A staggering total of nearly a thousand species was listed. If the dieback is slow, then perhaps the gaps in the canopy of many poorly managed woodlands will help them to diversify by allowing sunlight to reach the forest floor, thus stimulating seedlings to germinate. I am optimistic that nature will find a way around this as it has done with many other plant pathogens. Richard Nairn is an ecologist and writer. His latest book is Future Wild: Nature Restoration in Ireland
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Eat the rich': Venice protests shadow Bezos wedding
At least 500 protesters marched through Venice on Saturday, condemning Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wedding to journalist Lauren Sanchez, a lavish affair that has drawn backlash in the historic Italian city. "Bezos, out of the lagoon", the demonstrators chanted as they wound through the city centre, some brandishing signs that read: "Eat the rich", "Rejected", and accusations that Venice's mayor is "corrupt". The peaceful protest, held in sweltering heat, was led by the "No place for Bezos" group, which has campaigned for days against what it calls the couple's harmful economic and environmental footprint on the city. "We are here against what Bezos represents, his model, the Amazon model, based on exploiting people and land," said Alice Bazzoli, 24, an activist with "No Space for Bezos" who has lived in Venice for five years, speaking to AFPTV. Protesters later unfurled a large "No place for Bezos" banner and lit flares above the famous Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Matteo Battistuta, a 20-year-old student, said he wanted to send the message that "Venice is fighting back, it's not a dead city, it acts in its own interest before tourism's". "We believe Venice can still be a place worth living in," he added. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows during a ceremony Friday evening on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite St Mark's Square. The ceremony capped off a week of yacht parties and VIP events, due to end with a lavish ball Saturday night -- as Venetians remain divided over the impact on the city's image. Guests included Ivanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, American football star Tom Brady, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. cor-cmk/blb/srg/gv
News.com.au
28-06-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
'Eat the rich': Venice protests shadow Bezos wedding
At least 500 protesters marched through Venice on Saturday, condemning Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wedding to journalist Lauren Sanchez, a lavish affair that has drawn backlash in the historic Italian city. "Bezos, out of the lagoon", the demonstrators chanted as they wound through the city centre, some brandishing signs that read: "Eat the rich", "Rejected", and accusations that Venice's mayor is "corrupt". The peaceful protest, held in sweltering heat, was led by the "No place for Bezos" group, which has campaigned for days against what it calls the couple's harmful economic and environmental footprint on the city. "We are here against what Bezos represents, his model, the Amazon model, based on exploiting people and land," said Alice Bazzoli, 24, an activist with "No Space for Bezos" who has lived in Venice for five years, speaking to AFPTV. Protesters later unfurled a large "No place for Bezos" banner and lit flares above the famous Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Matteo Battistuta, a 20-year-old student, said he wanted to send the message that "Venice is fighting back, it's not a dead city, it acts in its own interest before tourism's". "We believe Venice can still be a place worth living in," he added. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows during a ceremony Friday evening on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite St Mark's Square. The ceremony capped off a week of yacht parties and VIP events, due to end with a lavish ball Saturday night -- as Venetians remain divided over the impact on the city's image.
Yahoo
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Eat the rich': Venice protests shadow Bezos wedding
At least 500 protesters marched through Venice on Saturday, condemning Amazon founder Jeff Bezos's wedding to journalist Lauren Sanchez, a lavish affair that has drawn backlash in the historic Italian city. "Bezos, out of the lagoon", the demonstrators chanted as they wound through the city centre, some brandishing signs that read: "Eat the rich", "Rejected", and accusations that Venice's mayor is "corrupt". The peaceful protest, held in sweltering heat, was led by the "No place for Bezos" group, which has campaigned for days against what it calls the couple's harmful economic and environmental footprint on the city. "We are here against what Bezos represents, his model, the Amazon model, based on exploiting people and land," said Alice Bazzoli, 24, an activist with "No Space for Bezos" who has lived in Venice for five years, speaking to AFPTV. Protesters later unfurled a large "No place for Bezos" banner and lit flares above the famous Rialto Bridge spanning the Grand Canal. Matteo Battistuta, a 20-year-old student, said he wanted to send the message that "Venice is fighting back, it's not a dead city, it acts in its own interest before tourism's". "We believe Venice can still be a place worth living in," he added. Bezos, 61, and Sanchez, 55, exchanged vows during a ceremony Friday evening on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore, opposite St Mark's Square. The ceremony capped off a week of yacht parties and VIP events, due to end with a lavish ball Saturday night -- as Venetians remain divided over the impact on the city's image. Guests included Ivanka Trump, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Kendall and Kylie Jenner, American football star Tom Brady, TV host Oprah Winfrey and Bill Gates. cor-cmk/blb/srg/gv
