March for Climate Action Day Glasgow COP26! - Scotland’s motto is “Bairns not Bombs”

The Real Voices for Climate Justice speak out! - Scotland’s motto is “Bairns not Bombs”

Over 100K, by far the biggest march during COP26 in Glasgow, took place Saturday 6^th November 2021, as part of the Global day of Action for climate change. If the diversity, enthusiasm, belief and energy of those marching, and chanting for change to insistent drum beats could be bottled we’d have change immediately!

The march was good natured and fun with people of all ages and from all corners of the world who want their voices heard! They marched morally for a just transition. Many different activist groups took part – indigenous peoples group, Scottish green party, All Under One Banner (AUOB) for Scottish Independence, for a greener, sustainable, inclusive, well being Scotland free of nuclear weapons. And many more besides. 

 

It seems that world leaders and democracy is failing us. Some might ask how urgent is the climate crisis, our planet now faces? We only have to look at the images of grey, dead coral reefs (once multi-vibrant colours), ice caps melting, violent storms and floods – to see we are reaping the devastating aftermath of careless Global “growth”

 

There are many voices calling for action now – later will be too late, telling us we have no time to loose now. Vague promises are of no use anymore. I see my grandchildren’s faces and I hope there is a future for them.

How ironic that the UKs Trident nuclear subs are housed just up the road at Faslane naval base and peace camp. Scotland’s motto is Bairns not Bombs and we don’t want to store these disastrous weapons near our largest city.

A majority of Scots don’t want Trident in our waters, we don’t want Brexit, we want fairer welfare and pensions, investment in renewables and we don’t want a Tory government. So why do Scots have to be the caterers and not have a seat at the table of the Climate Conference? Why are Scots alone in not wanting independence? Scots my once have been the engine of an empire but now we’re not even partners.

 

Many now believe climate is the top of the agenda and cannot be ignored. its complex too. There are several issues to address - Biodiversity, forests, energy supplies, the oceans, reducing meat, using local, transport, and giving back to indigenous peoples. The Covid pandemic showed us that the world can act when it decides to – with all nations putting money into their pots to deal with the crisis. People are now not asking, but demanding change.  

 

We must address our own actions, science and the land and oceans.

The question is how do we change?

 

We must develop Renewables much faster! Ban private jets, massive yachts,

And the indigenous peoples of the world, cannot be ignored. In the developing nations morally we know greed is a sin and we need to give back to save our planet. There is many lands under threat because of the industries of the developed world. Time to pay back.

Do we fight Big Business. Democracy is failing us…One way is for our politicians to stop fooling us and to stop talking about this growth. 

 

Instead we need cleaner air, better quality of life. After this moving Glasgow march for social justice and part of the Day for Action to save our planet, on the train I passed the pristine white village of the COP26 climate conference, where the world leaders were in a ring of steel. And I thought our only hope is for People Assemblies for change, made up of civic groups, academics, scientists and the professionals – who can see the answers and understand the urgency. 

Cop 26 Protesters include - Pacific climate warriors, Ocean Rebellion, Greenpeace, Green Party, 

Extinction Rebellion

 

Can We Save our Wildlife?

bonny banks of Loch Lomond

 “Saltmarsh in winter grey, falls softly upon the human eye.”

In his book, “Can we Save Britain’s Wildlife’ Mark Cocker argues, “its urgent we protect our natural environment. .”The big corporate landowners have been a disaster. The National Trust too often seems less interested in biodiversity than that it has destroyed swaths of wild upland in Scotland. – Flow country with a loathsomeness of conifers, which have also helped the super-rich avoid paying tax.”

Nature reserve north Uist

On North Uist there is a beautiful nature reserve  to protect endangered birds such as corncrakes. This is part of an important European Conservation Machair project and I wondered, will the UK fund and set up a UK Conservation Machair project, after Brexit? I doubt it! 

In Finland they have school projects to get young people into the natural environment and fresh air. In the 30s when people were given a weeks holiday they worried they might drink, so instead they offered wooden weekend retreats beside their beautiful lakes. Also a project to help children with depression is to get them into the countryside. 

Campsie hills

We all benefit from being in nature. I will always remember a drive in the natural forests of Fall in Massachusetts when I was blown away by the beauty and range of colours. Sadly the contrast in Scotland couldn’t be more stark, after depleting our land of natural forrests to build ships to fight the French or Spanish (in the 18^thcentury). The UK Forestry Commission has built these abhorrent squares of dark green conifers where no undergrowth and biodiversity can survive underneath. Some have burnt and nothing survives here.

fall colours in America

Our countryside is also stuffed with aggressive Rhododendrons which Queen Victoria brought over. Around a tenth of our countryside is effected with this blight and the whole of our landscape will eventually be covered with this plant if nothing is done: no wild life can survive here and it is costing millions to eradicate. 

harvest fields near Stonehaven

II 

I was shocked recently to realise that birthday cake travels from London or Manchester – which made me wonder, why can’t cakes be made here in Glasgow and how much of our super market food is locally sourced? This is not at all green – for our global warming and carbon foot print. Do we really need Alaskan salmon here, when Scottish salmon is better?

Cocker claims, ‘it’s a scientific necessity to revolutionise our approach to food and energy.’

So can we buy Local? On the radio a women spoke of living on local produce. She spoke of farmers markets and how Scottish tomatoes taste excellent, and of how difficult it was to buy local produce. 

Some predict Brexit chaos at Dover, and that within two days there would be no food in Cornwall or Scotland! I thought what is going on, has the UK gone crazy and why is all our food traveling through Dover? Why can’t food come over from Ireland or America or Holland? I thought of all the trucks jammed up in Kent. It’s an unsustainable and ludicrous situation, that we must escape from and how can Scotland be self sustaining otherwise? Both Irvine and Glasgow were once great trading ports, pre union or rather pre occupation. 

evening light south Uist

We need to BE more indy – and consider how can we supply our energy (renewables – we have loads of wind, rain and tides). 
As a result of pesticide use and global warming Britain's butterflies are under serious threat. Recently I was walking in marshland at Mugdock country park where we might expect to see butterflies fluttering and sadly there were none.... The baby boomers have been a generation that has abused our planet - with plastic, air travel and more. We must now ask- what are we leaving the next generation? 

If our natural habitat is lost it will never be regained and we will end with“birdless skies, insect less vegetation, make a soundscape of men-made engines.” 

We will have a world (already happening) bare of flowers, animals, birdsong and butterflies. We can’t flush plastics, chemicals, fertilizers or CO2 down a rubbish flue, it all remains.  . 

Nature is our life support system. 

rocky shores on Harris

And PS On a personal note - we never use week killer on our grass, allow sections of wild flowers, have a bird feeder on a small tree and have several mature trees. I notice some concrete over their gardens or put down stones.