Time For Action
WELCOME to the Climate Change Issue of The Scots Magazine. Never before have we devoted so much space to a single issue – and the environmental emergency is one of the biggest issues Scotland, indeed the world, will face.
COP26 – the United Nations Climate Change Conference – runs in Glasgow from October 31 until November 12. It’s the largest political summit the United Kingdom has ever hosted and one of the most significant gatherings ever to have occurred in Scotland.
In our 35-page section dedicated to COP26, we tell you all you need to know about the event, the effects of climate change in Scotland, work being done on solutions and what we can all do for a more positive outcome.
The section includes outstanding contributions from guest writers – like former Prime Minister Gordon Brown – and our own highly regarded team, including Jim Crumley, Scotland’s foremost nature writer, as well as the results of survey questions we posed to you, our readers.
And while climate change can be a difficult, worrying topic, there is genuine reason for hope – as outlined in our superb article on the amazing work being done on Orkney. The islands are pushing technological boundaries that could make a massive difference to our carbon footprint – they serve as an example we all could follow.
We also asked many of our regular columnists to write on environmental themes – Polly Pullar, for example, has a fascinating piece on caring for yourself, as well as the planet, using the philosophy of permaculture. Kenny Macaskill brings you the fascinating tale of Robert Angus Smith, the Victorian scientist who, appropriately enough, hailed from Glasgow and held factory owners to account over pollution, coining the term “acid rain” in the process.
Elsewhere in this exciting edition of your favourite magazine, you’ll find loads of the more conventional content you know and love – from articles on stunning Scottish locations to celebrity interviews and inspiration for fun this month, whether in the great outdoors, or at the nation’s best festivals and events. Enjoy!