October 15, 2001	Monday	Rajab 27, 1422

GLASGOW: It is home to some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Images of shimmering lochs and rolling glens are among the reasons millions of tourists visit Scotland each year.

But the portrait of a clean, environmentally friendly country has been shattered by a damning international report that heaps scorn on Scotland’s record and names the country as the worst polluter in Europe.

While the rest of the UK has seen a 10 per cent cut in the emission of greenhouse gases over the past decade, the report says Scotland’s emissions have increased by 0.5 per cent. It adds that Scots will be forced to deal with dramatic climate change if the country continues to pollute, damage and consume energy at current rates.

“Scotland has a reputation for its wonderful wildlife and magnificent countryside, attracting tourists in droves so you might expect our environment would be something the Scottish government would give high priority to, but it’s not necessarily the case,” said Robin Harper, a Green member of the Scottish Parliament. “Scotland is actually falling behind the rest of the UK when it comes to moving towards environmental sustainability. After devolution the responsibility for environmental matters passed from the UK Government to the Scottish Executive. What is particularly worrying is that, after this transfer of powers, the shift to environmentally sustainable development in Scotland has stalled.”

Some scientists have already pointed to rising sea temperatures off Scotland’s west coast as evidence of the greenhouse effect kicking in. Warmer waters lead to increased rainfall and flooding - changes that could cause severe environmental problems beyond Scottish borders.

George Baxter, of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which produced the report castigating Scotland’s environmental record, said: “Global warming is already happening. As well as rising sea temperatures and increased flooding we are starting to see erratic snow patterns.

In the mountainous parts of Scotland such as the Cairngorms there are fragile alpine habitats that are threatened by climate change. A number of plant species are at risk and that could in turn also impact upon animal life.”

While $21.6 million has been spent on a funicular railway near the resort of Aviemore to lift skiers up the slopes of Cairngorm, the tourism industry is dependent on snow conditions now threatened by the changing environment.

Baxter added: “The key thing is that climate change brings chaos to the weather. You may get five good years of snowfall followed by 10 years of very little. This has serious implications for the skiing resorts.

Scotland’s poor environmental record goes beyond greenhouse emissions. In 1990 the Scottish Office declared that by the turn of the century, it hoped 25 per cent of biodegradable materials would be recycled.

By 2001, Scotland was 20 per cent short of that target. The WWF report calls on the Scottish Executive to follow England’s example by instituting legislation that outlines mandatory recycling targets.

The report’s author, former civil servant Tim Birley, said Ministers in Edinburgh had failed to produce a proper strategy for sustainable economic development.

Scottish Environment Minister Ross Finnie has said the Executive is strengthening its efforts to promote sustainable development, and will outline how it intends to proceed in the new year. Many of the WWF report’s recommendations could be acted on. —Dawn/The Observer News Service.