Issue 76

The film for July at Corrie and Sannox Village Hall will be Suffragettes (2015, UK, directed by Sarah Gavron, 105 mins, Cert PG), showing on Sunday 16th July at 8pm.

A moving drama exploring the passion and heartbreak of those who risked all they had for women's right to vote - their jobs, their homes, their children and even their lives. Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Meryl Streep and Ben Wishaw star. “Suffragette dramatizes an important, and still painfully relevant, fact-based story” said Rotten Tomatoes.

The Telegraph said “Sarah Gavron’s film about the British women’s suffrage movement technically qualifies as period drama: its story takes place in 1912 and 1913, and its sets and costumes vividly and convincingly evoke a bygone age. But it’s written, shot and acted with a hot-blooded urgency that reminds you the struggle it depicts is an ongoing one - and which shakes up this most well-behaved of genres with a surge of civil disobedience.”

Arran Coastal Rowing Club (ACRC) hosted its first regatta on Saturday, 24th June at Lamlash Yacht Club, followed by a social row around Holy Isle on Sunday 25th.

The new pier at the Brodick ferry terminal is nearing completion and during June berthing trials were carried out by Caledonian Isles, Isle of Arran and Waverley. Both ferries did low tide and high tide trials at both sides, with Waverley only berthing at the east side.

The Isle of Arran was first, with high tide trials, the same day as she returned to service from having her bow thruster engine repaired. For the high tide trials, she only berthed stern in at both sides of the pier; but did berth bow in at the linkspan for her low tide trials. As the Caledonian Isles berths overnight in Ardrossan some services had to be cancelled for her trials. However the Isle of Arran continued running so the disruption was limited.

Waverley came to Arran on a special trip to test the berth and came in very smoothly and quickly. Unfortunately, when she reversed out again, a heaving line appeared to catch on the pier fendering and caused the bow rope to unravel completely. The Waverley's lifeboat was launched in less than ideal conditions and returned to the pier to recover the lost rope.

Do our politicians care about coastal communities and healthy seas?

Time to embrace sustainable alternative

Little was said during the election about one of the biggest issues facing coastal communities - the health of the marine environment. Ironically, only Donald Trump has succeeded in putting the environment in the headlines - but only by withdrawing from the Paris Accord on climate change! That is bad enough, but we now need to watch out for the UK Government using Brexit as an opportunity to retract from important EU marine legislation.

In Scotland, under devolved powers, there is an opportunity for political parties to make a strong economic and environmental case for two progressive marine management measures. We urge them now and in the future to support a new three mile limit on dredging and bottom trawling in favour of hand diving and creeling - this will be better for the environment, local communities and Scotland's coffers. Fish farms on the other hand need to use closed-containment systems. Scandinavia is leading the way on both issues. Inshore dredging is largely prohibited and Norway has just announced it will put a stop to open-cage farms. These measures can be implemented and would benefit us all.

Alas, at present, none of the main parties are seriously addressing the ongoing degradation of the coastal seabed by scallop dredgers (the loss of Loch Carron flame shell beds being only one example). The Marine Protected Area now declared for parts of Loch Carron show Cab Sec, Roseanna Cunningham is listening as does Cab Sec, Fergus Ewing's announcement to pilot spatial management in some areas. However, we need stronger proactive leadership rather than piecemeal and reactive measures.

Again, on fish farms, despite many articles in the Sunday Herald suggesting collusion between SEPA, the Scottish Government and Salmon farmers, there is silence (except from the Greens) about plans to double polluting open-cage salmon production along Scotland's iconic west coast. This includes a planned 62% increase in the capacity of the farm in Arran's beautiful and popular Lamlash Bay, which the local community has demanded the Government refuse.

Scotland's seas and coastal communities could be healthier and more prosperous with the right support from politicians and Marine Scotland. Let's show the lead and demonstrate Scotland has a real vision for its environment and citizens.

Top photo: Howard Wood/COAST

Those who heard Christine Bovill’s Edith Piaf show in Brodick a couple of years back will not wish to miss her appearance at the Community Theatre at Arran High School on Saturday, 8th July at 7.30 pm. Those who did not experience her last visit are urged to come along too, for this is a real class act. Born in Glasgow, Christine has built an international reputation with her interpretation of 20th century songs, and as a songwriter in her own right. She has performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, in the famous Spiegeltent, and appeared on radio and TV, as well as writing lyrics for film and theatre. On her forthcoming visit to Arran, it will not be a repeat of her Piaf show: this time she has promised an intimate evening of song, with a vibrant and original collection of tear-stained sleepless ballads, alongside infectious Americana and Cajun sounds. Her voice has been described as “a sonic combination of dark chocolate and cigarettes”, and more than one critic has declared it unforgettable. The Sunday Times said: “Something that will stay with you for the rest of your life … I wasn’t prepared for the effect her voice would have on me.” ; and the Metro: “That voice, which is once heard, never forgotten.” Those who have heard her before and those who haven’t, Arran residents and visitors, all are urged to come and enjoy a great night.

Tickets for the concert are available on the door on the night, in advance from Inspirations of Arran in Brodick, or online from www.arranevents.com. As usual, children will admitted free, with their accompanying adult. In the Theatre, there will be easy-access front row seats available if required.

The Plot Against America by Philip Roth

“Just suppose...that the air hero Charles Lindbergh, the man who made the first solo transatlantic flight in 1927, who earned huge sympathy when his baby son was kidnapped and murdered five years later, who called Hitler “a great man” and was decorated by order of the Führer for his services to the Reich, just suppose that he’d taken up Republican invitations to run for president in November 1940, and milked the isolationist sentiment that undoubtedly existed then (No more war! Never again will young Americans die on foreign soil!), and that instead of Roosevelt being elected for an unprecedented third term and taking America into Europe to fight the Nazis, Lindbergh won a landslide victory. And then he signed non-aggression treaties with Germany and Japan, and set about realising his vision of America as a land of the brave and blond, and introduced a set of anti-semitic measures which, if not on the scale of Hitler’s pogroms, were a betrayal of the rights and liberties enshrined in the constitution and yet, such was the young president’s charisma, they were accepted by the mass of ordinary citizens and even by some prominent Jews.”

Protecting more of the world's seas offers a double benefit, scientists say. Marine reserves protect fish and other sea creatures against exploitation and pollution. They can also help life both in the oceans and on land to cope with the growing impacts of a warmer climate.

Matt Rand, director of the Pew Bertarelli Ocean Legacy project, which supported part of the research, said: “Marine reserves are climate reserves.”

An international study has found that reserves help marine ecosystems and people adapt to five harmful consequences of climate change: ocean acidification; sea-level rise; the increased intensity of storms; shifts in species distribution, and decreased productivity and availability of oxygen. Reserves also can also help to increase the long-term storage of carbon from greenhouse gas emissions, especially in coastal wetlands, which helps to reduce the rate of climate change, the study found. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, it evaluated existing peer reviewed studies on the impact of marine reserves around the world. The lead author, Professor Callum Roberts of the University of York, UK, said: “Many studies show that well-managed marine reserves can protect wildlife and support productive fisheries, but we wanted to explore this body of research through the lens of climate change to see whether these benefits could help ameliorate or slow its impacts.

“It was soon quite clear that they can offer the ocean ecosystem and people critical resilience benefits to rapid climate change.”

Only 3.5 % of the world's oceans has so far been set aside for protection, with just 1.6 % given full protection from exploitation. International groups are working to raise the total to 10% by 2020. Delegates to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s 2016 World Conservation Congress agreed that at least 30% of the oceans should be protected by 2030.

Scientists say marine reserves and marine protected areas (MPAs) protect coasts from sea-level rise and can help to sustain coastal wetlands, mudflats and coral reefs that can act to absorb the impact of storms and extreme weather. They also help to offset declines in ocean and fisheries productivity caused by climate change, for example through the growing acidification of seawater and the reduction in plankton abundance. The reserves protect key coastal systems - mangroves, salt marshes and seagrasses - creating localised reductions in carbon dioxide concentrations and water acidity. And they can provide refuges for fish as they adjust their ranges to changing conditions.

Previously published research revealed that marine reserves can promote the rapid recovery of exploited species and damaged habitats while safeguarding intact ecosystems. With fishing outlawed and other human activity limited, they can create very productive areas which allow exploited stocks and degraded habitats to recover. These benefits are greater in large, long-established, well-managed reserves that have full protection from activities such as fishing and oil and mineral extraction. Relative isolation from damaging human activities adds further conservation benefits. The research shows that protecting more of the ocean will also improve the outlook for environmental recovery after greenhouse gas emissions have been brought under control.

It reinforces the IUCN’s argument that the UN ocean protection target should be raised from 10% to 30% of the oceans, which will require many more large-scale MPAs and protected areas beyond national jurisdiction.

Beth O’Leary, a co-author and a research fellow at the University of York, said: “We were keenly aware that marine reserves can increase species’ abundance and help alleviate food scarcity, but our evaluation showed reserves are a viable low-tech, cost-effective adaptation strategy.”

Matt Rand of Ocean Legacy said: “This study should be proof positive to decision makers that creating effectively managed marine reserves can deliver a multitude of benefits.”

As part of Arran’s attempt to overtake Edinburgh as the cultural capital of Scotland, early last month the Auchrannie carpark was graced by not just one but two mobile cultural venues. The Art-in-a-Bus travelling gallery brought a display of contemporary art on the theme of ‘Eat, Sleep, Work, Repeat’, showcasing the work of four very different artists.

Alongside it, the Screen Machine offered a varied programme of films, including a multi-sensory showing of The Illusionist. This 2010 French-Scottish animated film directed by Sylvain Chomet is based on an unproduced script written by French mime, director and actor Jacques Tati in 1956. Controversy surrounds Tati's motivation for the script, which was written as a personal letter to his estranged eldest daughter, Helga Marie-Jeanne Schiel.

Akong - A Remarkable Life is a documentary film that tells the story of Akong Tulku Rinpoche, and was shown at the High School on the 1st June to a large and appreciative audience.

Born in Kham, eastern Tibet in 1940, Akong Tulku Rinpoche was quickly recognized as a reincarnate Tulku and enthroned as the Abbot of Drolma Lhakhang Monastery at the age of four.

However his life would change dramatically when in 1959, tensions between China and Tibet reached breaking point. Forced to undertake a dangerous journey on foot across the Himalayas to reach India, at the age of only nineteen, Akong Rinpoche and other fourteen people were the only survivors out of a party of over two hundred Tibetans. This episode marked his life profoundly.

After reaching their destination, living conditions in Buxadaur refugee camp in Assam were extremely poor. The hot climate combined with the lack of food and medicine claimed the lives of many of the surviving refugees, including Akong's elder brother, Jamyang Chogyal.

When in 1963, Akong Rinpoche arrived in the UK with Trungpa Rinpoche, life wasn't easy either. In order to support themselves Akong worked as an orderly at a hospital in Oxford. His life started to change a few years later though, and in 1967 Akong founded the first Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the west - Kagyu Samye Ling in Scotland.

Simon Roach writes in DeSmogUK “For the UK Conservative party, Scotland will be seen as one of the few successes of an otherwise miserable 2017 general election campaign.

Despite the loss an overall parliamentary majority and Prime Minister Theresa May’s failed plan to transform her party’s huge poll lead to a domineering presence in Westminster, the Tories somersaulted their 2015 election win of a single Scottish seat, this time taking 13.

This is the biggest surge since the Tory’s Scottish collapse following the 1980s, and will leave many - in a country vastly proud of its anti-Tory stance - wondering what happened.

Three seats were won in the regions bordering England and in two traditionally conservative areas of central Scotland, a sign seen by some that there is little national appetite for a second independence referendum.

But another clue lies in Scotland’s wealthy, oil-rich North East, where the Conservatives won five seats from the Scottish National Party (SNP), the ruling party of the Scottish government and the third largest in Westminster.

The areas around Aberdeen are the shores harbouring Scotland’s oil wealth, housing over 40,000 jobs and generating billions of pounds of income for both the UK and Scottish economies. But oil production in the North Sea is in rapid decline - largely due to dwindling supply and the increased cost of extraction - with anxiety ensuing over what will happen to those that work in the sector and to the revenue which has been so valuable to the UK’s prosperity.

So what will the environmental and climate impacts of an increased Tory presence in the North East be, both for Scotland and the rest of the UK?

Nick Molho, executive director of green business alliance the Aldersgate Group, believes that the low carbon transition now has sufficient momentum to be resilient to political hindrance - equally for its economic, business and political manifestations.

In 2015, figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that Scottish low carbon and renewable energy economy generated £10.5bn annually and employed 58,500 people.

Molho cited growing strength in areas such as tower manufacturing for wind turbines, low emission bus production, batteries, and innovation for marine renewables, including the European Marine Renewable Energy Centre in Scotland.

“The Scottish low carbon economy is becoming much stronger and I can’t see conservative Scottish MPs wanting to stand in the way of that,” Molho said.

In terms of a Conservative deviation from SNP policy in the North Sea, Molho pointed out that both parties fully support the continued exploration of new fields in the North Sea, and of the continued extraction of oil that is economically feasible. So, while not great for the climate, there may be no change here.

There are some subtle differences between the parties' positions, however. SNP spokesperson for energy and climate change, Callum McCaig, accused the Conservatives of planning for a “managed decline of the industry” in his election campaign. The SNP, in contrast, would “help the industry thrive over the years ahead”, he said. McCaig lost his seat to Conservative Ross Thomson.

More positive for climate change, Molho suggested, is that in January the Scottish government set out a new climate change plan, including targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 66 percent by 2032 from 1990 levels and to fully decarbonise the electricity sector by the same year. The plans have already been consulted on and received support from industry, including the oil and gas sector.”

See the full article here.

This month’s article discusses ground source heat pumps, how they work and what’s involved installation wise. The heat energy stored in the ground as little as 1.5 metres down does not vary more than 4 to 6 degrees from season to season. This gives them a distinct advantage over air source which might see temperature variations of 30 degrees or more from summer to winter.

The majority of ground source systems are the indirect type and extract the heat from the ground via lengths of plastic pipes filled with glycol (anti-freeze). The pipes can be laid in shallow trenches or in boreholes up to 200m deep. The direct type has refrigerant in the ground loops and is far less popular though extremely efficient > 600%. There has been very little uptake on this type of installation as there is no government RHI available for them at the moment. The added benefits of a direct system is that it requires less pipe, the downside is it requires F-gas qualified engineers to install it correctly making it a more expensive.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. A ground source will run at -20 degrees ambient air temperature - is this true?

Yes as the ground temperature would be nowhere near the air temperature and would only have a minimal loss of efficiency in the colder weather.

2. How much land is required?

For a 10 kw an area of 20 metres by 50 metres is needed to space 1.5m deep trenches with a width of 1m. For a borehole system a 10m square would be adequate for the same 10kw heat pump, the holes being a min of 6 metres apart.

3. How do installation costs compare with air-source?

A ground source system can typically be 3 to 4 times more expensive to install than an air source. A borehole can cost from 4 to 6 thousand pounds to drill and a trench system could cost 3 thousand pounds or more depending on the size of the excavations.

4. Are ground source more efficient?

Yes especially when their S.C.O.P. is used to gauge their efficiency.

5. What are the best makes to buy?

You should seek out a company that sells modulating ground source heat pumps which have inverter driven compressors. They are more efficient and will have a longer lifespan.

6. How noisy are they?

Most ground source are relatively quiet but it is not recommended that you site them inside your property. A dedicated plant room or back of your garage is a good place to fit them.

7. How expensive are they to maintain?

They can be a bit pricey to maintain as the anti-freeze has to be checked and is recommended to be changed completely every 6 years. A typical annual service could cost between £200 and £300.

In keeping with our theme this month, the media have been reporting that in January, 29 sperm whales stranded on shores around the North Sea. The results of the necropsies (the animal equivalent of autopsies) of 13 of those whales, which beached in Germany, near the town of Tönning in Schleswig-Holstein, have just been released. This is how the Guardian reported the results.

The animals’ stomachs were filled with plastic debris. A 13-metre-long fishing net, a 70cm piece of plastic from a car and other pieces of plastic litter had been inadvertently ingested by the animals, who may have thought they were food, such as squid, their main diet, which they consume by sucking their prey into their mouths.

Robert Habeck, environment minister for the state of Schleswig-Holstein, said: “These findings show us the results of our plastic-oriented society. Animals inadvertently consume plastic and plastic waste, which causes them to suffer, and at worst, causes them to starve with full stomachs.” Nicola Hodgins, of Whale and Dolphin Conservation, added: “Although the large pieces will cause obvious problems and block the gut, we shouldn’t dismiss the smaller bits that could cause a more chronic problem for all species of cetacean - not just those who suction feed.”