Climate Change and the UK Storms

Current storm hitting the UK and Ireland

The ongoing weather we have been having here in UK has brought to the fore again the issue of climate change. As to whether what we have been experiencing is in partly down to an ongoing process of climate change. From just after Christmas we have been hit by storm after storm, we have been at the end of an Atlantic conveyor belt of wind and rain it seems with one storm hitting us and then another and another and another. I have lost count as to how many we have had, but it seems rather more like one long continuous storm than an endless series to me. The storms have brought high winds and turned places like Somerset in to giant lakes, this time last year we where under inches and inches of snow. As I write a relatively mild storm is passing over head, so far in my part of the UK this one has been more an inconvenience rather than a problem.  But the Met Office video below shows four storms hitting the UK and Ireland in February alone.



The UK Met Office in the last week attributed the storms in part to climate change, these storms are extraordinary in their frequency and it is this rather than their ferocity that has caused most of the problems. I myself believe that climate change is real, both as a naturally occurring event and also heightened by human activity. The planet its infinitely complex and something we do not fully understand as yet but it seems absolutely crazy to me that some people would at this point conclusively say man made climate change is a myth. From the weather records over its recorded history we can see the changes and from other sources like tree rings or Ice core samples we can see how our planet has changed over millennia. And the majority of scientist in this field feel that man made climate change is a reality. With this evidence in mind we certainly should be as a global community working harder to do something about the changes we are making as a species. I have to say as far as the argument between climate camps goes I am rather of one opinion whether man made climate change is true or not! By this I mean we have to change the way we do things anyway! Most of our energy reserves are finite and now coming to the end of their reserves, we need alternatives and climate change real or not can help instigate those changes. Living in a greener world is a win win situation, if we are impacting our environment as the evidence suggests then being greener will reduce the impact of climate change in the long run. Placing a wager on whether climate change is real or not seems like a fools game to me and by denouncing it or continuing to do as we do is making that bet!

As for the storms here in the UK, fingers crossed that it will soon be over as I am so very tired of repairing my greenhouse. Luckily this is only my little problem and I am not enduring the scale of wind, rain and floods that other parts of the UK are.  

Scottish Independence

So we know the date if this year the people of Scotland vote for independence, 24th of March 2016. Obviously this is going to be a big decision for Scots and have ramifications for the UK as a whole. The referendum takes place this year but the debate is going strong between the Yes and No campaigns, though mostly north of the border. Of course its going to be big news in Scotland but you would also expect it would be in the rest of the UK too. But its not. The mood south of the border seems rather more ambivalent amongst the general population and me too. There is a general attachment in England for the concept of the United Kingdom but not so overwhelming to engage in a debate about its future, especially when the outcome is not in their hands. There is also a feeling that the rest of the UK would be better off is Scotland did become independent, that we give far more than we get in return, this 'feeling' is rather debatable.

Poll Taken August 2012

The question of course is for the Scots to decide and it should not be any other way. The main argument for independence is that Scotland will be better off economically and are aspiring to follow the Norwegian economic model. IE prosperity gained through the Gas and Oil revenues of the North Sea. Who can say weather Scotland would be better of financially? They could of course do as well as Norway or the could go the way of Ireland the next time the Banks gamble all our money away! But this is where the debate must be conducted on issues like this. The European Union membership is also something that really needs clarifying with the SNP saying it will be apart of it and the Unionists as well as some others saying Scotland will have to reapply. It does seem to me abit odd to seek to end one union for more freedoms yet eager to stay apart of another which imposes certain requirements. If anything this is a chance if independence means leaving the EU to re-evaluate whether Scotland wants or needs to be in the EU, Norway is not. In some respects independence does not seems to change much, what ever Scotland's currency it will be hitched to sterling for the foreseeable future and thus for better or worse the prosperity of the UK, the head of state will be the Queen, Scots will still move freely in the UK to live and work, they will still have the same amazing benefits they have now such as free prescriptions and University education. Little in the general day to day will change it seems.

Another big issue for Scotland and the SNP is the Nuclear deterrent based in the Hebrides and its removal. On this I would agree with Alex Salmond, in the sense that I would have it removed completely from the UK. The debate over the base is more of a point scoring political one and is far lower down on the agenda for the populace than say how better of they might or might not be. But come independence the base will have to go.    

My own personal view is that Scotland should stay as a part of the UK, but this is for my own selfish reasons. If Scotland gained independence its would undoubtedly change the face of UK politics for a long time to come. By this I mean it would remove a large part of the Labour Party base that Scotland provides, to have this removed would make it almost impossible for the Labour Party to challenge the Conservatives in general elections for many years to come. As a northerner the Labour Party is the traditional representative of old industrial regions of England, Scotland and Wales to lose Scotland would be traumatic and exacerbate the already huge London, South East bias that exists in the UK.