LINK Thinks

LINK Thinks is a space for members and others to express their views about Scotland’s environment. If you would like to contribute a blog please contact information@scotlink.org. The opinions expressed in this blog are the author's and not necessarily those of the wider LINK membership.

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UK internal market could seriously harm Scotland’s environment

13 Aug 2020

Scottish Environment LINK, a coalition of Scotland’s leading environment charities, has warned the UK government that its plan to create a UK internal market could seriously harm Scotland’s natural environment by dragging down standards.

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Greening the Youth

07 Aug 2020

The economic fall-out from the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in large-scale job losses. Youth unemployment is forecast to reach the 1 million mark over the coming year unless the government provides an ambitious recovery plan. The “corona class of 2020”, 800,000 school leavers and graduates due to join the labour market, are the most exposed […]

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Blue recovery: the role of Scotland’s seas

04 Aug 2020

A blog by Esther Brooker, LINK Marine Policy and Engagement Officer, and Calum Duncan, Head of Conservation Scotland for the Marine Conservation Society. Our ocean remains in desperate need of recovery. International expert reports[1][2][3] released in 2019 underlined the stark consequences for biodiversity and ecological systems due to climate change and human overexploitation of living […]

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Scotland’s new environment watchdog needs more teeth

23 Jul 2020

How fully does the Scottish Government's proposed new environment watchdog replace the oversight and enforcement functions previously carried out by EU institutions? Will it have the independence, powers and resources required to hold government to account on environmental matters?

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Scotland needs to embrace reuse as we seek to recover from Covid-19

22 Jul 2020

It is clear that Scotland is at a crossroads, facing a challenge to respond to two defining emergencies. First, how do we recover from the economic and social consequences of the Covid-19 emergency? Second, how do we continue to focus on the environmental imperatives presented by our ongoing response to the climate emergency? The meeting point of these two agendas defines what I would mean by a green recovery. Read the full blog by Michael Cook

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Lockdown Lessons from Nature – responses to a pandemic

20 Jul 2020

The arrival, early in May, of a pair of White-tailed eagles in the centre of Helsinki may not be a mark of great ecological improvement or even be a surprise to those of us who have seen these magnificent birds in other urban situations, for example along the Oder River on the Poland and German […]

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Educating Scotland’s schoolchildren for a circular economy

13 Jul 2020

The recent lockdown has been the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that mindset and behaviour change can be positive. Look at what’s happened in just a few short weeks – transport down by 60%, air pollution reduced by 50%, we’ve been buying less, fixing more and sharing tools, toys, books and time with our communities. Let’s leverage that change to prepare Scotland’s schoolchildren for life in a resilient and buoyant Circular Economy. Read the full blog by Mary Michel

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How good are Scotland’s new draft environment laws?

13 Jul 2020

If you believe your local environment is being harmed due to the failure of a public body to meet environmental standards, you can raise an official complaint and request an investigation. Well, you can until the end of December 2020, that is, when the Brexit transition period ends. A major benefit of EU membership is […]

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Why a Circular Economy needs to be part of the economic recovery

10 Jul 2020

A version of this blog featured in The Scotsman on 9 July 2020. The Covid crisis and associated lockdown has brought into sharp focus many aspects of our life, our society and our economy; what is important to us and how well equipped we are to deal with sudden shocks.  The recovery package being considered […]

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