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.

Crimes against wildlife are going unpunished – this needs to change

28 Jun 2018

Some years ago, I was ­fortunate enough to be on a safari in Botswana and on a four-day trip by canoe in the Okavango delta. As we lazily lay back to view a sky of many birds soaring over us, our guide, an intelligent local young man speaking fluent English, said that we must be […]

Let’s plan for fairness in fighting developers

21 May 2018

At the moment, for only the second time since devolution, there is a Planning Bill before the Scottish Parliament. Of course, you could be forgiven for not being too excited about this. Even if you were aware, you might struggle to follow the debate. Planning is a world of often painful jargon which can seem […]

An opportune moment for marine spatial planning

20 Feb 2018

A guest blog by Glen Smith, a social science researcher and PhD candidate at UiT The Arctic University of Norway. Diarmid Hearns is right to point to the importance of the Scottish planning system in determining how space is developed and, subsequently, how people live their lives (The Scotsman Opinion 18/01/2018). The National Trust for Scotland research […]

Planning bill is an opportunity to put right a system Scots see as flawed and failing

22 Jan 2018

The places we live, work and play in are fundamental to our health and happiness – and it is the Scottish planning system that has the single biggest influence on how these places are developed. The National Trust for Scotland recently carried out research on how well the planning system is working for Scotland, and […]

Funding Scotland’s environmental future – challenges and opportunities

08 Dec 2017

Whichever way you look at it, Scotland is a very special place for nature.  Here you will find some of the most spectacular landscapes, pristine habitats and support the rarest and most threatened species of wildlife in the UK. Scotland has approximately two thirds of the UK’s coast, supporting around 5 million seabirds  – a […]

UK Government creating gaping Brexit environmental legal loopholes warn charities

15 Nov 2017

A major UK-wide coalition of over twenty-eight environment and wildlife organisations1, including Scottish Environment LINK members, are warning that despite welcome commitments on environmental protections, the UK Government could still create loopholes in environmental law as part of the Brexit transition. This could have damaging consequences for the environment and animal welfare. The warning coincides […]

Protecting the environment should be a cross-party goal

23 May 2017

On 8 June, the people of Scotland will go to polling stations for the second time this year. This time to vote for their representatives in Westminster, for what is arguably one of the most important general elections given the UK parliament’s role in scrutinising the Great Repeal Bill and  future relationship the UK will […]

Local councils key to environmental protection

01 May 2017

Local elections taking place on 4 May risk being overshadowed by the UK General Elections on 8 June.  But engaging and turning up for local elections is vital for good governance as local authorities are responsible for anything from education and social care to housing and leisure services. Most importantly as far as Scottish Environment […]

Rights at Risk: Scottish Environment LINK contribution on potential impacts of Brexit for environmental rights

30 Mar 2017

This week is a landmark for UK politics: it saw the triggering of Article 50 which initiates the process for the UK to leave the EU. In the wake of this decision and following the outcome of the EU referendum, a number of Scottish civil society organisations came together to assess how leaving the EU […]

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