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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Funding the Nature and Climate Emergency: reversing a decade of austerity for the environment

08 Dec 2019

Seven months ago, Scotland’s First Minister announced a climate emergency and the need for ‘transformative change’ if we are to limit global temperature rise to 1.5oC and halt the loss of nature. This announcement came in the wake of two in-depth scientific reports from the United Nations highlighting the worsening twin global climate and nature […]

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Nature’s allies at Holyrood

28 Nov 2019

The huge and vital challenge of tackling the joint nature and climate emergencies means our natural world needs allies like never before. Today, we’re celebrating the commitment made by Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) to Stand Up for Nature. Fifty-one MSPs from across the political parties, many of whom are also species champions, have signed the pledge launched by Scottish Environment LINK to work for the protection, recovery and enhancement of Scotland’s natural environment.

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Why do we need a watchdog?

14 Nov 2019

European Union protections have played a significant role in protecting our natural environment and stemming the tide of environmental decline in Scotland. There is a risk that many of these protections will be lost if the UK leaves the EU. Regardless of the Brexit scenario, the joint nature and climate crises mean that the Scottish Government needs to strengthen environmental laws, to enforce environmental protection and reverse the declines of habitats and species.

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“Do you hear a siren? That’s the warning signal of a full-blown emergency in nature” says LINK Chief Officer Dr Deborah Long

05 Nov 2019

Scotland is arguably the most nature rich part of the UK. With over 60% of the coastline and marine habitat, all the UKK’s arctic – alpine habitats, all the machair, Caledonian pinewood and most of the temperate rainforest, Scotland is nature rich. But the prospects are not good. The State of Nature report, launched on […]

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Campaigners welcome Scottish Government’s ‘No Deal’ environment safeguards

30 Oct 2019

Leading environmental charities have welcomed a plan announced by Scotland’s Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham to set up an interim advisory panel to safeguard Scotland’s environmental standards in the event of a No Deal Brexit. Although the EU has this week granted an extension to Article 50, avoiding a No Deal exit on 31 October, this does not take No Deal entirely off the table.

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We run a marine tourism business and we support the Fight for Scotland’s Nature

15 Oct 2019

We have seen a huge improvement in the wildlife and diversity in the region, including a very significant increase in abundance of species such as jewel anemones which require clear water, more fish and a 286 per cent increase in porpoise. EU legislation has led to greater protection of Scotland's wildlife and it is vital that this continues post-Brexit.

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Strong support for a new nature watchdog in Scotland

04 Oct 2019

The results of the Scottish Government's consultation on Environmental Principles and Governance show concern over the potential impact of Brexit on environmental protections, and widespread support for proposals to safeguard standards and introduce new arrangements for scrutinising and enforcing these protections.

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Cod collapse latest signal that nature is in crisis

11 Sep 2019

Earlier this year the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) published the most comprehensive assessment ever conducted on the global state of nature. The stark conclusion was that nature is undergoing dangerous rates of decline unprecedented in human history, eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food production, health and quality […]

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More than 80% of Scots Say they Are Concerned about the Environment

10 Sep 2019

A new poll released today shows that more than three quarters of the Scottish public (86 per cent) say they are concerned about the potential threats to wildlife from climate change, habitat loss and pollution. In addition to this, a staggering 94 per cent have expressed that they see Scotland’s natural environment as ‘very important’ […]

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