Category Archives: Sustainable Development

Climate Change

After studying the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 I gathered that the Scottish government are doing a lot to help climate change. I do believe that it is possible to reach the 2050 target, in which the acts commits to Scottish Ministers ensuring that by 2050 that the net Scottish emissions fall by at least 80% from the baseline, 1990 levels. The 80% target includes GHG (greenhouse gasses) emissions which currently accounts for around 20% of the countries total emissions.

 

I have always been very much aware of climate change but I have never really gave it much attention since primary school as I was in the eco committee. I think the 5p plastic bag charge was a very effective decision by the Scottish government, I myself can not remember the last time I used a plastic bag as I always have ‘bags for life’ with me. I also think it was a good idea that if customer does decide to purchase a 5p bag, the government say that that 5p will go to charities.

 

I just recently passed my driving test but I have yet to purchase a car. I mainly use the train to commute which I understand is not helping the climate change issue. I do try my best to walk everywhere but it is very hard to so sometimes due to where I live. I was also always able to walk to my work but due to recent roadwoarks around my town I now have to rely on getting dropped off by my parents or getting a bus as the footpath has been shut.

I was very shocked when calculating my carbon footprint on the WWF Footprint Calculator. My carbon footprint was 223% which is extremely high. However, the site informed me that 68% of this is due to my travelling. In the past year I have flew to both Florida and California from the UK as well as two flights to London, one to Dublin and Spain. I also travel to Ayr everyday by car to university which is around an hours drive. As well as that I often go drives with friends and family. I also was not anticipating questions on new house appliances and as my house is getting redecorated we have had a lot of new appliances such as dish washer, oven etc.

Urban Environment

I live in a small town called Bellshill in North Lanarkshire. It is a very old town with records dating back to 1654 where quarry workers settled in a small village. Bellshill has always been an industrial town with many mines up until 1953, it is also just under 4 miles from Ravenscraig which was once the largest hot strip steel mil in Western Europe.

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Bellshill, like most small villages in North Lanarkshire, does not have much to offer in terms of leisurely places to visit or shop. The town has a library, a leisure centre and two supermarkets. The town has always had a few cafes and pubs but has recently opened two quite successful restaurants given their location, one of which just recently won an award for being the best mediterranean establishment in Scotland. Back in 1958, Bellshill changed their two-ward hospital into a massive two building maternity. This was the first in the whole Lanrkshire area and I quite often find like myself, many of my friends and family were born there. However the maternity was closed in 2001 and demolished in 2003 to make way for new housing developments, which is actually where I am currently living. I also live next to the Bellshill industrial estate, one of the two in Bellshill, so I do not live in a very green part of Bellshill.

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Bellshill has many roads, two sides of the town are surrounded my motorways, which are currently having major work done causing in a lot of traffic, or connecting towns Motherwell and Uddingston.

The town does cover a small part of Strathclyde County Park as well as Hamilton and Motherwell. The park covers 1.5 square miles and is centred around a loch. Sadly this loch is artificial as it is simply a flooded mining village from 1970, parts of the loch are unaccessible due to wiring underneath the water. I do not think Bellshill is very green and highly polluted due to its industrial past.

The town has a train station which always has direct trains running to and from Glasgow Central and Edinburgh Waverly which is very handy and useful. The town also has a good bus service with the two biggest bus services in Lanarkshire running through it. As I mentioned Bellshill falls in Strathclyde park which means its easy to walk or cycle to Hamilton or Motherwell avoiding roads and motorways. I tend to travel to most places by car or train. There currently is a lot of work being done to the motorways A8 and M74 surrounding Bellshill with many road closures and route changes which is causing a lot of congestion and confusion amongst drivers, in the mornings especially.

I do not believe Bellshill is very urban at all. However recent developments such as the new restaurants and housing I do believe this can change. The town should possibly open more shops and leisure places such as a cinema etc.