Scotland has changed a lot since the days of William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and Rob Roy. In that time they have gone from standing down the English at Falkirk Bridge and Bannockburn to having a "Minister for wellbeing economy, net zero and energy," which surely has the great Scots heroes of old spinning in their graves at such a rate as to present a serious danger of generating gyroscopic forces capable of disturbing Earth's rotation.
Even in these times, though, people concerned with "wellbeing economy, net zero and energy" get a helping of reality, which we can only assume makes them look a bit "peely wally" (that is, unwell and tired).
In one such example, the Scottish government is surrendering its greenhouse gas emissions goals for 2023, admitting that they are "out of reach."
Mairi McAllan, minister for wellbeing economy, net zero and energy, announced the move in an update to Holyrood on Thursday as she set out the government's next steps on tackling climate change.
The decision comes following a damning report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) last month which said the 2030 target was now "beyond what is credible".
Ms McAllan said: "In this challenging context of cuts and UK backtracking, we accept the CCCs recent re-articulation that this parliament's interim 2030 target is out of reach.
"We must now act to chart a course to 2045 at a pace and scale that is feasible, fair and just."
I'll hazard a guess that Scotland won't make the 2045 target, either.
The 2030 goal--and remember that this is just six years from now--involved reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 percent, which is impossible in a modern society, not if maintaining the people's standard of living is desirable. The people of Scotland can scarcely go back to burning peat, which would increase emissions at any rate; and Scotland's climate, being as it is at roughly the same latitude as central Canada, precludes reducing heating fuel use.
Scotland has, instead, advised the citizens "tae pin yer lugs [ears] back" and listen for plans of the new 2045 plan. The list of actions to be taken, of course, is the same old, leftist climate change claptrap--full of things that won't work, like trying to transition away from gas and diesel vehicles, carbon land taxes, and establishing a "climate response team." Scotland has tried this before, setting at least 12 various climate goals, eight of which have failed, prompting the observation that their "bum's oot tae windae" (talking crap), but this isn't stopping them from trying again; but then, the Scots are known for lost causes.
While it seems that Scotland was the first country to declare a "climate emergency," they don't seem to have made any real progress-- and their efforts will never offset the actions of nations like China and India, who are building coal plants "tae a fare-th'-well" (to the greatest degree possible).
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These goals, even if the Ministry of Impossible Causes insists on "gie it laldy" (acting with energy and enthusiasm), are doomed to failure - in fact, "they's a right dafty" (they're acting foolish). The one thing that might actually work - nuclear power - isn't even mentioned in the plan. Nuclear power, in fact, might even make enough of a difference in the clean-energy world to make some - not all - of their other goals attainable.
Here are a few more puzzling actions they are advocating:
Take forward a pilot scheme with a number of farms to establish future appropriate uptake of methane-supressing feed products or additives. Proportionate carbon audits will also be required by farms receiving public support by 2028 at the latest.
Launch a consultation this summer on carbon land tax on the largest estates, considering regulatory and fiscal changes that could further incentivise peatland restoration, afforestation and renewable energy production.
Redouble efforts to ensure net zero is fully considered in its workforce, spending, policy development and structures, starting with the full rollout of a net zero assessment in the Scottish government from the end of 2024.
Have a careful read through those, and one thing becomes apparent: Like their American counterparts, Scottish climate scolds have a knack for talking a lot but not saying anything.
Sad, again, that Scotland has come to this. It was once a great land full of strong people, as cross-grained and tough as the granite of the Cairngorms. But times change, it seems, and not always for the better. Although the memory of Scotland of old goes on; even given Scotland's state today, many, many years after the great Scottish heroes, mention of many things Scottish still provokes strange reactions among the English.
