Scotland to celebrate second homecoming

By Jenna Miller
Edited and Produced by Taylor Pool

“Scots have always been sort of an emigrating society,” Tony Mitchell of Edinburgh, Scotland said. “We’re almost a kind of international nation in a way.”

Scotland is famous for its massive emigration of people in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.  There are more people from Scottish descent living abroad than the total population of Scotland, making Scots one of the top migratory people of the world.

“Scotland’s in quite a unique position, in the sense that the Scots were dispersed all over the world,” Mitchell said in a phone interview. “Everywhere you go there will be Scottish people there.”  

In an effort to bring Scots who immigrated to other countries ‘”home,” Scotland celebrated its first year of homecoming in 2009.  It encouraged Scots to reach out to distant relatives and invite them to a year of celebration with the international “I Am A Scot” campaign.  The country hosted a plethora of events and festivals focused on culture and heritage, innovation, golf, and whisky. 

Funded in part by the Scottish government and managed by EventScotland and VisitScotland, it became the largest collaborative tourism initiative in Scotland’s history.  It generated over £50 million in additional tourism revenue and attracted approximately 95,000 visitors to Scotland – with an estimated 72,000 exclusively drawn by the celebrations. And the Scottish government plans to do it all over again in 2014. 

Tony Mitchell says a homecoming not only brings in tourism and business, but it strengthens the Scottish identity, as well.

“It’s a great thing for Scotland and the tourism industry in the direct way, but it also reinforces people’s perception of Scotland internationally and encourages investment in the longer terms,” Mitchell said.

Homecoming has other benefits


For Mitchell, he hopes the 2014 homecoming will not only bring in tourism for Scotland but will also bring customers for his business.

Mitchell is the creator of a Scottish board game called Stramash, what he calls “a combination of Frustration, Sorry, and Ludo but with playing cards instead of dice.”

Stramash - Curtesy of Tony Mitchell and www.stramashgames.co.uk

“I’m hoping that it will effect our [business]…and to raise the profile of our game to all the people who come over,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell is looking at the 2014 homecoming as a debut for his product and hopes to hold a massive competition for Stramash during the year.  He’s already been in talks with EventScotland to plan “clan playoff games” and a final championship.

“The plan is to organize a championship…it would be like a clan challenge, where clans could put forward their champion,” Mitchell said.

Although events, like a Stramash championship, for the next homecoming are still in the works, themes for the year have recently been announced.  Events will be focused around ancestry and the Scottish Government’s Year of Focus, which include food and drink, active, creative, and natural Scotland.  New Homecoming Scotland Director Tom Chamber from EventScotland will lead the festivities and the Ministry for Enterprise, Energy, and Tourism has already pledged to invest £3 million for the year.

“My feeling is that it will grow and become much more institutionalized,” Mitchell said. “If they do it every five years, I think it will become a regular and good thing to do. People will plan for and look forward to it.” 

The year 2014 will be a busy one for Scotland, as it’s not only celebrating a year of homecoming, but it’s also the host for the two of the biggest sporting events: The Commonwealth Games and The Ryder Cup.

And with an imminent vote on a referendum for Scottish independence, Mitchell says he’s confident the homecoming will concentrate the minds on “Scottishness,” but doesn’t necessarily see it swaying many votes.

“The people who are likely to be involved in the homecoming will probably be leaning towards an independence vote anyway,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell is undecided on the potential independence, but fully plans to celebrate his Scottish heritage and reach out to loved ones overseas.

“We would be keen for our relatives to come over, mainly my wife’s relatives who are in Canada,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell says Scotland immigrants did an enormous amount for developing countries abroad and hopes the homecoming with fortify an international Scottish identity.  

He adds, “Just because you’ve left, doesn’t mean that you’ve gone in spirit.”

In Scotland, green energy clashes with the environment

By Jenna Miller

Copy edited and produced by Taylor Pool

As Scotland prepares to vote on its independence from the United Kingdom, the country is also seeking another type of independence.  The Scottish government has set an ambitious goal of generating 100 percent of its annual energy consumption from renewable sources by 2020.

“Scotland has a full range of renewable technology at its disposal in terms of onshore wind, offshore wind, and wave energy,” a spokesperson for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Scotland said. “It will drive investment to Scotland and it’s well within our grasp.”  The spokesperson said, although ambitious, reaching that 100 percent goal is definitely achievable.  Though squabbles over certain renewable technologies could put the brakes on that goal.

Renewable energy is essentially thought of as an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative to fossil fuels.  For some people in Scotland, however, the grass isn’t greener on the other side.  As Scotland pushes for more onshore wind farms, there is growing opposition from an unexpected quarter: environmental groups themselves.

Environmental groups take action

A proposal for a wind farm on the edge of the Cairngorms National Park was recently rejected by both the Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Highland Council. Backlash over the location of the farm is just a small echo in a larger debate over onshore wind.

“The occasional turbine’s okay but wind farms are really industrial complexes and there’s really no place for that in a national park,” Scottish Campaign for National Parks (SCNP) Chairman Bill McDermott said. 

http://pixdaus.com/scotland-s-highlands-landscape/

items/view/172975/

McDermott says industrial wind farms, whether within park boundaries or not, would ruin the landscape of Scotland – a country known for its picturesque mountains, hills, and lochs. The turbines themselves would blemish the natural complexion of Scotland’s wild lands, while essentially virgin hillsides would be turned into access roads for wind farms.  

“If you’re putting in a wind farm and to create that wind farm you’re putting in miles and miles of road surfaces, you’re digging out masses of [hill] peaks,” McDermott said. “The developers just come along and they ask for wind farms in the most inappropriate places.”

The access tracks can be anywhere from 18 to 21 feet wide and are visible from long distances. McDermott also says, while wind farms are supposed to decrease carbon emissions, digging up peaks and laying down access road obliterates carbon storage.  Wind farms also require “back up” electricity for days when the wind doesn’t blow quite right. Between construction, access roads, and back up generators, wind farms often actually produce a slight increase in carbon dioxide.

“We shouldn’t be having anymore large-scale wind farms in the hills of Scotland. It’s as basic as that,” McDermott said.

Matthew Hawkins, Senior Officer of the Cairngorms National Park Authority, says ruining the landscape has the girth to dramatically hurt Scotland’s multi-billion dollar tourism industry.  Over the last decade, wind farms have been sprouting up across the country decreasing the size of Scotland’s untouched wild land.  Hawkins fears those turbines may deter tourists who seek wild refuge.

“One of the important features of the Cairngorms National Park and Scotland is the sense of wildness…people come here to seek a sort of wild land experience,” according to Hawkins.  “Turbines by their very nature are visible from a long direction and that can spoil that sense of wildness if they can see manmade features.”

Turbines risk environment and human safety

People are not the only ones put off by turbines.  Hawkins said wind farms disturb habitat for many of Scotland’s wildlife, especially raptor and bird species.  

http://www.windfair.net/press/8001.html 

“What tends to happen with wind farms is that eagles tend to avoid them and so the area around them, which otherwise should be very suitable habitat, is not available because they tend to keep away,” Hawkins said. Wind farms are also creeping up on human habitat as well. Communities Against Turbines Scotland (CATS) formed after local residents became fed up with the construction of local industrial wind farms.

“A lot of the rural communities here are finding that lots of wind farms are being set up on their doorsteps,” Kim Terry of CATS said.

Terry said residents get almost no say in whether a turbine becomes their newest neighbor.

“Local democracy is trampled upon. Even if a wind farm may have gone to council and through public appeals and public inquiry – and everybody’s turned it down – the Scottish government can approve it anyway,” Terry said.

Turbines also pose health and safety risks for anyone living nearby.  Terry says the pulsating noise characteristic of turbines can be more intrusive than other common types of noise pollution.  The pulsation noise includes both audible and inaudible, such as infrasound and vibration.  Exposure to infrasound can potentially cause serious neurological problems, such as vibroacoustic disease. 

“Flicker” is another phenomenon of wind turbines.  Flicker occurs when the sun hits individual blades causing a strobe light effect.  The most severe risk associated with flicker is seizure.  Other less severe risks include balance, nausea, and disorientation.

McDermott, Hawkins, and Terry all support the principle of renewable energy and onshore wind. They just don’t support where these projects are being proposed - too close to town and not far enough away from wild lands.  They all agree that each onshore wind farm proposal must be carefully scrutinized to protect Scottish land.

“We have a responsibility to conserve our natural and cultural heritage,” Hawkins said.  

Balance between wind, solar, hydro and wave is the key to tackling climate change.  But they all agree that more planning and research is needed to sustainably meet Scotland’s renewable energy goal. 

“We have to do something to stop the use of fossil fuels,” McDermott said. “The difficulty is that you can’t do it at the same time as trashing our environment in other ways.”

WWF Scotland also feels torn in two directions, but ultimately says preventing rapid climate change is imperative. 

“It’s vitally important for Scotland and the world to de-carbonize,” a spokesperson said. “And we look at renewable technology as an essential part of tackling dangerous climate change.”

Scots fight to improve donor breast milk banking system

By Gina Edwards

Edited by Hiram Foster

When Lynsey Jamieson gave birth to premature twins last January, she didn’t know how long the 16-week-early babies would live.

Both infants required intensive care and suffered infections, heart problems and jaundice. But with five-months time and the addition of donated breast milk from the Yorkhill Donor Milk Bank in Glasgow, the babies regained stable health.

(Image courtesy of www.realbabymilk.org)

Scottish Milk Banks

Since Jamieson, a resident of Chapelton, Scotland—20 miles south of Glasgow—could not “express,” or draw enough milk, to sustain both babies, the milk bank provided what they needed, a contribution Jamieson says saved their lives.

Yet, many premature and sick babies in Scotland do not have the same access to breast milk as Jamieson’s twins, because Scotland currently only has one milk bank—of the 17 currently in existence in the UK. The Yorkhill Milk Bank is part of the Queen Mother’s Hospital, which services about 60 percent of Scotland.

(Image courtesy of www.ukamb.org)

The National Health Service in Scotland has recently launched additional campaigns encouraging new mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies for six months. Its campaign website, “feedgoodfactor.org.uk,” says that for pre-term babies, the antibodies in breast milk protect their vulnerable immune systems. Mothers across the country are encouraged to breast feed, but some mothers who have given birth to premature or sick babies cannot express, leaving them the option of donated milk.

In the last several months various constituents from outlying parts of Scotland such as northern Inverness—a 180-mile distance from Glasgow—have requested that the government examine the issue. Jamieson has taken up the cause. “Had [my daughter] been born at a local hospital, she wouldn’t have had that opportunity to have donor breast milk,” she said.

In November, Jamieson spoke at a seminar in Scotland’s western capital of Edinburgh to various members of the Scottish parliament in hopes that they might examine the issue. “It was still very raw and emotional for me,” she said, and adding that “lots of [parliament members] were very upset, too.”

Ken Macintosh, the MSP for East Renfrewshire—a city just east of Glasgow, who helped chair the seminar, also submitted a motion to raise awareness about the work done in the milk banks. Several other members of parliament signed in support of his motion.

Despite attempting to broaden awareness of the issue, Macintosh is skeptical about milk banking’s expansion at the moment. “The public is not in support of expanding anything right now,” he said. “It’s more a case of holding on to what we’ve got, and in the long term making the service more available.” He says that hopes that the government will still conduct research and analysis on this important issue.

Breast Milk Benefits

Debbie Barnett, the donor milk coordinator at the Yorkhill Donor Milk Bank, said that breast milk can also help prevent diseases and infections because of the antibodies in it. According to the NHS 2009 Perinatal Infant Mortality and Morbidity report, immaturity accounts for 16 percent of postneonatal deaths, while infection accounts for three percent.

Barnett also that it strengthens babies’ immune systems and prevents necrotizing enterocolitis or “NEC,” an infection putting them in an intensive care unit, which can cost £2000 ($3230 US) a day. “We know from health economics that using donor milk banks can be beneficial in that respect too,” she said.

However, not everyone agrees with the insistence of breastfeeding children for six months. A recent study published in the British Medical Journal calls for review of the guidance, originally recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001. The study claims that WHO’s recommendation was partially based on some studies of developing countries whose nutritional status is rather dissimilar to the UK, and also cites a Swedish study that questions breastfeeding’s role in preventing allergies.

Despite these potential questions, Scotland’s government maintains its support of breastfeeding infants for their first six months. Since their inception over 70 years ago, the costs for maintaining donor milk banks in the UK have increased alongside stricter regulations requiring more advanced sterilizing and treatment processes. Barnett said that the service—which began as a freezer in a hospital wing—has developed in its complexity, as the Yorkhill Milk Bank now owns two pasteurizing machines and three industrial freezers.

Donors

While in earlier days the bank used to distribute to about 40 babies per year, last year over 80 babies received the 200 liters (almost 53 gallons) of donated breast milk, free of charge.

The number of donors has also increased, from 10 to about 50, but because of tighter safety and health regulations they must go through a more thorough pre-donation process. “We’ve always done a screening but stricter guidelines have been instituted in February of last year,” she said.

One former donor, Kerry Mackay, went through this screening, which required an interview about her health habits and a blood testing. She could donate because she was in the area when she flew her premature child into the hospital in Glasgow. When her baby was well enough to return to her home in Inverness, she donated over 150 bottles of milk that she couldn’t take with her. But because of the 180-mile distance from there to the milk bank in Glasgow, she could not donate any more from there.

Mackay said that there were babies in her local hospital that could have used her milk, but could not because it didn’t have a system in place. “If they set up one or two more, even if they were small units, it would be better,” she said.

Gillian Weaver, the spokesperson for the United Kingdom Association of Milk Banking, said that while all but one of the UK’s milk banks are funded by the National Health Service, currently milk banks are not organized on a regional or national basis. “A baby’s access to breast milk depends on whether or not they’re born in a hospital that has it or whether they can access from another bank,” she said.

In January, prompted by a Parliamentary Question by Brian Adam, MSP for Aberdeen North, Public Health Minister Shona Robison said that she would explore the possibility of setting up some sort of courier system for delivering the milk. While she recognized the “valuable work” that the donor milk banks do, she said that the government currently does not have a plan to build any more banks on cost grounds.

Milk bank activists hope for improvement on the current system, whether it is a courier system or the establishment of more milk banks in hospitals. All babies in the hospitals should have access to it, Jamieson said. Others like Barnett acknowledge that the Scottish government is aware of and analyzing the issue, but they still question the feasibility of potential expansions. “A recognition that having accessible milk would be a good thing,” Barnett said, “but how it can be achieved is in question.