Latest news with #localcommunities
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Labour is delivering for defence in Scotland through Clyde 2070, says Inverclyde MP
It's been a busy few weeks both in Westminster and back home in the constituency. The House of Commons rises for summer recess next week, and I'm looking forward to a summer of getting out and about meeting as many people, groups, and businesses as possible. Yesterday, I held street surgeries in Braeside and it was great to speak to people on their doorsteps and see what I can do to support them, and over the weekend I'll be out in Port Glasgow. We've got street and high street business surgeries planned in addition to my regular coffee mornings and advice surgeries over the summer so please do get in touch with my office if you'd like to know when we're next in your area! We're delivering for defence in Scotland The UK Government's announcement of a £250 million investment at HM Naval Base Clyde is welcome news and, on Wednesday, I joined colleagues at the base to discuss how this funding can benefit communities across the west coast. More than 6,000 people work at HM Naval Base Clyde. (Image: Newsquest)HMNB Clyde is already one of the largest single employment sites in the west of Scotland with more than 6,000 people employed there, many from our area. The Clyde 2070 programme will modernise the base to support the next generation of submarines, and this defence dividend can be maximised by local communities for years to come. It will open up skilled roles in the defence sector – an area where Inverclyde has real potential to lead. I'll be working to ensure that local people benefit from this investment. Through this, we can foster skills and deliver for the next generation of workers in our area. I'll keep fighting for Ferguson Marine This week, the chief executive of Ferguson Marine, Graeme Thomson, appeared before the Scottish Affairs Committee in the House of Commons and, once again, said that the yard will struggle if they are overlooked for the replacement contract for the MV Lord of the Isles ferry. We can't have a situation again where work for Scottish boats is sent overseas. Graeme Thomson appeared before MPs at Westminster this week. (Image: Ferguson Marine) I was proud to see the UK Government delivering for Fergusons as they signed a contract with BAE Systems to build structural components for one of the Royal Navy's new state-of-the-art warships. Now, we need the Scottish Government to step up and step in to ensure the yard's place on the Clyde for the next generation. Over the coming months, I'll continue to push CMAL and the Scottish Government to do right by the yard. Our UK Labour Government is empowering young people One of the most exciting parts of my job is meeting young people across [[Inverclyde]] and Renfrewshire West and visiting our local schools. Over the past few months, I've visited several schools to talk about politics, democracy, and the issues that matter to them and welcomed schools to Parliament to do the same. I'm always struck by how well informed our young people are about politics and how engaged they are in making a change in their community. That's why I welcome the UK Government's announcement that it plans to lower the voting age to 16 before the next general election. Young people aged 16 and 17 will soon be able to vote in UK elections. (Image: PA) Young people are already able to vote in Scottish council elections and Scottish Parliament elections. It's right that it should be the same for UK elections. Young people are already shaping our communities, and they deserve a say in the decisions that affect their future. Bank cards will be now also accepted as voter ID at polling stations, stripping away the red tape for voters to make your lives easier.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Climate
- Washington Post
D.C. storms trigger flooding rains, violent winds before dramatic skies
A line of heavy thunderstorms swept across the D.C. region Wednesday evening, unleashing torrential rains that flooded streets and violent wind gusts that toppled trees. The storms produced spectacular skies — including menacing clouds on approach and vivid rainbows upon exiting. The storms — fueled by the heat and humidity of a sweltering summer day — barreled through the region between about 5 and 8 p.m. Unlike the storms on Tuesday — which were intense near the Chesapeake Bay but rather tame near D.C., Wednesday's packed their greatest fury in the Beltway area. Trees came down in Fairfax, Arlington and Alexandria in Virginia; D.C.; and western Prince George's County in Maryland. Floodwaters also raced through parts of Alexandria and D.C.
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Which Carbon Credits Work And Which Are Just Climate Placeholders?
Carbon Credit Market As the voluntary carbon market expands, not all carbon credits are created equal. In a climate economy increasingly scrutinized for greenwashing and impact-washing, the integrity of carbon credits matters more than ever. When executed with care and transparency, carbon credits can deliver real benefits for the climate, local communities, and the broader sustainable development agenda. However when the quality is compromised, carbon credits become little more than accounting tricks and attempts at bolstering ESG claims. This final article in the series on carbon credits and carbon capture highlights five high-integrity carbon credit types to watch, three types to approach with caution, and what it all means for the planet. Carbon Credits to Watch Carbon Credits to Approach with Caution Reforestation is a powerful tool for climate action, but only when implemented with ecological integrity. While trees naturally absorb and store carbon, poorly designed tree planting efforts can do more harm than good. Fast-growing, non-native species like eucalyptus and pine are often favored for their rapid carbon uptake but can deplete groundwater, reduce biodiversity, and increase wildfire risk. Similarly, planting trees in historically non-forested areas like grasslands or peatlands can disrupt local ecosystems. To ensure reforestation efforts are truly beneficial, projects must prioritize native species, local biodiversity, and long-term ecosystem health, not just carbon numbers. Typically, they may show short-term gains but are unsustainable long-term. According to the June 2025 report "Built to Fail?" by climate watchdog groups using the AlliedOffsets Database, the Voluntary Carbon Market, a system where organizations voluntarily buy carbon credits to offset emissions, retired approximately 207.8 million credits in 2024. Shockingly, more than 47.7 million of these were classified as 'problematic,' meaning they are unlikely to deliver the promised emissions reductions. The study analyzed 47 of the top 100 global offset projects and found that 80 percent of their retired credits were flawed. Key issues included non-additionality (when a project would have occurred without carbon finance), impermanence (when stored carbon may be re-released), leakage (when emissions are displaced rather than reduced), and over-crediting (when a project's actual impact is overstated). An alarming 93 percent of these problematic projects were located in the Global South, which includes regions such as Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia. These areas have historically contributed the least to climate change but are already experiencing its most severe impacts. The report also found that over 90 percent of the flawed credits were issued by Verra, the world's largest carbon registry, with additional problematic credits verified under Gold Standard, Climate Action Reserve, and ACR. Even projects rated by BeZero, an independent verifier, were found to carry moderate to high risks of fundamental findings raise a serious question: Why do major companies continue to depend on a carbon market that consistently fails to guarantee real climate outcomes? Quality Over Quantity In Carbon Credit Market The voluntary carbon market holds real potential, but only when the focus is on integrity, not volume. High-quality carbon credits, whether from cookstove initiatives or mangrove restoration, deliver measurable climate benefits and often support social equity. However, the proliferation of low-quality or poorly verified offsets dilutes the market's credibility and undermines climate goals. As the world leans into net-zero targets, companies and countries alike must prioritize credits that are additional, permanent, and independently verified. In carbon markets, as in climate action, quality is not optional. It is the difference between real progress and smoke and mirrors.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'People living downstream on the Severn should really be on the alert'
I'VE just viewed the BBC television programme Why Cities Flood. The fine city of Worcester on the River Severn was mentioned. Both the Severn and Wye rise in the mountainous area around Pumlumon in Mid Wales. Do your thousands of readers realise there are proposals for up to 1,000 gigantic wind turbines across Wales, averaging a gargantuan 750 feet in height? More: Let's celebrate the class of 2025! More of your Year 11 prom photos More: Forwarded letter's key role for diamond wedding couple More: Group feeling good after grant boost They will be the biggest on land in the world — some will be 820 feet — and have massive concrete bases. They'll be surrounded by miles and miles of gravel tracks and concrete and tarmac roads. Therefore, the huge catchment areas of the Severn and Wye and their large tributaries, such as the Teme, Avon and Vyrnwy, will see non-absorbent concrete and tarmac replacing highly-absorbent peat, forestry, moorland and grassland. If that is not a recipe for dangerous, rapid flash-flooding on a huge scale, I don't know what is. People living downstream on the Severn in places such as Welshpool, Shrewsbury, Ironbridge, Bridgnorth, Stourport, Tewkesbury, Worcester and Gloucester should really be on the alert. So should people on the Wye in places like Ross and Hereford. May I suggest that they all write to their newspapers, councillors and MPs plus the Welsh government to protest vehemently against this likely dangerous flash-flooding? These horrendous wind farms need to be stopped altogether. The yo-yo UK wind energy graph for 2024 on proves beyond doubt that intermittent wind energy has no hope at all of powering the UK. So why install these extremely ugly, potentially dangerous giant wind farms? Protest letters galore from England to leading Welsh newspapers, like the Western Mail and South Wales Echo, would also help. L J Jenkins Gwbert, Cardigan
Mail & Guardian
05-07-2025
- Politics
- Mail & Guardian
Lesotho Highlands Water Project: Centre local voices in the climate change, conflict and peacebuilding nexus
The Lesotho Highlands Water Project (LHWP), established by the 1986 treaty signed by the governments of Lesotho and South Africa, is a multi-phased project that generates hydroelectricity through a system of several large dams and tunnels in Lesotho for domestic use and supplies water to the Vaal River System in South Africa for its economic hub, Gauteng. The rise of conflicts in societies has been attributed to a multitude of factors ranging from political, socio-economic grievances to ethnic and religious hostilities. Poverty, land and food insecurity are worsened by conflict and climate change. What seems to be missing in the discourse is the interplay between climate, conflict and peace. The rise of resource conflicts, increasing climate-related security risks and the process to foster peace by resolving conflict in nonviolent ways demonstrate that climate change and peacebuilding are interconnected. But there is a tendency to deal with climate change and peacebuilding at high level decision-making structures led by governments and international actors such as the United Nations, marginalising those affected by climate change and conflict, thus failing to sustain peace in local communities. Top-down approaches to peacebuilding apply universal approaches and local contexts and perspectives are either not acknowledged or neglected in conflict-affected societies. Because local communities disproportionately experience water scarcity, land disputes, livelihood disruptions, climate-induced displacements, the influence of climate change on conflict is more pronounced at local levels compared to national and international levels. These issues highlight the need to explore how climate change is reshaping the concept of peace at the local level and how such changes can be integrated into peacebuilding efforts. Local practices and approaches to conflict resolution such as community-led dialogue and local adaptation strategies should be strengthened to help mitigate the risks of climate-related conflicts while promoting local ownership and sustainable peace. The local turn legitimises local norms of building peace and mitigates the effects of climate change, empowers ecologically aligned ontologies and environmentally sustainable practices in many communities while rethinking our understanding of conflict, peace and the causes and consequences of climate change. The Lesotho Highlands Water Project case The The LHWP is often hailed as a model for transboundary water management. Yet beneath this success story lies a complex web of power asymmetries, governance challenges and contested development narratives. The LHWP has had severe effects on the livelihoods and socioeconomic standing of local people, neglecting to compensate those affected by financial and ecological expenses associated with dams, tunnels and power plants. The stability of the LHWP is threatened by climate change due to the system of river flows feeding into the dams. Increased intensity of rainfall can lead to soil erosion and sedimentation in dams, decreasing water quality and reservoir capacity. These environmental changes pose risks not only to the water supply but also to downstream ecosystems and local agricultural productivity. As Phase II is under way, a construction company had to suspend operations because acidic and oily wastewater was dumped in rivers and the Katse reservoir, while the wastewater was discharged near the Polihali Dam where animals drink water and women do laundry at the Sekoai River. People often express frustration over limited participation in decision-making processes, leading to feelings of exclusion and mistrust. Local populations possess local knowledge related to land, water and weather patterns, using their own forecasting methods, crop diversification and soil conservation techniques to cope with climatic variability. Integrating this knowledge with scientific data can enhance climate resilience. Environmental degradation and political, economic and social instability form a complex and reinforcing cycle that affects local communities. In Lesotho, competition over water and land use has led to disputes between people affected by resettlement and those adjacent to project areas. Displacement has disrupted social fabrics, creating grievances that can escalate into conflict if unaddressed. Traditional conflict resolution mechanisms remain vital in Lesotho. Chiefs, elders and community councils mediate disputes arising from resource use and projects. These customary processes emphasise consensus-building and restoration of social harmony. But the integration of these local mechanisms with LHWP governance is limited. Strengthening participatory decision-making and recognising local institutions in project planning could reduce conflicts and increase legitimacy. Water scarcity driven by climate change heightens competition among people and sectors, exacerbating social tensions. Political dynamics also influence how water stress is managed. Unequal power relations, weak governance and lack of transparent resource allocation can deepen grievances. Enhancing transparency, accountability and multi-level coordination is crucial. Policies must ensure equitable distribution of benefits and risks, recognise local rights and foster adaptive management responsive to climate variability. Kgomotso Komane is a PhD candidate and writes on behalf of at the University of Pretoria.
