ANOTHER SUMMER WASHOUT

ANOTHER WEEK OF HORRENDOUS weather has flooded most of Scotland,  effectively ending our hopes of enjoying a glorious summer.  Torrents of rain, cascading from the skies, have disrupted travel and damaged homes, as the seemingly unrelenting bombardment continues.

     In the space of my short lifetime - I am in my early 30s - I cannot recall experiencing such inclement weather.  Scotland is synonymous with an abundance of wind and rain, however over the past decade, the deterioration has become marked.  During my childhood and adolescence, June and July were often blessed with clear blue skies and bright, sunny weather.  True, the autumn and winter were often driech and gloomy affairs, interspersed with gales, hailstones and snow.  Yet each season could be accurately measured.  Appalling winters would always be offset by beautiful, hot summers.

Scotland's weather has never been so inconsistent.

So as I stare out my window, watching as the drizzle and rain batter upon the street, the realities of global warming really hit home.  As time moves on, our seasonal weather appears to have altered beyond all comprehension.  This March, parts of Scotland recorded the warmest weather on record; yet now those same parts are languishing under rivers of water.  From day to day conditions are constantly interchanging, and nobody is really aware of what tomorrow may bring.

     As a layman, I can only assume climate change is the denominating factor effecting change.  For why else has the weather altered so radically in such a short space of time?  And if climate change is the motivating factor, what can realistically be done to address this situation?  In recent years, governments and organisations have been uncommonly verbose in stating that they are serious about addressing this issue.  A raft of new legislation has been issued in the UK to ensure private companies reduce emissions.  Vehicles operating in the haulage industry are legally obliged to add cleansing fluid to their engines, and organisations including oil companies must conform to targets laid down by the Department of Environment and Climate Change (DECC), or face hefty government fines for non-compliance.

     However, when will this legislation make a tangible difference?  Despite our complexities, human beings are essentially simplistic in nature.  Our perceptions are based primarily upon what we see, which, in turn, allows our sense of reason and logic to decipher the world around us.  Only when we are faced with stark realities are we shocked into making a change.  If governments' broadcast films which depict how the planet will change if this issue is not addressed, it may motivate people to adopt a more environmentally friendly approach.  For at present, many of us have an understanding that human behaviours are having a deleterious effect on the health of our planet.  But until we are given a visual representation, there is a danger our patterns of behaviour will not change until it is too late.