Barley was the most cultivated cereal through the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages. Around 8,000 years ago a single gene mutation in a barley plant in northern Iran enabled it to freely shed its husks when harvested and threshed, so the grain could be eaten without...
The Peatland Training Fund will provide financial support to over-16s living in Scotland, who want to develop skills for a peatland career. People already working in peatland restoration who would like additional training can also apply. The aim is to increase the...
Environmental Standards Scotland is consulting on its new five-year Strategy, which sets out how ESS will ensure public bodies in Scotland are complying with environmental law, how ESS will scrutinise the effectiveness of environmental law in Scotland, and how it is...
The proposed five-year, statutory limits on emissions from 2026 to 2045 are: 57% lower than 1990 levels for 2026 - 2030 69% lower than 1990 levels for 2031- 2035 80% lower than 1990 levels for 2036 - 2040 94% lower than 1990 levels for 2041 - 2045 The proposed budgets...
by Janet Ullman, Amphibian and Reptile Conservation janet.ullman@arc-trust.org Saving Scotland's Amphibians and Reptiles is a project of Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC). We work with crofters to support their needs in establishing or maintaining populations...
The Scottish Agroecology Partnership, comprising eight farming organisations, has seven policy asks to the Scottish Government, including reforms to income support, investment in local food infrastructure, strengthened local food supply chains, dedicated funding for...
Almost half (44%) of Scots think that reaching net zero by 2045 would improve their quality of life, compared to just 1 in 10 who think it would make it worse - according to the Scottish government's Climate Survey, published in April. A third of households (33%)...
The Scottish Land Commission is seeking ideas on what a fully land reformed Scotland could look like, and what it would mean to you. There's a short online form with two main questions: 1. What changes would you like to see in how land is owned and used in Scotland...
Last year Scottish ministers' ditched annual climate targets on the grounds that they were no longer achievable - due to lack of action to meet them, according to Friends of the Earth Scotland. Ministers have Abandoned a target to cut car miles by 20% by 2030. Dropped...
SRUC (Scotland's Rural College) is offering a distance learning course in MSc Wildlife and Conservation Management. The flexible, online, three-year programme includes conservation management, rural land use planning, land use history and more. Applications are...