We had dumping of raw sewage up here in Scotland many, many years ago - into the Forth Estuary and it made headline news as there was a huge amount of poo from Seafield Treatment Works that drew a huge public outcry. It's not a perfect scenario up here, but I'd say the overall picture in our rivers and beaches since then is fairly good compared with what has been highlighted down south. Plus IMO public ownership is paramount in the management of such an important natural resource for public needs, farming etc. I'm glad any move to privatise this particular valuable resource (bearing in mind the threat of climate change) has always been resisted. Re the polio issue, I perceive we eradicated polio years ago and yet traces of it have been found recently in the London area and it is reckoned to have "travelled" to the USA, New York City (?). I'm wondering if the pathogen has been gradually "brought in" by certain incomers as polio is clearly active in certain other countries abroad.
I'm reading a critical report on the Brexit damage to the seed potato industry in Scotland. Before Brexit, 77k tonnes of seed potatoes left these shores, 20k tonnes going to European nations. This trade has been decimated beyond belief. For example, a seller in Auchterarder used to sell 40 high value varieties, completely lost all exports, half the company's sales, had a domestic market of 500M million people. Now cut to 50 million and number of varieties drastically cut. The owner's description of Brexit unprintable and no wonder! Also outrage recently when Scot farmers learned the EU ban on seed potatoes was a one-way deal and that some English growers were importing seed potatoes from Europe? My impression re the NFU of Scotland was their senior officials, landowners etc have always been well in with the Tories for "donkey's years" - when will they ever learn eh!!!?
I'm reading a critical report on the Brexit damage to the seed potato industry in Scotland. Before Brexit, 77k tonnes of seed potatoes left these shores, 20k tonnes going to European nations. This trade has been decimated beyond belief. For example, a seller in Auchterarder used to sell 40 high value varieties, completely lost all exports, half the company's sales, had a domestic market of 500M million people. Now cut to 50 million and number of varieties drastically cut. The owner's description of Brexit unprintable and no wonder! Also outrage recently when Scot farmers learned the EU ban on seed potatoes was a one-way deal and that some English growers were importing seed potatoes from Europe? My impression re the NFU of Scotland was their senior officials, landowners etc have always been well in with the Tories for "donkey's years" - when will they ever learn eh!!!?