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members, sign up for UNISON Scotland's Green
Network updates. Just send your email address
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Why energy policy
should be devolved:
Dave Watson's blog 21 October
2014
#BeBrilliant for
the planet - Earth Hour 2014
Previous news
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On Saturday 29 March lights
will go off for an hour at iconic landmarks
around the world – and on the
UNISON Scotland website!
(See here)
UNISON Scotland is once again supporting
WWF's Earth Hour, which this year takes
place on Saturday 29 March 2014 at 8.30pm.
Earth Hour 2014 asks us all to #BeBrilliant
for the planet. Taking part can be as
simple as 'just' switching off the lights
for an hour but in doing so you're part
of the world's biggest celebration to
highlight the need for action on climate
change.
And of course everyone can take part
- both at home and often at work. Many
public bodies in Scotland are already
involved and if your employer isn't
you could ask them to sign up.
For lots more information from WWF
about why we're all doing this, about
taking part, and to sign up, click
here.
This toolkit was developed for UNISON
branches and has a range of good ideas
for Earth Hour activities.
In 2012 WWF and UNISON Scotland put
together a
special toolkit for branches,
available on both websites.
It is a great event to get involved
in as part of green workplace campaigning
- and the pack can also be used to
start planning early for Earth Hour
2014!
Mike Kirby, UNISON’s Scottish
Secretary, said: “Climate change
is an urgent health and safety issue
for the planet and its people. Earth
Hour is a brilliantly imaginative way
to highlight the need for action and
to celebrate our world.”
The annual WWF hour-long power switch-off
has become a global phenomenon with
a key environmental message. Previous
years saw iconic landmarks around the
world,
including Edinburgh Castle, Sydney
Opera
House and the Great Pyramids in Egypt
plunged into darkness, as well as
hundreds
of local landmarks in Scotland.
UNISON Scotland supports Earth Hour
and works with WWF to encourage branches
to promote the event and include it
in Green Workplace action.This year
a special WWF / UNISON Earth Hour toolkit
is available for branches with ideas
for activities that could help raise
awareness and involve members and the
public in taking action on climate change.
Again this year the UNISON Scotland
website will also support Earth Hour
on the day, with a dark starlit background
to symbolise switching the lights off.
Full details, including resources and
sign up information, are on the WWF
website at http://scotland.wwf.org.uk/how_you_can_help/wwfs_earth_hour/
The
WWF UNISON toolkit is here 
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Stop Climate Chaos Scotland: Durban:
disappointment as climate talks end
Sunday 11th December 2011: Stop
Climate Chaos Scotland today expressed
disappointment at the desperate lack of
ambition contained within the UN climate
agreement in Durban.
Despite the growing warning from scientists,
the reality is that this will be woefully
insufficient to avoid global temperatures
rising by more than 2 degrees, as was
committed to at the talks last year in
Cancun.
Tom Ballantine, Chair of Stop Climate
Chaos Scotland said:
"It is really disappointing to see
such a desperate lack of ambition resulting
from the Durban talks. What we are left
with falls short of what scientists say
will be needed to avoid runaway climate
change.
Read
more and the SCCS blog
from the talks. Also International Trade
Union Confederation response to Durban
outcome is here
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Two ways to help keep the pressure on...
SCCS bike stunt and Earth Hour 2012
Get on yer
bike on 11th January!
SCCS needs your help with our campaign
stunt
When: Wednesday 11th
January 2012, 1pm
Where: St
Andrews House, Regent Road, Edinburgh
We need your help for just one hour to
urge Scottish Ministers to increase funding
for cycling and walking instead of funding
expensive road-building programmes that
will increase Scotland’s carbon
footprint.
Scotland has shown global leadership
by setting the most ambitious emissions
reduction targets in the world. But our
Climate Change Act can only set a good
example if we actually achieve what we’ve
committed to do – and that’s
under threat, as the Scottish Government
has failed to fund its own plans to reduce
emissions.
(Thanks to all those who helped ask the
Scottish Government to put its money where
its mouth is. The Scottish Parliament
Rural Affairs, Climate Change and Environment
Committee has urged the Scottish Government
to ensure that all proposals and policies
in the RPP, and any future revisions of
the RPP, are fully funded, in order to
meet the targets set out in the Climate
Change (Scotland) Act 2009.)
Read
more...
Earth Hour 2012
Earth
Hour 2012 takes place on Saturday 31 March
and branches are being encouraged to get
involved.
The annual WWF hour-long power switch-off
has become a global phenomenon with a
key environmental message.Last year saw
iconic landmarks around the world, including
Edinburgh Castle, Sydney Opera House and
the Great Pyramids in Egypt plunged into
darkness, as well as hundreds of local
landmarks in Scotland.
UNISON Scotland supports Earth Hour and
works with WWF to encourage branches to
promote the event and include it in Green
Workplace action.This year a special WWF
/ UNISON Earth Hour toolkit is available
for branches with ideas for activities
that could help raise awareness and involve
members and the public in taking action
on climate change.
It’s a great opportunity to get
people talking and provide information
on why climate change is such a threat
and what we can do about it.Public bodies
in Scotland have a strong track record
now of supporting Earth Hours, with all
councils signing up last year. But branches
can encourage joint planning with employers
for the 8.30pm one hour electricity switch
off and for events organised in the run
up to 31 March to promote Earth Hour.
This year the UNISON Scotland website
will also support Earth Hour on the day,
with a dark starlit background to symbolise
switching the lights off. Full details,
including resources and sign up information,
are on the WWF website at http://scotland.wwf.org.uk/how_you_can_help/earth_hour_201222/
The
WWF UNISON toolkit is here
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SCCS E-Action: Ask the Government to put
its money where its mouth is
| Autumn
update
7 September 2011
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Scotland’s Climate Change Act is world-leading
but it'll be impossible to meet our commitments
if there isn't adequate funding. UNISON
and other organisations in the Stop Climate
Chaos Scotland coalition are urging members
and supporters to write to MSPs in September,
calling for climate change action to be
properly funded.
The Scottish Government is planning next
year's budget now for Parliament to consider
– you can help put the pressure
on to ensure they allocate enough money
for action on climate change - such as
insulating housing and providing better
public transport.
To take part in the SCCS E-Action click
here (A full briefing
on the budget letter writing campaign
is here)
SCCS
evidence to Finance Committee on preventative
spending
SCCS told MSPs that tackling climate
change is one of the most important pieces
of preventative spending that Scotland,
and the rest of the world, must make in
order to avoid disastrous social and economic
impacts, many of which will fall hardest
on the poorest and least able to respond.
The key point: SCCS calls on the Finance
Committee to recommend that this budget
must, as a minimum, fully fund all of
the measures set out in the Government’s
own plans to meet our climate change targets
as set out in Low Carbon Scotland: The
Report on Proposals and Policies.
SCCS evidence
in full. UNISON Scotland evidence,
including a section on climate change.
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STUC
conference on low carbon economy, green
workplaces, skills and Just Transition
Trade unionists from across Scotland
will be taking part in the STUC climate
change conference in Edinburgh on Tuesday
4 October 2011. Details
here.
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New SCCS film marks 2 year birthday of climate
change law
Tuesday 21 June 2011:
The world leading Climate Change (Scotland)
Act 2009 is two years old. Stop Climate Chaos
Scotland has made a short film to show to campaigners
for similar legislation in other countries how
members, including UNISON, helped shape the
Act.
Read more at: http://www.stopclimatechaos.org/scottish-act-film
New Scottish Government must deliver on climate
change
Monday 9 May 2011:
 23
senior representatives from Scotland's largest
civil society coalition, Stop Climate Chaos
Scotland (SCCS), have today handed a giant postcard
to the new Scottish Government urging them to
turn manifesto promises into political reality
and make action on climate change a priority
for the next five years.
Tom Ballantine, Chair of SCCS said: "Climate
change is already having a severe impact on
people and nature around the world and it is
the responsibility of the next Scottish Government
to help reduce that impact by ensuring the fine
intentions of our world-leading Climate Change
Act translate to a reality.
"Our message to the incoming Government,
as well as to newly elected and returning MSPs
is simple, it's now time to act on climate change
and demonstrate to other countries that it is
possible to not only set tough targets, but
to deliver on them."
SCCS is calling for specific action on its
top four priorities for early action in the
new session of Parliament:
1. A Green Procurement Bill
Introduce a new Bill into Parliament
to enshrine environmental sustainability and
ethical considerations at the heart of public
procurement.
2. £100m a year for home energy
efficiency
Invest an extra £100 million
a year, on top of existing funding, to insulate
every home in Scotland, to cut carbon emissions
in line with our 42% target by 2020 and end
fuel poverty by 2016.
3. 10% of the transport budget for
active travel
Dedicate at least 10% of the transport
budget to invest in walking and cycling for
shorter journeys.
4. Commit £9m per year to a climate
adaptation fund
Provide £9m each year as climate
finance that will enable poor communities living
in developing countries to adapt to and mitigate
the effects of climate change.
You can read a copy of the letter from SCCS
to the new Government here
(pdf).
E-mail your Scottish election candidates on
climate change
Thursday 21 April 2011:
 Stop
Climate Chaos Scotland is asking supporters
to take part in the SCCS election E-action.
The aim is to put pressure on our future MSPs
to ensure Scotland makes its fair contribution
to tackle climate change and achieve the targets
in the Scottish Climate Change Act.
This E-action gives you the chance to easily
and quickly contact some or all (you decide)
of the candidates from the five parties represented
in the last Scottish Parliament for whom email
addresses are available in your area. The email
asks them to prioritise three of the ‘asks’
in the SCCS
manifesto:
1. Green Procurement Bill
2. £100m a year for home energy efficiency
3. 10% of the transport budget for active travel
(walking and cycling
You can amend the email to suit what you would
like to say.
Email
your election candidates today
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Update Spring 2011 - Climate change and the
Scottish elections
Spring
update
21 Feb 2011
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All five political parties currently represented
in the Scottish Parliament supported the Scottish
Climate Change Act (pdf), the most
progressive climate change legislation in the
world. But now that Scotland has these important
emissions reduction targets, we need strong
political will to make the right decisions to
enable us to meet these targets and play our
part in avoiding dangerous climate change.
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland (SCCS) will work
hard to ensure that climate change does not
fall off the political agenda during the Scottish
election campaign.
UNISON Scotland has already worked with other
SCCS members to agree on the
SCCS manifesto for the 2011 elections.
This sets out what coalition members collectively
believe to be the top ten priorities that must
be addressed if Scotland is to truly become
a low carbon society. Thanks to the hundreds
of people across Scotland who took our email
action about the manifesto demands,
we’ve let the political parties know that
there is public support for these actions.
In the run-up to the election on 5 May 2011,
we want to ramp up the pressure and have two
exciting parts to the campaign that we hope
members across Scotland will want to get involved
in: Election Climate Cafes
and 2011 elections
online & Climate Day 2011
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Help keep climate change high on politicians’
agendas. Come to an election climate café!
Looking for an interesting way to talk
to your future politicians?
Then come to one of the Stop Climate Chaos
Scotland Climate Cafés. You’re
invited to take part in an informal and engaging
way to ask your parliamentary candidates how
they plan to tackle climate change issues if
they are elected in the Scottish elections this
May.
Climate Cafés are based on the concept
of “speed dating”. With a small
group of people, you’ll get ten or fifteen
minutes to ask questions of your candidate before
a bell rings and you move to another table and
another candidate. We think that the discussions
will be pretty lively, and really show candidates
why they should do all they can to tackle climate
change should they be elected.
Climate Cafés have already been organised
for some of the constituencies where the election
battles will be hardest fought: Aberdeen
South, East Lothian, Edinburgh Central, Falkirk
West, Glasgow Southside and Perthshire North.
You can find out about these and others, and
find out how to organise your own climate café,
at the SCCS website at www.stopclimatechaos.org/scottish-elections
Details of confirmed climate cafes:
Glasgow Southside - Note change of
venue***
Monday 28th February, 7-8.30pm
Citizens Theatre, 119 Gorbals St, Glasgow G5
9DS.
Falkirk West
Monday 7th March, 7.30-9pm,
St Mungo’s High School, Merchiston Avenue,
Falkirk, FK2 7JT
East Lothian
Thursday 10th March, 7-9pm
Haddington Townhouse, High Street, Haddington,
EH41 4DA
Edinburgh Central
Monday 21st March, 6.30-8.30pm,
Henderson's Cafe, under St John's Church, 3
Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH2 4BJ
Perthshire North
Monday 21st March, 7.30-9.30pm
Airlie Street Hall, Alyth, PH11 8AH
Aberdeen South
Date and venue TBC – check website
for details
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2011 Scottish Elections Online – and Climate
Day Wed 13 April 2011
From March onwards, you can get involved
in Scottish Elections Online: a ground-breaking
initiative which will enable you to follow and
play a vital role in all campaign activities
live from your computer or smartphone.
This will include an online climate debate
on the evening of Wednesday 13th April. Leading
political figures will discuss and debate the
questions that you want to ask them via a live
online forum where you’ll be able to ask
questions while the debate is taking place.
More details will be posted here soon or check
for updates at www.stopclimatechaos.org/scottish-elections
To sign up for email updates about the SCCS
election campaign, contact gail[at]stopclimatechaosscotland.org
(replacing [at] with @)
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Earth Hour 2011
UNISON also supports WWF’s
Earth Hour. This year it is on the same day
as the TUC March For the Alternative on 26 March.
You can ask any family,friends and colleagues
who aren’t going to London for the march
with you to sign up and switch off their lights
for an hour that evening. Full details on the
Earth
Hour 2011 website
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Guidance for public bodies on their climate
change duties
The Scottish Government has published
guidance for public bodies on how they should
be putting their climate change duties into
practice. UNISON lobbied hard for the duties
to be in the Climate Change (Scotland) Act.
They will be useful for branches to know about
in local campaigns on cuts. The guidance is
online at www.scotland.gov.uk/Publications/2011/02/04093254/0
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STUC climate change conference
Watch this space for details soon of a major
STUC climate change conference in May or June
2011. It will focus on job opportunities and
threats, identifying how to enhance the STUC-Scottish
Government 2009 communiqué on climate
change and build TU capacity in workplace
and community initiatives.
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Autumn 2010 action
on climate change – manifestos and MPs
Stop Climate Chaos Scotland has launched
a new manifesto E-action for supporters to help
set the agenda for the next Scottish Government.
SCCS is also organising the Big Climate Connection
lobby of MPs on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 November
2010.
UNISON Scotland is part of the SCCS coalition
that helped secure the world-leading Climate
Change (Scotland) Act 2009. Now we need political
parties to deliver policies that will help meet
the targets in the Act and prevent runaway dangerous
climate change.
 SCCS
has a 10
point manifesto setting out ways in which
the Scottish Government, local authorities and
communities can all help to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
The adoption and implementation of the measures
in the manifesto will help to ensure Scotland
not only meets its legal responsibilities, but:
continues to demonstrate international leadership
on climate change; supports poor communities
living in developing countries to survive and
adapt to the effects of climate change; and
secures a sustainable, just and prosperous future
for people living in Scotland.
‘From rhetoric to reality: a manifesto for
climate action’ includes proposals for action
on Just Transition, a strategic climate fund
for local authorities, green procurement and
the integration of health and climate change
policies.
Click
here to find out more and to take part in the
October E-action. This will send a letter
from you to the leaders of Scotland’s five main
political parties. You will be able to pick
your top policy choices from the SCCS manifesto,
to ask the political leaders to include those
policies in their manifesto for the 2011 Scottish
Parliament elections.
And on November 5th and 6th 2010, supporters
are being urged to join with others to lobby
MPs in their constituencies as part of the Big
Climate Connection lobby.
With supporters from more than 100 organisations,
Stop Climate Chaos can show MPs that people
from all walks of life – from environment to
development groups, from unions to local community
and health groups - are calling for action on
climate change.
November is a key time for climate politics
and the lobby aims to influence some big issues:
International: The Big Climate Connection
will take place three weeks before the
UN Climate Change talks in Cancun, Mexico.
The UK should commit to pay its fair share of
the money needed to support poor countries who
are already affected by climate change.
UK: A new UK
Energy Bill will be before Parliament in
November.
Scotland: Scotland has the strongest
climate change laws in the world and we want
to encourage the UK Government and the EU, ahead
of the climate change negotiations in Cancun,
to follow Scotland’s lead.
Sign
up to take part in the Big Climate Connection
on 5th or 6th November 2010 or
click here to find out more.
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UNISON’s green workplace project
wins Climate Challenge funding
Wednesday
31 March 2010:
Public service workers in Lanarkshire
today won more than £60,000 for a trade
union climate change project UNISON Scotland
has congratulated branch members in South Lanarkshire
on their successful Climate Challenge Fund bid.
The ideas they come up with for greening the
workplace could lead the way for similar union
work across the public sector.
UNISON South Lanarkshire Branch Secretary Stephen
Smellie said:
“We are very pleased to have been awarded
funding for our Green Workers project which
will help contribute to Scottish climate change
targets.
Click
here for full press release and links
The wave floods into Glasgow to demand
action on climate change
Saturday
5 Dec 2009: 8000 joined The Wave, Scotland's
biggest ever demonstration to demand action
on climate change - Click here for report and
pictures.
UNISON Scotland is urging
strong support from branches for The Wave, Scotland's
biggest ever demonstration in support of action
on climate change.
The Wave takes place on Saturday
5 December 2009 in Glasgow.
- Assemble 10.30am Bellahouston Park (south
of River Clyde) (getting to Bellahouston info
here) (link to bottom of page where info is
please)
- March at 11am to Kelvingrove Park (West
End) Rally at Kelvingrove Park from 12.30pm
with live music, speakers, a children's tent
with activities and other marquees and actions.
- Full details below and on The Wave website
www.the-wave.org.uk/scotland
What's the Wave?
On Saturday 5 December 2009, ahead of the crucial
UN climate summit in Copenhagen, thousands of
people from across Scotland, from all walks
of life, will flow through the streets of Glasgow
to demonstrate their support for a safe climate
future for all. The Wave is organised by Stop
Climate Chaos Scotland.
When and where
Please assemble at Bellahouston Park (north
side, near the Palace of Art Centre for Sports
Excellence) at 10.30am on Saturday 5th December.
The Wave will start at 11am in Bellahouston
Park, south of the River Clyde, and finish in
Kelvingrove Park, in the West End, where there
will be live music, speakers, a children’s tent
with activities and other marquees with members
of the Stop Climate Chaos Scotland coalition
waiting to greet you.
The distance from Bellahouston Park to Kelvingrove
Park is around 2½ miles, although the exact
route is still being finalised with Glasgow
City Council and Strathclyde Police.
Details of the route will be published on The
Wave website as soon as they are available.
Find out how to get to Bellahouston
Park.
Join The Wave - Scotland’s biggest ever demonstration
in support of action on climate change.
We want the UK Government to Share Scotland’s
Ambition, Protect the Poorest and Act Fair &
Fast.
Branches have been sent posters and flyers.
Click
here for poster (pdf) and
here for A6 flyer (pdf).
Scotland recently passed the toughest climate
change laws of any industrialised country in
the world. This could help set an example for
other wealthy nations - and persuade developing
countries, concerned that industrialised countries
are not doing enough to prevent runaway climate
change, that we are willing to do our bit.
The Wave will be a fun, family-friendly march
in Glasgow city centre, where people of all
ages and from all walks of life can come together
to show their concern about climate change.
It coincides with The Wave demonstration in
London, organised by Stop Climate Chaos.
Similar demonstrations will be taking place
across the world at this time. In order to demonstrate
that this issue is important to Scotland, we
need as many people as possible to turn out
on the streets of Glasgow on 5th December.
Can you help with stewarding?
Click here.
If you can help spread the word, see the SCCS
mobilisation guide here (click
here - pdf)
Let SCCS know you are coming To sign
up for the Wave click here www.stopclimatechaos.org/09/oct/wave-scotland-sign-form
Also, you can send an E postcard to help tell
people about The Wave and about Scotland’s Climate
Change Act. www.foe-scotland.org.uk/thewave
And send us your Mexican waves!!
The Stop Climate Chaos Coalition is building
a massive online Mexican wave to show support
for The Wave. Everyone’s online waves will spread
the word about The Wave. Get on board!
Video you and your friends/colleagues doing
a Mexican Wave and send it to SCCS to
be put onto You Tube and The Wave Scotland Facebook
event. Email them to: mexicanwave@stopclimatechaosscotland.org
with your name and where you’re from in Scotland.
Video your wave…
- Make it fun!
- Keep it short – 4 seconds or less
- Film in landscape, not portrait
- Feature 1-5 people
- Film the wave starting from the left
In need of some inspiration?
Check out some London Mexican waves here: http://the-wave.org.uk/
For information about discounts on coach travel
to Glasgow, or to London if you are joining
The Wave demonstration there instead, click
here.
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Stewarding information
Help get the wave rolling!
To show that Scotland cares about a safe climate
future for all, we want to get thousands of
people to join the march. To do that, we need
volunteer stewards to come along on the day
and make sure everyone is safe, has a fun day
out, and knows where to go.
We'll make sure you know everything you need
to help the campaign and steward the march.
What do you need to
do?
Commit to arriving in Glasgow early on the
morning of Saturday 5th December and staying
until the march is over and everyone has dispersed
(from about 9.30am till 3pm).
What's in it for you?
- Be part of the biggest climate change demonstration
in Scotland, ever.
- Make some excellent contacts.
- Have fun, and meet like-minded people.
Get involved!
Send a quick email to Gail Wilson at gail@stopclimatechaosscotland.org
to let us know you’d like to help out. Please
make sure you put "Stewarding the Wave" in the
subject field.
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Coach offers
Transport Group Stagecoach is supporting The
Wave by offering reduced price coach travel
to both London and Glasgow on its popular megabus.com
services.
The special offer means it will cost you just
£2 each way plus a 50p booking fee! Book online
at www.megabus.com/uk
or by calling 0900 160 0900 (calls cost 60p
per minute from landlines, mobile rates may
vary).
Bookings can also be made at megabus.com ticket
agencies which are located at the majority of
the major stops on the megabus.com network.
To get this great offer, when booking, you
must quote the promotion code ' RSPB01'
This promotion covers travel from anywhere on
the megabus.com network to London and Glasgow
only and applies only to travel between the
first service on 4.12.09 and the last service
on 6.12.09.
Passengers travelling to London will be dropped
off and picked up at Victoria Coach Station
while those travelling to Glasgow will be dropped
off and picked up at Buchanan Bus Station.
All megabus.com bookings are subject to the
standard terms and conditions - visit www.megabus.com
for more information.
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Getting to Bellahouston
Park from within Glasgow
Buses There are various buses routes
from the city centre to the Bellahouston Park.
Glasgow Queen Street and Glasgow Central railway
stations and Buchanan Bus Station are all only
a few minutes walk from these bus routes:
- First Glasgow Buses: number 3 from Renfield
Street or numbers 9, 54 and 56 from Union
Street.
- Arriva buses: number 36 from Union Street.
- All of these buses travel along Paisley
Road West. Get off at the first stop after
you cross the M8 motorway, this is the ‘Palace
of Art’ bus stop.
Subway If you are arriving in Glasgow
by train at Queen Street Railway Station or
by bus at Buchanan Bus Station, take the subway
from Buchanan Street. If you are arriving by
train at Central Station, take the subway from
St Enoch. Get off at Ibrox subway station, which
is a five minute walk away along Copland Road
and then Paisley Road West.
Cycling The park forms part of the Glasgow
to Irvine and Ardrossan Cycle Route (Number
75).
Walking access to the park Bellahouston
Park can be accessed from Dumbreck Road, Paisley
Road West, Bellahouston Drive and Mosspark Boulevard.
Click here
for Fiona Montgomery's article in Scotland
inUNISON
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The
Green Workplace
David
Wilkinson is a Project Engineer with Scottish
Water Solutions, based in Aberdeen. Teams like
his around Scotland have made hundreds of environmental
improvements in the last few years.These include
projects to upgrade waste water treatment facilities
so that Scotland can meet new European laws
on waste water. Benefits include: cleaner beaches
and seas; preventing pollution getting into
water courses; protecting key Sites of Special
Scientific Interest, bird sanctuaries and other
important areas. 
North
Lanarkshire Council's Environmental Wardens
won a top Keep Scotland Beautiful People and
Places Award in 2007. UNISON members Catherine
Di Nardo,Angela Jeffrey, and Nykola Munro, are
part of the award-winning team of ten wardens,
whose efforts improve the environment for people
at home and at work. 
Peter
Singleton heads up climate change and energy
policy at the Scottish Environment Protection
Agency. His team in the Emerging Issues Unit
look at what changes are already underway on
rainfall and riverflow in Scotland and plan
for adapting to those. 
Senior
Countryside Ranger Graeme Archibald helps protect
one of Scotland's most beautiful lochs. He works
with nearly 30 rangers who cover the whole of
Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.
Nearly all are UNISON members. Graeme and his
team on the loch itself ensure the safe and
proper use of the water by all visitors, particularly
the owners of the 5,500 boats registered there.The
National Park's aims include the sustainable
use of the area's natural resources and promoting
the public's enjoyment and recreational use
of all that is on offer there."We offer
information and assistance to people using boats.We
can support the rescue service by responding
to emergency calls.We also do a lot of educational
work with schools.” Other staff include wardens
who have a range of duties including keeping
the loch shores and picnic areas and other parts
of the park clear of litter. Sadly too many
people drop litter even in such lovely surroundings.
However Graeme says his must be the best job
in Scotland - to be out in such a scenic area
encouraging people to look after the environment
globally and locally. Some tasks might seem
small - things like advising boat owners against
refuelling on the loch due to the risk of spilling,
but he says it is all "part of the bigger
fight against climate change.”
