Tha obair mhòr ri dheànamh a-thaobh atharrachadh na sìde, le Murray MacLeòid

Ann an seo, anns an iar cheann a tuath agus sna h-eileanan, tha cuid air a bhith a’ caoidh nach eil sinn air a bhith a' faighinn beagan dhen teas' a tha shìos gu deas, le daoine seachd searbh sgìth a bhith a’ faicinn grian mhòr bhuidhe air mapa na h-aimsire anns a' chòrr dhen dùthaich, agus sgòth dhubh ann an seo.

Daibhidh MacIlleinein, ceannard Dualchas Nadair na h-Alba anns an iar.

[English-language version below]

Mar chuideigin a bhios a’ ruith bhon teas nuair a ruigeas i 20 Celsius, agus a’ bhuil air mo chraiceann, chan eil mi ro dhiombach mu dheidhinn, ged a tha mi fhèin fiù ‘s a fàs sgìth dhen ghèile agus dhan uisge, a tha air a bhith againn bho thoiseach an t-samhraidh. ‘S dòcha gun tig làithean math as t-foghar. Tha e a cheart cho math a bhith beò an dòchas.

‘S e a tha air a bhith a' tachairt ach gu bheil an aimsir a’ tighinn a-steach bhon Chuan Shiar le bruthadh àrd mu dheas a’ cur stad air an teas bho bhith gar ruighinn, gar fàgail gus ar ragadh agus an còrr bog fluich le fallas san teas.

Ach, tha taobh gu math cudromach air seo. Tha sinn a-nis a’ faicinn le ar sùilean fhèin, agus a’ faireachdainn, a' bhuaidh a th’ aig blàthachadh na cruinne, le cùisean a’ fàs nas teotha, an t-uigse a’ fàs nas truime agus na stoirmean a’ fàs nas fhiadhaiche.

Chuir Daibhidh Mac'Illeinnein, ceannard Dualchas Nàdair na h-Alba anns an iar, a bhuinneas e fhèin do sgìre croitearachd ann an Leòdhas, brath a-mach gu poblach le rabhadh mu na tha seo a’ ciallachadh, fiù ‘s dha coimhearsnachdan nach eil a’ dol a dh’fhualag ro mhòr bho chus grèine agus fearann tioram.

Tha e ag ràdh fiù ‘s le aonta COP26 – a bha air fhaicinn mar rud mòr – gu bheil teas na cruinne a’ dol a dh’èirigh gu trì degree le “buaidh a bhios dha-rìribh mòr”.

“Tha an fhianais bho luchd-saidheins gun cheist: tha atharrachadh na sìde na chunnart do bheatha dhaoine, dhan eaconamaidh agus slàinte na planaid, a-rèir a' Phanail Thar-riaghaltasain air Atharrachadh na Sìde,” thuirt e.

“Feumaidh sinn an truailleadh a tha sinn a’ dèanamh a gheàrradh, ach tha e cuideachd cudromach gun ullaich sinn sinn fhèin airson coinneachadh ris a’ bhuaidh a tha a’ dol a thighinn le atharrachadh na side.”

Tha seo a’ dol a thoirt crathadh air beatha gach duine againn agus ged nach fhulaing sinne ro dhona bho chus teasa, abair fhèin gum faic agus gum fairich sinn àrdachadh ann an ìrean na mara agus neart na gaoithe.

‘S e mar a tha prìsean ag èirigh a tha an-dràsta a’ cur an dragh as motha air daoine, rud a tha gu mòr ceangailte ri cumhachd, agus cha mhòr gum b’ urrainn dhan atharrachadh a thig nar beatha ri linn na sìde a thighinn aig àm na bu duilghe. Ach, ‘s e th’ ann ach rud air am feum sinn greimeachadh.

Tha e mar amas aig Alba a bhith carbon cothromach ro 2045 agus sin am measg nan targaidean as àirde san t-saoghal, agus ‘s dòcha gu bheil an eaconamaidh againne nas deiseile dèiligeadh ris.

Ach, thuirt Daibhidh: “Tha Alba a’ dèanamh math a thaobh cumhachd ath-nuadhachail, ach chan e gu leòr a th’ ann. ‘S iad na trì roinnean mòra, còmhdhail, teasachadh thaighean is thoglaichean agus cleachdadh fearainn – trì nithean a tha a’ cur gu mòr ri truailleadh – agus iad gu lèir ag iarraidh obair mhòr sa bhad.”

Tha iomadach èiginn mar coinneamh an-dràsta nach eil idir furasta, ach tha feum cuideachd air dèiligeadh ri blàthachadh na cruinne, agus cho luath ’s a ghabhas. Tha an cunnart ann an-dràsta fhein.

English-language version:

Up here in the north-west of Scotland, there have been some jealous glances at the constant heatwave that’s been sweeping the rest of the country all summer.

As someone who dives for the shade at 20 degrees, with a complexion to suit, I don’t really share any great sense of loss, though persistent wind and rain blowing in from the Atlantic since June is testing even my patience.

Never mind, there’s always the potential for an Indian summer. Best to be optimistic.

It’s all to do with, if you’ll excuse the simplistic unscientific explanation, a series of cold fronts from the north blocking the progress of weather patterns from the south, leaving us ice walkers trapped on the wrong side of the wall (apologies to non Game of Thrones fans).

But there is a serious side. We are now, undeniably, seeing the effects of climate change and how it is dramatically altering our weather patterns, with rising temperatures, higher rainfall and more intense storms.

David MacLennan, Nature Scot’s head of operations in the west, and himself of a crofting background on the Isle of Lewis, issued a stark public warning of what climate change is going to mean, even for communities that will be sheltered from the worst effects of the sweltering heat and parched soils.

He says that even after the COP26 agreement – seen as the most ambitious and far-reaching ever – the global temperature is set to rise three degrees Celsius “with potentially catastrophic consequences, including runaway effects”.

“The cumulative scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human well-being, economies and planetary health, according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change,” he said.

“We need to rapidly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but it is also important we prepare to adapt to improve our resilience to the unavoidable impacts of climate change.”

It’s going to involve significant pain and inconvenience for all concerned and while up here we may escape the worst effects of the increased heat, that certainly won’t be the case when it comes to rising seas and more intense wind.

This massive revolution that’s coming in the way we live our lives could hardly come at a more challenging time, in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis which looks set to push ever-more families to the brink. But it’s simply a struggle we have to face.

Scotland has a target of net-zero emissions by 2045 which is among the more ambitious in the world.

But as David says: “Scotland is performing well with the development of renewable energy, but that’s not enough. Three big areas of challenge are around transport, heating, and land use – all of which are major sources of carbon emissions – and all require urgent attention.”

Understandably, the cost-of-living crisis is focusing our minds, but alongside that there’s another destructive crisis, and it’s no longer on the horizon. As is patently obvious, it’s right here in the now.