First 'legally binding' target missed. Cold weather blamed

Paul Wheelhouse

The official figures are out for the estimates of of greenhouse emissions from Scotland for 2010.

And Paul Wheelhouse, the recently appointed Climate Change minister, without a hint of irony, notes that one of the reasons the 'legally binding' target was missed was that 2010 was a particularly cold year.

Details here and the BBC has the whole announcement here.

I have some advice for the minister.  Persuade your government to suspend the 'legally binding' emissions targets to save your government future embarrassment.  The Climate Change (Scotland) Act is a based on a scientific house of cards and, in practical policy terms, does more harm to Scotland and its people than any perceived good it might do to the world environment.  It rests on predictions that carbon emissions are likely to cause dangerous global warming.  The assumption is not based on robust science.