Scots’ wasted food costs millions

By Oliver Farrimond

FAMILIES in Scotland are throwing away almost ten million pounds worth of food every year.

According to government report, the average Scottish household wastes hundreds of pounds by throwing away food that could be eaten.

Environment secretary Richard Lochhead said that the figures were staggering.

He said: “This is particularly relevant with Scotland being in recession and many hard-pressed families feeling the pinch.”

“There is an environmental cost to wasted food ending up as landfill – it releases methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, and should not be underestimated.”

The environmental impact of Scotland’s wasted food is equivalent to an extra half a million cars on Scottish roads – and half of it could have been eaten.

The Scottish government has launched a campaign, headed by environmental mascot Mr Earth, to help families make better use of their food.

The ‘Go-Greener’ campaign promises advice for Scots on how to make better use of the food that they buy, to the benefit of both their pockets and the planet.

Mr Lochhead added: “We want to see a fresh drive to raise awareness of the benefits of ensuring food isn’t thrown away.

“There are a number of easy ways to save food from the bin, including proper storage, thinking about portion sizes, planning meals and using leftovers to make another meal.

“Unless we take decisive action now to protect our environment there is every chance that we will have to explain to our children why we ruined it.”

Train crash covers twenty swans in oil

By Michael MacLeod

TWENTY swans were among dozens of seabirds covered in oil after Tuesday’s freight train derailment.

The helpless birds bore the brunt of 1,000 tonnes of explosive fuel after a ten-carriage locomotive careered off the rails into fields.

Diesel and heating oil from the train had leaked into water close to the accident spot near Stewarton railway station, Ayrshire.

The oil seeped through the water system to Irvine Harbour where a large flock of swans gather over the winter.

Anxious wildlife experts rushed to the scene yesterday morning, worried that the birds may have swallowed the deadly oil.

With the help of Hessilhead Wildlife Rescue Unit, they also saved geese, eider ducks and cormorants.

The birds have now been transported to the Scottish SPCA’s Wildlife Rescue Centre in Fife, which has a specialist cleaning facility for the treatment of oiled birds.

But they aren’t expected to be returned to the wild for some time, until the water is decontaminated.

Scottish SPCA manager Colin Seddon said: “Each bird goes into a large stainless steel sink in our purpose-built oiled bird facility and we use washing up liquid to remove the oil. It’s a two man job that can take up to an hour per bird.

“They can ingest the oil so we stomach feed the swans with a charcoal mixture to help eliminate toxins from the oil.

“Once they have been cleaned up and are feeding ok then they usually make a fairly swift recovery.

“However, we will not be able to release them back in to the water at Irvine Harbour until all the oil has been cleaned up so they could stay in our care for a while yet.”

The massive clean-up comes a day after staff rescued and washed a chocolate covered pigeon.

They fondly named the bird Wonka after it dive-bombed into a chocolate fountain in a Thornton’s sweet shop in Edinburgh.

£1m eco house opens its doors to visitors 208

PROUD homeowners Archie and Anne Hunter have taken visitors on a tour of their £1million eco-house made from recycled materials destined for the rubbish dump.

The environmentally-friendly home in Rosewll, Midlothian, took more than five years to complete after theHunters began collecting materials.

Now the couple are relocating to the Borders and have put their Orchard House up for sale. Hundreds of househunters flocked to the one-off property at the weekend as part of Midlothian Doors Open Day.

And Archie, 56, was delighted to show interested viewers award-winning home which includes a toilet once used by Pope John Paul II.