Cùm Alba Bòidheach #1:
Atharrachadh na Gnàth-shìde agus Dualchas
KEEP SCOTLAND BEAUTIFUL #1:
CLIMATE CHANGE AND HERITAGE
[Gàidhlig]
Bha sinn ann an deagh shunnd feasgar Diardaoin aig bùth-obrach air Dualchas agus Gnàth-shìde, cuspairean a tha gu math dlùth do chridheachan dhaoine, ach aig an aon àm, tha mòran a’ faireachdainn gu bheil feum aca air barrachd fiosrachaidh air sgàth an uiread de dh’fhiosrachadh tabhach no neo-earbsach a tha mun cuairt. Mar sin, thàinig Jonathan Angell bhon charthannas Cùm Alba Bòidheach gus cothrom a thoirt dhuinn còmhradh fìor mhisneachail a dhèanamh air na cuspairean cudromach seo.
Thòisich sinn le bruidhinn air dè th’ ann an Atharrachadh na Gnàth-shìde. Bha cuid a’ cur an cèill na faireachdainnean làidir a th’ aca mu èiginn na gnàth-shìde, agus bhrosnaich sin sinn gus cumail oirnn a’ bruidhinn air na tha a’ tachairt.
Mus robh mac an duine ann, bhiodh teas na grèine a’ bualadh air an talamh. Ghabhadh an talamh cuid dheth agus chumadh e mar theas. Dh’fheuchadh an còrr ri tilleadh do na speuran, ach bhiodh pàirt dheth air a ghlacadh le gasaichean taigh-ghlainne, a’ cumail mar theas san àile. B’ e seo a thug blàths seasmhach don t-saoghal. As aonais buaidh an taigh-ghlainne, bhiodh an saoghal ro fhuar air an oidhche agus ro theth tron latha, mar sin, tha feum againn air buaidh an taigh-ghlainne.
Ach, tha gnìomhan dhaoine air barrachd gasaichean taigh-ghlainne adhbharachadh san àile. Mar thoradh air sin, chan urrainn don teas infrared faighinn air falbh gu na speuran, agus tha e air a chumail anns na gasaichean. Tha seo a’ ciallachadh gu bheil barrachd teas a’ tilleadh dhan talamh, ’s e blàthachadh na cruinne a th’ againn air seo.
Tha blàthachadh na cruinne ag adhbharachadh atharrachaidhean fad-ùine san aimsir, agus ’s e sin atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde.
Gus tuigse nas fheàrr fhaighinn, bhruidhinn sinn mu na prìomh ghasaichean taigh-ghlainne:
Dà-ogsaid carboin – air a chruthachadh le losgadh connaidhean fosail: gual, ola agus gas.
Meatan – air a chruthachadh le bà agus beathaichean eile le dà stomag.
Ogsaid nitreach – a’ tighinn bho àiteachas far a bheil todhar ceimigeach agus làimhseachadh na talmhainn gan cleachdadh, a’ leantainn gu briseadh sìos stuthan agus sgaoileadh gasaichean.
Gasaichean F – a lorgar ann an innealan fuarachaidh agus aerosolan.
Bhruidhinn sinn mu na h-atharrachaidhean a tha sinn air mothachadh san aimsir:
Geamhraidhean nas blàithe agus nas fliuche
Samhraidhean nas teotha agus nas tiorma
Sìde nas neo-àbhaistiche agus nas duilghe ri ro-innse
Smaoinich sinn cuideachd air ceartas gnàth-shìde, cuspair nach eil an-còmhnaidh aig beul dhaoine nuair a bhios iad a’ beachdachadh air atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde. Ach ’s e rud mòr a th’ ann, agus bu chòir dhuinn a bhith mothachail gu bheil na gnìomhan againn a’ toirt buaidh air an t-saoghal air fad, gu h-àraidh air dùthchannan a tha fhathast a’ leasachadh.
A bharrachd air sin bhruidhinn sinn air na prìomh sgaoilidhean gasaichean taigh-ghlainne:
Sgudal - 4%
Loingeas & Itealaich eadar-nàiseanta - 4%
Dealan - 5%
Solar connaidh - 8%
Gnìomhachas - 14%
Togalaichean & cleachdaidhean stuth - 18%
Àiteachas - 19%
Còmhdhail dhachaigheil - 28%
Air sgàth nam fìrinnean sin, bha e cudromach dhuinn ciall a dhèanamh den fhiosrachadh. Mar sin, chuir sinn ar faireachdainnean sìos air flipchart gus brosnachadh a thoirt do chòmhradh:
Nuair a thàinig e gu dualchas, rinn sinn oidhirp air ceangal a dhèanamh eadar atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde agus na h-ulaidhean cultarach a tha so-bheanntainn agus do-bheanntain a tha air buaidh fhaighinn thar nam bliadhnaichean:
Às dèidh ar còmhradh, thòisich sinn a’ coimhead air na h-ulaidhean dualachas a tha fo chunnart air feadh na h-Alba. Clachan Snaighte Aberlemno, a chaidh a lorg ann an achadh ach a-nis air an gluasad air ais gu na làraichean tùsail aca. Tha iad gu math so-leònta do chrìonadh na talmhainn, agus mar sin, tha iad air an dìon le bogsaichean fiodha eadar an t-Sultain agus Giblean gach bliadhna.
An uair sin, thionndaidh sinn gu Ceanglaichean Noltland, làrach arc-eòlais a bha gu math glèidhte ach a tha a-nis fo bhuaidh àrdachadh na mara. Chan eil an làrach air a chladhach gu tur, agus tha e ri fhaicinn a-mhàin rè obair nan arc-eòlaichean. Tha e nas so-leònta nuair a tha e fosgailte, agus tha cunnart ann gum bi milleadh ann ma chumas na h-atharrachaidhean gnàth-shìde orra.
Aig an Ness of Brodgar, tha cladhach air a bhith a’ dol air adhart airson fichead bliadhna, ach tha planaichean ann a-nis airson an làrach a thiodhlacadh a-rithist. Tha e fo chunnart bho aimsir Arcaibh a tha air fàs nas miosa, àrdachadh ann an ìrean na mara, agus milleadh bho bhith fosgailte don adhar. Tha cruinneachadh mòr de lorgairean air a bhith air an sàbhaladh ann an taighean-tasgaidh airson an dìon agus an sgrùdadh.
Mu dheireadh, bhruidhinn sinn mu chroitearachd, far a bheil barrachd uisge is tuiltean a’ milleadh talamh is bun-structar. Tha atharrachaidhean ann an ràithean a’ cur dragh air amannan cur is buain, agus tha barrachd plàighean is galaran a’ nochdadh le aimsir nas blàithe. Tha cunnart ann do sheòrsaichean traidiseanta de lusan is beathaichean, agus tha feum air atharrachadh ann an cleachdaidhean gus dèanamh cinnteach gu bheil sinn seasmhach san àm ri teachd.
Chrìochnaich sinn leis an teachdaireachd:
Tha àite aig a h-uile duine ann a bhith a’ dèiligeadh ri atharrachadh na gnàth-shìde. Le tuigse nas fheàrr, roghainnean ciallach, agus co-obrachadh, ’s urrainn dhuinn àm ri teachd nas cothromaiche agus nas seasmhaiche a chruthachadh.
Mòran taing airson leughadh. Ma tha sibh airson barrachd fiosrachaidh, notaichean no rud sam bith eile fhaighinn, cuiribh fios gu: Jonathan.angell@keepscotlandbeautiful.org
[English]
We were in good spirits on Thursday afternoon at a workshop on Heritage and Climate Change, topics that are close to people’s hearts, yet at the same time, many feel they need more information due to the overwhelming or unreliable content that surrounds them. That’s why Jonathan Angell from the charity Keep Scotland Beautiful joined us to offer a meaningful conversation on these important issues.
We began by discussing what Climate Change actually is. Some participants shared strong feelings about the climate emergency, which encouraged us to keep exploring what’s happening.
Before humans existed, the sun’s heat would strike the Earth. The Earth would absorb some of it and retain it as warmth. The rest would try to return to the sky, but some of it would be trapped by greenhouse gases, keeping the heat in the atmosphere. This process gave the planet a stable warmth. Without the greenhouse effect, the world would be too cold at night and too hot during the day, so we need it.
However, human activity has led to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. As a result, infrared heat can’t escape as easily into space, and more of it is trapped by these gases. This means more heat returns to the Earth, which we call global warming.
Global warming causes long-term changes in weather patterns, this is what we call climate change.
To better understand this, we talked about the main greenhouse gases:
Carbon dioxide – produced by burning fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas.
Methane – produced by cows and other animals with two stomachs. landfill sites, and natural gas leaks.
Nitrous oxide – released from agriculture, especially where chemical fertilizers are used.
F-gases – found in fridges and aerosols.
We then identified the changes we’ve noticed in the weather:
Milder, wetter winters
Hotter, drier summers
More unpredictable and extreme weather
We also reflected on climate justice, a concept that isn’t always front of mind when discussing climate change. But it’s a major issue, and we should be aware that our actions affect the entire planet, especially countries that are still developing.
We then talked about the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions:
Waste - 4%
International shipping & aviation - 4%
Electricity - 5%
Fuel supply - 8%
Industry - 14%
Buildings & material use - 18%
Agriculture - 19%
Domestic transport - 28%
Given these facts, it was important for us to make sense of the information. So we wrote down our thoughts on a flipchart to spark further discussion.
When it came to heritage, we made an effort to explore the connection between climate change and cultural treasures, both tangible and intangible, that have been affected over the years.
After our discussion, we began looking at heritage sites across Scotland that are under threat. The Aberlemno Carved Stones, originally found in a field, have now been moved back to their original sites. They’re very vulnerable to soil erosion, so they’re protected with wooden boxes from September to April each year.
Next, we turned to the Links of Noltland, an archaeological site that was once well-preserved but is now impacted by rising sea levels. The site hasn’t been fully excavated and is only visible during archaeological work. It’s more vulnerable when exposed, and there’s a real risk of damage if climate change continues.
At the Ness of Brodgar, excavations have been ongoing for twenty years, but there are now plans to rebury the site. It’s at risk from Orkney’s worsening weather, rising sea levels, and exposure to the elements. A large collection of artefacts has already been gathered and stored in museums for protection and study.
Finally, we discussed crofting, where increased rainfall and flooding are damaging land and infrastructure. Seasonal changes are disrupting planting and harvesting times, and warmer weather is bringing more pests and diseases. Traditional plant and animal species are under threat, and there’s a need to adapt practices to ensure long-term sustainability.
We ended with this message:
Everyone has a role to play in tackling climate change. With better understanding, thoughtful choices, and collaboration, we can create a fairer and more sustainable future.
Thank you very much for reading. If you’d like more information, notes, or anything else on the topic, please contact: Jonathan.angell@keepscotlandbeautiful.org
