Thanks to Spokes for sharing thoughts on the tram consultation. If you're blocked by the paywall you might like to grab our great subscription deal, which ends on Monday www.heraldscotland.com/subscribe/?u...

Yesterday, @vickyallan.bsky.social wrote about the campaign to Clean Up Scotland's Sewage in @heraldscotland.bsky.social. Get up to speed on how sewage pollution has become an issue, why communities are struggling with it & what must be done: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2563820...

#EdinburghTram @vickyallan.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social interviews us -> www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2564... @edi.bike @stephenjenkinson.bsky.social @chasbooth.bsky.social @davidfkey.bsky.social @sannedd.bsky.social @edinburghtrams.bsky.social @edinpl.bsky.social @edfoc.bsky.social

Efforts to save and expand the Caledonian pinewoods are failing in most places - and a new report, in @heraldscotland.bsky.social lists why and calls for change www.heraldscotland.com/news/2565758...

Final day of City of Edinburgh tram consultation. Wondering what the Roseburn Path route will mean for bikes? Here's what cyclists are saying... 🚴

☝️ TRAM "fantastically comprehensive" Spokes response says @edi.bike @spurtle.bsky.social @turvill.bsky.social @alastairdalton.bsky.social @threadinburgh.scot @lauralaker.bsky.social @smcarthurreports.bsky.social @holyroodmag.bsky.social @severincarrell.bsky.social @vickyallan.bsky.social

Deadline for the City of Edinburgh consultation on the new tram build is midnight today. If you want a quick catch up on all the issues (plus a few long reads) - here's the @heraldscotland.bsky.social full series The Future of Edinburgh Trams from last week. www.heraldscotland.com/business_hq/...

Should the war on cars extend to SUV EVs? As part of an @heraldscotland.bsky.social Scotland's Energy Future series I've looked at the impact of carspreading, and ever larger SUVs on net zero and a just transition. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556826...

Jobs, bills, heat pumps, fuel poverty. Scotland's stalling heat transition risks leaving people out in the cold, and industry uncertain. Where we are at - and the big ideas. 🔥 Part of an @heraldscotland.bsky.social series, Scotland's Energy Future www.heraldscotland.com/news/2556624...

Do the jobs figures add up? What are the opportunities and the questions? What’s the plan for workers rights? www.heraldscotland.com/opin... @vickyallan.bsky.social

Good piece by @vickyallan.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2545...

The John Muir Trust AGM today takes place against a backdrop of tensions and calls for resignation of both Chair and CEO www.heraldscotland.com/news/2544305...

Could Galloway Dark Sky park lose its status because of windfarms lights? How do we fight climate change and make sure we hold onto other disappearing aspects of the natural world? Fascinating chat with concerned Dark Sky Ranger, Matthew MvFadzean

Cumulative forestry projects 'swamping' Langholm, say locals. The town is surrounded by land management changes. But the one upsetting some locals most is a conifer proposal for Warblaw. 🌲 My latest piece for @heraldscotland.bsky.social D&G series www.heraldscotland.com/news/2541415...

Dumfries & Galloway has the second highest percentage of old people. But many young people choose to stay in the region - and love it www.heraldscotland.com/news... @vickyallan.bsky.social

I really enjoyed this from my colleague @vickyallan.bsky.social in @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2519...

heraldscotland.com/news/25205710.fewer-bus-stops-make-edinburgh-buses-faster/ (7/10) @vickyallan.bsky.social

heraldscotland.com/news/25206419.can-city-failed-just-eat-bikes-now-go-dockless/?ref=ial (10/10) @vickyallan.bsky.social

Catch up with the first three days of the series 👇 heraldscotland.com/news/subscri... @vickyallan.bsky.social @turvill.bsky.social @martin1williams.bsky.social @brianjaffa.bsky.social

It's been such a joy -not to mention fascinating - to be on the team for the Herald's new series about my home city, Edinburgh. Starting next Tuesday. Pick up a paper 🗞️ or subscribe for great investigative reporting about tourism, festivals, transport, education and more ...

Scottish Forestry is facing a potential third legal challenge in a year! And yet again it's over a commercial conifer plantation, chiefly Sitka. My piece for @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2512226...

ICYMI My piece on Murray Hall, and my collaboration with trans writer Milo Clenshaw was published in @heraldscotland.bsky.social the week before the Supreme Court decision. Its illustration of how trans people have always been with us feels more pertinent now www.heraldscotland.com/news/2508019...

Great column here by Neil Mackay on free speech. But challenging to live. Who of us doesn't like, and protect, one free speech more than another?

I felt lucky to interview Johan Rockström, the @pik-potsdam.bsky.social scientist behind the planetary framework ahead of his getting the Edinburgh medal. But what he says is both chilling and challenging. It's a wake up. In @heraldscotland.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2509...

Publication day! 🥳 I wrote this historical novel with trans writer Milo Clenshaw. It happens to publish at the time of the Supreme Court ruling and some shocking transphobia out there online. Share stories.  Come together. Buy the book here blackandwhitepublishing.com/products/murra…

My pal @jackiekemp.bsky.social wrote about #SupremeCourt decision and my novel Murray Hall. "If the legal battle is now over, then perhaps we can take a break from the culture war too, and think about how we can build acceptance and respect." Wishing for that. open.substack.com/pub/jackie125/…

Breakdown here of what Supreme Court ruling may mean for trans people - by a trans writer

Who can we trust on Net Zero? Not, says expert, Oil and Gas www.heraldscotland.com/news/2509017... @vickyallan.bsky.social for The Herald >>

Large tree plantations can significantly harm the environment. Yet, Scottish Forestry requires Environmental Impact Assessments for very few of them & is breaching legal transparency duties. Read full article by @vickyallan.bsky.social on the Herald: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2506373...

And by the way if you want to read our full forest series but the paywall is the barrier, there is a great offer subscription offer on at the moment www.heraldscotland.com/subscribe/

Read the the Herald's full Scotland's Forest series here. Grants, targets, controversies, Brewdog, timber shortages, environmental impact and more. For @heraldscotland.bsky.social with @brianpdonnelly.bsky.social www.heraldscotland.com/news/2501888...

Day 3 of the Herald's Forestry series and @brianpdonnelly.bsky.social has looked at the grants and the targets - and, no, Scotland is not on track 🎯

Inside the Lockerbie sawmill and the challenges it faces ✍️ @vickyallan.bsky.social 🧵3/4 Article: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2502484...

The UK has a colonial attitude to timber' In other words we only produce around 80% of the wood product we use. For Day 3 of the @heraldscotland.bsky.social Forests series, I went to Lockerbie ook a tour of one of the UK's most productive sawmills youtube.com/shorts/pQfge...

Here's some of what campaigner David Lintott had to say about the Stobo Hope plantation... 🌲 🌲 Read more on the @heraldscotland.bsky.social forestry series www.heraldscotland.com/news/2502125...

Stobo Hope, one of the most controversial tree-planting schemes in Scotland. 🌲 Here's what I found on a visit for an @heraldscotland.bsky.social forestry series - and also through talking to the developer and those campaigning against it. Is it the 1980s again? heraldscotland.com/news/25021259.…

SPECIAL SERIES Campaigners and experts have called for more woodland creation and planting schemes to receive an Environmental Impact assessment. Scotland's Forests: Part Two. ✍️ @vickyallan.bsky.social @heraldscotland.bsky.social 🧵1/3 Article: www.heraldscotland.com/news/2502175...

ScotGov warned to ditch 'greenwash fest' amidst minister code breaches row www.heraldscotland.c...

I love the Edinburgh Remakery for what it does with e-waste and repair. Here's something though for the geeks, collectors and 'dumb tech' lovers (or just people like myself old enough to get rapturous about a green screen) - a retro tech auction. 💾👨‍💻 www.heraldscotland.com/news/2498858...

In December I went to Dumfries for a key council vote on whether to call for a referendum on #GallowayNationalPark. Today brings another vote. Why does it matter? And why is there so much conflict around the debate? www.heraldscotland.com/news/2491045...

Is science starting to show the flaws in tree planting and regeneration as a Net Zero strategy? For Winds of Change newsletter, I've looked at a couple of studies from the James Hutton Institute and what they are saying not just about trees, but about soil 🌳 heraldscotland.com/opinion/249104…

Is science starting to show the flaws in tree planting and regeneration as a Net Zero strategy? For Winds of Change newsletter, I've looked at a couple of studies from the @JamesHuttonInst and what they are saying not just about trees, but about soil heraldscotland.com/opinion/249104…

Sign up for environmental reporter Vicky Allan's Winds of Change newsletter: www.heraldscotland.com/newsletters/... @vickyallan.bsky.social

We compared the carbon emissions of different rail routes with bus, petrol car and EV. What won out? The answers are not always what you might think. heraldscotland.com/news/2488637... @vickyallan.bsky.social (4/6)

Catch up with all four days of the series so far HERE: heraldscotland.com/news/transpo... @rebeccamccurdy.bsky.social @martin1williams.bsky.social @vickyallan.bsky.social @turvill.bsky.social @mrianmcconnell.bsky.social

'I once saw orcas from the train into Montrose' www.heraldscotland.com/news/2489497... @vickyallan.bsky.social

Here's a thought. While almost every train ride is lower carbon footprint than a car carrying only one person, there are some routes (eg Glasgow to Dundee) where you would be lower emissions pp if you packed a petrol car full and shared the journey. Check the 📊 and find out what in my piece.

I've been looking at data around carbon footprint of train compared with other travel this week. Key questions answered with 📊 🤔 How do carbon emissions pp compare on different routes (eg diesel/electric)? 🚝 How do they compare with petrol/diesel car carrying one person, full petrol car or coach?

Conversations at last week's Offshore Wind Conf made me conclude there was 'not enough' of virtually everything but wind. That news is not new. 💨But, as I find in my Winds of Change newsletter (do sign up), there are efforts to shift that www.heraldscotland.com/opinion/2489...

My @heraldscotland.bsky.social column on the futility of trying to understand Axel Rudakubana and how the focus on classifying lone wolves as "terrorists" may be helping them slip under the radar. www.heraldscotland.com/news/2488548...