In Alaska and other high, cold places around the world, new research shows that mountains are collapsing as the permafrost that holds them together melts, threatening tsunamis if they fall into the sea. Scientists are warning that populated areas and major tourist attractions are at risk. One area of concern is a slope of the Barry Arm fjord in Alaska that overlooks a popular cruise ship route.
Guardian 18th Oct 2020 read more »
People from England should be taxed on Scottish property purchases, says an Englishman who owns a £2.4 million Scottish estate. Jeremy Leggett, the former scientific director at Greenpeace, bought the 1,200-acre Bunloit estate on Loch Ness this year. Now he is calling for people who buy from south of the border to face a tax surcharge to protect locals. Foreign citizens should be banned from buying Scottish property, he said. He told The National: “The Scottish government should tax people like me. Even a small surcharge on sales prices would help communities purchase their own land. I am told by estate agents that average land values are going up by 20 per cent a year — that is the road to ruin.” Businesses in Cairngorm National Park struggle to find staff as so many houses in the area are owned by holidaymakers, and locals are being forced out. Mr Leggett, now a solar energy entrepreneur, said: “I am hoping to show the grouse blasters that there might be another way of running Scottish estates.”
Times 19th Oct 2020 read more »