The first genuinely ‘on tour’ performance of Pibroch, straight off the boat, out of the van and onstage supported by Brodie of Standing Ovation and Tim, Jonathan and the other staff at Mareel in Lerwick.

Beautiful weather and an early morning stroll with Fraser to the Clickimin Broch between Lerwick and Sound.

Its presence refocussed me on the timescales of climate and what is at stake in this Climate Emergency.  3,000 years ago, when the broch was built, these islands were a node in a complex Atlantic culture. Just as the ritual complexes on Orkney, further South were important sites of pilgrimage and cultural exchange.  So called Bronze and Iron Age cultures powered by wind and sun.  A reminder that other ways of being are possible – remain possible.

We had a great audience last night, most of whom stayed on for the lively post-show discussion…and, not to come empty handed to the conversation, I had been doing some back-ground research.  We’re all feeling our way here and I am a stranger on these islands…but here are some of the things I heard about Climate Justice and the Climate Emergency in Shetland.

I heard that Shetland’s largest contribution to Greenhouse Gas emissions arises from the drying out of peatland – what the IPCC calls Land Use Land Use Change and Forestry (LULUCF).  These emissions outstrip those associated by the business of the huge Sullom Voe oil terminal – SVT.

Source: Shetland Islands Net Zero Routemap (NZSR)

I heard that Shetland Islands Council want Shetland to become a Green or Clean Energy hub based on renewable power generation from wind, tidal and green hydrogen.

I heard that Pibroch was a ‘hefty’ show.

I heard that some folk believe damaging peatlands in order to sink foundations for windmills is making things worse.

I heard that the development of the Cambo field, West of Shetland, […] would produce around 50,000 barrels per day (bpd) and 30 million standard cubic feet (scf) of gas per day during phase one of its development.[6]

I heard that this is the 40^th anniversary of the release by the Clash of London Calling and punk was prophetic.

I heard that Shetland Island Council believe they cannot achieve net-zero by 2045 even at their most ambitious plans because peatland restoration presents such challenges.[1]

I heard that mining for the raw materials for windmills and electric vehicles is and will continue to cause enormous environmental damage through strip & deep sea  mining for copper, lithium and cobalt and enormous demand for sulphuric acid.  And currently the oil industry is the world’s biggest producer of sulphur.[5]

I heard that coastal storms in Shetland can be very severe. Storm beaches, where rocks have been washed inland, sometimes up to 18 metres above sea level, illustrate the power of the sea during Westerly gales. [3]

I heard that the problem lies in measures of success like GDP which drive continuing climate damage.

I heard that fuel poverty is higher than elsewhere in Scotland on islands which are major exporters of oil & gas and renewable electricity because it is transmitted into the national grid and then sold back to local customers at world prices driven by oil & gas availability.

I heard that storminess is expected to increase particularly in the North Sea and Atlantic facing coasts with significant increases in storm surges as well as increases in average sea level.[2]

I heard that a surprising extent of Shetland is low-lying and susceptible to flooding including areas such as Tingwall, Eid, Hellister, Scalloway and Sound. [2][7]

Source:local-flood-risk-management-plan (shetland.gov.uk)

I heard that Shetlanders have a prosperous lifestyle based on oil & gas, fishing and salmon farming.

I heard that Pibroch brought a shiver to folk who recalled listening to news of Piper Alpha on the radio or had friends working offshore at that time.

I heard that in 1854, at Muckle Flugga, Shetland where David Stevenson was conducting his initial survey for a lighthouse site, he made note of a six-ton block of stone which had been “torn from its moorings eighty feet above sea level and hurled into the sea below”.[3]

I heard that local fishers object to offshore windfarms because they disrupt their fishing grounds.

I heard that Shetland Island Councils net zero road-map is more focussed on mitigation measures such as insulation and electric vehicles

I heard that major opportunities to mitigate climate change in Shetland include:

• Peatland restoration – this is the single most impactful mitigation measure for Shetland

• Improving standards of living and lowering fuel bills by retrofitting buildings and ensuring that everyone has access to affordable, low carbon heating and energy

• Leading the way on sustainable agricultural practices and paludiculture

• Contributing towards the decarbonisation of the wider UK energy system via large-scale renewable energy technologies and storage systems

• Becoming a hub of innovation for technologies such as green hydrogen, CCS and tidal power, which could include a micro-CCS pilot project at the Lerwick ERP

I heard that Shetlanders have differing perspective on the development of new oil & gas reservoirs such as Cambo, Rosebank and Glendronnach.  [4]

I heard that the proposed Rosebank field development woul have “peak production forecast at 92,000 barrels of oil per day and 74 million standard cubic feet   of gas per day”.[6]

I heard that what are now thought of as 100 years storms and storm surges will become more and more frequent as the climate becomes stormier.[2]

I heard that the development of the peatlands as blanket bog was a consequence of Neolithic and Bronze Age Shetlanders cutting down all the trees.  And that the peatlands are drying out because they were drained for agricultural purposes.

I heard that (some) Shetlanders are still investing in big houses with more rooms than they need and that infrastructure such as septic tanks is driven by house size rather than occupancy.

I heard that everywhere is far in the Shetland Isles.

I heard that “No one is ready to reduce their energy use.”

I heard that the SpaceX launch that day was reported as  a success despite exploding shortly after take-off.

I heard someone say he remembered the blast on Sullom Voe (where he worked) a few days before the Piper Alpha disaster.

I heard that the Glendronach field contains “around 600 billion standard cubic feet  of gas “. [6]

I heard that Scotland – and the Shetlands – vulnerability to swings in oil & gas prices for their energy costs is because the UK does not have sufficient methane storage capacity.[6]

I heard that depleted oil & gas reservoirs offshore Shetland are suitable for gas storage and carbon sequestration.[1]

I heard that demand for clothing is driven by fashion not function from a man who hadn’t bought new clothes in 9 years and was very adequately clothed.

I heard that, “Thanks to a new oil and gas investment subsidy, Rosebank’s owners, including Norwegian-state backed Equinor, will receive a £500 million tax break from developing the field.” [4]

References

[1] Shetland Islands Net Zero Routemap (NZSR)

[2] The Shetland Islands David Crichton, , Chartered Insurance Practitioner

[3 ]Projections of extreme storm surge levels along Europe : Michalis I. Vousdoukas · Evangelos Voukouvalas · Alessandro Annunziato · Alessio Giardino · Luc Feyen

[4] Time to fully embrace the energy transition | Shetland News (shetnews.co.uk)

[5] Transition to net zero? It is a dirty road ahead | Shetland News (shetnews.co.uk)

[6] Is there a case for Cambo, Rosebank or Glendronach? | Shetland News (shetnews.co.uk)

[7] local-flood-risk-management-plan (shetland.gov.uk)