THE plan to build a Vertical Launch Facility on the Moine in Sutherland, supposedly to equip Scotland to compete in the market for launching commercial satellites and create jobs in the local area, may not be so straightforward.
One critical point is that the market is already shrinking. A recent article in The Space Review states “it has been a down year overall for the commercial satellite industry, with fewer orders than in previous years”, which is not reassuring.
A serious issue for the area is the condition of the roads. Much of the area has only single-track roads; the advent of the “North Coast 500” has already exacerbated issues with traffic and safety, and construction of the site will mean a great deal of inconvenience and danger for those who live or work in the area.
What about the environmental impact? The location is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is adjacent to a Wild Land Area. The Moine is also home to vulnerable and endangered species including the gannet, Scottish primrose, marsh saxifrage, tiger worms, and puffins.
The culture of the nearby communities is also at stake. Plans include not only the Launch Facility (launch pads, perimeter roads, management/security suite, warehouses etc) but also a visitor centre (which threatens existing local businesses), further storage and increased accommodation (to house the temporary staff that will be needed for each launch; how does this bring jobs to existing residents?).
This is a historical area and crofting community that would be drastically altered.
Safety is a major issue. The launching of rockets into the atmosphere creates falling debris and requires transport/storage of extremely hazardous materials. In China, a launch failure occurred and the rocket “crashed into a village near the launch site ... destroying much of it and killing an unknown number of inhabitants.” There is also the chance that hostile foreign elements may choose such a site as a target.
The planners claim this is an entirely commercial enterprise; however, many factors point to eventual, if not initial, military involvement. Industry articles demonstrate that rarely can non-government customers afford it, even at this cheaper end of the market. Also, a key player, FireFly Space Systems, have a history of working on government contracts.
Other parties to be involved are linked with both the UK and the US governments. Lockheed Martin is involved; it wishes to be part of the steering group. This company does surveillance for many government bodies. The UK Space Agency has indicated it may utilise this facility for “design, development, manufacture, testing, and storage”. Of what?
Planners have discussed with QinetiQ their desire to oversee facilities management of the site. QinetiQ is a controversial company that has a close relationship with the Ministry of Defence and has a reputation for evaluating weapons and testing bombs. After privatisation, they were investigated by the National Audit Office.
This is a serious decision to be made, and of great concern to people throughout Scotland. Once the infrastructure is in place, there is no turning back. Should the Government wish to put this infrastructure to their use, there will be nothing to stop them.
The Moine is of geological, scientific, ecological, cultural and historical importance. Concerned parties are encouraged to do their own research and not to fail to think big-picture and long-term.
This is one mistake that, once made, cannot be undone.
John Smith, Wick
THE Scottish news this week has contained some coverage about the attempt to have the Irish flag flying in North Lanarkshire to commemorate the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland.
As a committee working to organise commemorative events in Scotland, we have been disappointed that the news focus has been on divisions and splits around the issue.
Our aim is to reach out widely into local communities and to highlight the broad cultural ties that link Scotland to Ireland and have done so for centuries. Our efforts to educate and promote good community relations will be expressed in a conference and ceili on Saturday March 5th in the STUC, Glasgow involving Scottish and Irish historians and academics.
A further day of activity will take place in Edinburgh on June 4th focusing on James Connolly with a historical narrative and musical tributes in the evening in Edinburgh, Connolly’s home city. Further drama events will take place later in the year around James Connolly and Coatbridge-born teacher Margaret Skinnider, who was the only woman to be badly injured during the Rising.
We are hoping that our efforts throughout this year will draw attention to those brave participants, and others like Eddi Reader’s great uncle Seamus, whose efforts have received little attention in their own country despite their profiles in Ireland.
We are very aware that the Irish Government has among its aims for the year the principles of reconciliation and the acknowledgement of all the narratives that make these complex historical events.
We appreciate very much those contributions in the press and media that help us to reach goals of media accuracy and building better relationships between communities.
Maggie Chetty, Chair, 1916 Rising Centenary Committee (Scotland)
PAT Kane asks if Irish tricolour flags should be flown over North Lanarkshire to commemorate the forthcoming 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland (Exercise care if flying a flag, The National, February 20).
It is unfortunate, therefore, that you should choose to illustrate this article with a picture of the Italian flag. From the hoist, the colours of the Irish tricolour are green, white and orange. The Italian flag, which you depict, is green, white and red. Not only that, but the proportions of the flags are markedly different.
Keith Halley, Dalkeith
A COMMENT from Paul Kavanagh on Labour canvassers and Jehovah’s Witnesses evoked a memory for me of the General Election of 1970 (Pulling the plug will put Labour out of its misery, The National, February 20). I had been canvassing on a dreich Sunday afternoon in Edinburgh West, and when I returned to the SNP rooms our candidate, Muriel Gibson, asked me how I had got on. My response was “I feel like an unsuccessful Jehovah’s Witness”. So I can relate to Paul’s comment. How things change.
I then noted a letter from another veteran of that campaign, Peter Craigie (or his namesake?), that when he had asked a Liberal activist how they could be in a coalition with Labour in Scotland and the Tories in Westminster at the same time, he got the reply “We are nothing if not flexible”. Any time now when I hear the word flexibility I will read it as “Lack of principle”.
Jim Lynch, Edinburgh
I HAVE been greatly enjoying the new series by Alan Riach on Scotland’s neglected poets (which is just about every one except Burns), and congratulate The National on this initiative: another reason to buy the paper, which goes from strength to strength. I was particularly delighted to read last Friday’s article on Elizabeth Melville, whose works I had only discovered a fortnight ago. Her poems are a revelation, worthy of comparison with those of her English contemporaries, George Herbert and John Donne. It is astounding that we have had to wait four centuries to rediscover a poet of such stature. The one vital missing piece of information in Alan Riach’s admirable article was where to buy the book. You can pay £999 to get it from Amazon but will find it for considerably less at Wordpower Books in Edinburgh.
Ian Campbell, Edinburgh
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here