For the record I am a great supporter of energy efficiency especially the small scale integrated approach but not so keen on what is being proposed for Shetland. Interested why the UK’s primative building standards are 25 years behind Scandinavia who have double our insulation, tripple glazing, outward opening doors & windows, ventilation systems with heat recovery, passive solar radiation +. Transport is a big issue especially the high cost of travel to the mainland to take part in meetings, conferences, training etc. Poor quality video & telephone conference systems which have tremendous potential to minimise carbon footprint travel (though I recognise folk like away days). Probably of greater interest to many folk hear is the effect of EU, Westminster & Holyrood legislation, directives & regulations that might be appropriate for large urban / industrial / economies of scale areas like Berlin, Birmingham, Barcelona, but present real barriers to small rural, remote & Island communities. We suffer all kinds of disadvantages in waste managment, taxation, recycling, fuel costs, agriculture, fishing, catering, social & economic development directly as a result of the EU’s single tier strategy mentallity. We need to fight for more local control of our development needs, more flexibility in the interpretation & regulation of our activities, more deregulation of red tape to facilitate living in disadvantaged communities. We also need to negotiate far more exemptions to activities that face closure, barriers to development, employment opportunities if the regulatory regime is unfair in our fragile environment.

There are hundreds of examples within the Highlands & Islands that demonstrate the destructive results of EU single tier strategies and the interpretation / regulation by over zealous regulators once it hits our small island communities, the local authorities trying to deliver local authority services and the business sector trying to provide jobs, goods & services.

I used to be very sceptical of Scottish Nationalist politics but they seem to be doing quite well at the moment, perhaps our islands might benefit by a bit of home rule?