New solvent-based recycling process could cut down on millions of tons of plastic waste

UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON

Research News

 

MADISON, Wis. -- Multilayer plastic materials are ubiquitous in food and medical supply packaging, particularly since layering polymers can give those films specific properties, like heat resistance or oxygen and moisture control. But despite their utility, those ever-present plastics are impossible to recycle using conventional methods.

About 100 million tons of multilayer thermoplastics -- each composed of as many as 12 layers of varying polymers -- are produced globally every year. Forty percent of that total is waste from the manufacturing process itself, and because there has been no way to separate the polymers, almost all of that plastic ends up in landfills or incinerators.

Now, University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have pioneered a method for reclaiming the polymers in these materials using solvents, a technique they've dubbed Solvent-Targeted Recovery and Precipitation (STRAP) processing. Their proof-of-concept is detailed today (Nov. 20, 2020) in the journal Science Advances.

By using a series of solvent washes guided by thermodynamic calculations of polymer solubility, UW-Madison professors of chemical and biological engineering George Huber and Reid Van Lehn and their students used the STRAP process to separate the polymers in a commercial plastic composed of common layering materials polyethylene, ethylene vinyl alcohol, and polyethylene terephthalate.

The result? The separated polymers appear chemically similar to those used to make the original film.

The team now hopes to use the recovered polymers to create new plastic materials, demonstrating that the process can help close the recycling loop. In particular, it could allow multilayer-plastic manufacturers to recover the 40 percent of plastic waste produced during the production and packaging processes.

"We've demonstrated this with one multilayer plastic," says Huber. "We need to try other multilayer plastics and we need to scale this technology."

As the complexity of the multilayer plastics increases, so does the difficulty of identifying solvents that can dissolve each polymer. That's why STRAP relies on a computational approach used by Van Lehn called the Conductor-like Screening Model for Realistic Solvents (COSMO-RS) to guide the process.

COSMO-RS is able to calculate the solubility of target polymers in solvent mixtures at varying temperatures, narrowing down the number of potential solvents that could dissolve a polymer. The team can then experimentally explore the candidate solvents.

"This allows us to tackle these much more complex systems, which is necessary if you're actually going to make a dent in the recycling world," says Van Lehn.

The goal is to eventually develop a computational system that will allow researchers to find solvent combinations to recycle all sorts of multilayer plastics. The team also hopes to look at the environmental impact of the solvents it uses and establish a database of green solvents that will allow them to better balance the efficacy, cost and environmental impact of various solvent systems.

The project stems from UW-Madison's expertise in catalysis. For decades, the university's chemical and biological engineering researchers have pioneered solvent-based reactions to convert biomass -- like wood or agricultural waste -- into useful chemicals or fuel precursors. Much of that expertise translates into solvent-based polymer recycling as well.

The team is continuing its research on STRAP processing through the newly established Multi-University Center on Chemical Upcycling of Waste Plastics, directed by Huber. Researchers in the $12.5 million U.S. Department of Energy-funded center are investigating several chemical pathways for recovering and recycling polymers.

###

This research was supported by a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DE-SC0018409).

--Jason Daley, jgdaley@wisc.edu

...SO BELOW

New Chinese submersible reaches Earth's deepest ocean trench

Issued on: 20/11/2020 - 

The Mariana Trench AFP


Beijing (AFP)

China livestreamed footage of its new manned submersible parked at the bottom of the Mariana Trench on Friday, part of a historic mission into the deepest underwater valley on the planet.

The "Fendouzhe", or "Striver", descended more than 10,000 metres (about 33,000 feet) into the submarine trench in the western Pacific Ocean with three researchers on board, state broadcaster CCTV said.

Only a handful of people have ever visited the bottom of the Mariana Trench, a crescent-shaped depression in the Earth's crust that is deeper than Mount Everest is high and more than 2,550 kilometres (1,600 miles) long.

The first explorers visited the trench in 1960 on a brief expedition, after which there had been no missions until Hollywood director James Cameron made the first solo trip to the bottom in 2012.

Cameron described a "desolate" and "alien" environment.

Video footage shot and relayed by a deep-sea camera this week showed the green-and-white Chinese submersible moving through dark water surrounded by clouds of sediment as it slowly touched down on the seabed.

Fendouzhe, which has made multiple dives in recent days, had earlier this month set a national record of 10,909 metres for manned deep-sea diving after landing in the deepest known point of the trench, Challenger Deep, just shy of the 10,927-metre world record set by an American explorer in 2019.

The mission on November 10 beamed up the world's first live video from Challenger Deep.

- Deep sea resources -

The submersible, equipped with robotic arms to collect biological samples and sonar "eyes" that use sound waves to identify surrounding objects, is making repeated dives to test its capabilities.

It is carrying so much equipment that engineers added a bulbous forehead-shaped protrusion containing buoyant materials to the vessel to help maintain its balance.

Fendouzhe, China's third deep-sea manned submersible, is observing "the many species and the distribution of living things on the seabed", scientists on board told CCTV.

The water pressure at the bottom of the trench is a crushing eight tons per square inch, around a thousand times the atmospheric pressure at sea level, yet scientists have found the dark, frigid waters of the trench to be teeming with life.

The Chinese researchers will collect specimens for their work, CCTV said.

Previous studies have found thriving communities of single-cell organisms surviving on organic waste that had settled on the ocean floor, but very few large animals.

The mission will also conduct research on "deep-sea materials," CCTV said, as China pushes ahead in deep-sea mining.

Beijing this month set up a joint training and research centre with the International Seabed Authority, which will train professionals on deep-sea technology as well as conducting research on mining for valuable minerals at the bottom of the ocean.

Fendouzhe is expected to set standards for China's future deep-sea vessels.

"It takes more than two trials before we can call it a real success," Zhu Min, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences involved in the mission, told CCTV on Tuesday.

© 2020 AFP

AS ABOVE...

Researchers find microplastics on top of the world at Everest

Issued on: 20/11/2020 - 

Traces of microplastics have been found as high as 8,440 metres on Mount Everest, just short of the summit Jewel SAMAD AFP/File

Kathmandu (AFP)

Traces of microplastics have been found close to the top of Mount Everest, a study showed Friday, likely originating from equipment used by the hundreds of climbers who summit the world's highest peak every year.

Fluorescent tents, discarded climbing equipment, empty gas canisters and even frozen excrement have long littered the well-trodden route to the 8,848-metre (29,029-feet) high summit, earning it the name of "the highest dumpster in the world".

But in the first study of microplastics on Everest, by a research team part of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, the tiny pollutants were found as high as 8,440 metres above sea level, although concentration levels were higher at the mountain's base camp.

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The findings, which reveal the potential threat to Everest posed by plastic pollutants, were published in the environmental journal One Earth on Friday.

"The samples showed significant quantities of polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene fibres," author Imogen Napper, a National Geographic explorer and scientist based at the University of Plymouth in Britain, said in a statement.

"It really surprised me to find microplastics in every single snow sample I analysed. Mount Everest is somewhere I have always considered remote and pristine. To know we are polluting near the top of the tallest mountain (in the world) is a real eye-opener."

- Environmental scourge -

A majority of outdoor clothing worn by trekkers and climbers on Everest is made of synthetic fabrics. Tents, climbing ropes and other gear also use the materials.

"We highly suspect that these types of items are the major source of pollution rather than things like food and drink containers," Napper said, referring to the trash accumulation on the peak after decades of commercial mountaineering.

Last year, a 14-member team spent six weeks scouring for litter at Everest base camp and at Camp 4 -- nearly 8,000 metres up.

They cleared the mountain of four bodies and more than 10 tonnes of plastic bottles, cans and climbing equipment.

The study also suggests it is possible that microplastics found on Everest are blown there from elsewhere in the strong Himalayan winds.

Researchers also found microplastics in streams below the famous Himalayan peak, but the concentration was lower than in snow.

Last year, scientists reported tiny particles of plastic settled every day on each square metre of an uninhabited, high-altitude area in the Pyrenees straddling France and Spain.

Plastic litter, and the tiny particles that it breaks down into, has emerged in the last few years as a major environmental scourge.

Up to 12 million tonnes of plastics are thought to enter the world's oceans every year, and millions more clog inland waterways and landfills.

Scientists are only now beginning to measure the damage to wildlife and potential impacts on human health.

© 2020 AFP

There are microplastics near the top of Mount Everest too

CELL PRESS

Research News

 

IMAGE: THIS IMAGE SHOWS A VIEW OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND ROLEX PERPETUAL PLANET EVEREST EXPEDITION CLIMBERS' TENTS, MADE FROM WATERPROOF ACRYLIC MATERIAL, AT CAMP IV/SOUTH COL. IN THE BACKGROUND, CLIMBERS... view more 

CREDIT: MARIUSZ POTOCKI/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Researchers analyzing snow and stream samples from the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition have found evidence of microplastic pollution on Mount Everest. While the highest concentrations of microplastics were around Base Camp where hikers and trekkers spend the most time, the team also found microplastics as high up as 8,440 meters above sea level, just below the summit. The findings appear November 20 in the journal One Earth.

"Mount Everest has been described as 'the world's highest junkyard,'" says first author Imogen Napper (@Imogennapper), a National Geographic Explorer and scientist based at the University of Plymouth who is described by her colleagues as a "plastic detective." "Microplastics haven't been studied on the mountain before, but they're generally just as persistent and typically more difficult to remove than larger items of debris."

Microplastics--tiny particles of plastic that come from the slow breakdown of larger litter--pose a huge ecological threat because they are easily consumed by animals and are so small that they are difficult to clean up. Microplastics are common in the ocean, but are not as carefully studied on land, especially remote mountaintops.

"I didn't know what to expect in terms of results, but it really surprised me to find microplastics in every single snow sample I analyzed. Mount Everest is somewhere I have always considered remote and pristine. To know we are polluting near the top of the tallest mountain is a real eye-opener."

While some members of the research team climbed the mountain collecting samples during the Everest expedition in the spring of 2019, much of the work was done in a lab many miles away, where Napper and her team analyzed the samples. "The closest I got to Mount Everest was in my lab at University of Plymouth in the UK," Napper jokes. She wanted to determine not only whether there was plastic on the mountain, but what type of plastic was there. This is an important step in figuring out where the pollution originated.

"The samples showed significant quantities of polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene fibers," says Napper. "Those materials are increasingly being used to make the high-performance outdoor clothing climbers use as well as tents and climbing ropes, so we highly suspect that these types of items are the major source of pollution rather than things like food and drink containers."

While this study clearly demonstrated the presence of microplastics on Mount Everest, the best way to clean this pollution remains to be seen.

"Currently, environmental efforts tend to focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling larger items of waste. This is important, but we also need to start focusing on deeper technological solutions that focus on microplastics, like changing fabric design and incorporating natural fibers instead of plastic when possible," she says.

The researchers also hope that their work will help clarify the extent to which plastic pollution jeopardizes all environments, not just the ocean.

"These are the highest microplastics discovered so far," says Napper. "While it sounds exciting, it means that microplastics have been discovered from the depths of the ocean all the way to the highest mountain on Earth. With microplastics so ubiquitous in our environment, it's time to focus on informing appropriate environmental solutions. We need to protect and care for our planet."

CAPTION

This image high-elevation expedition climbers and Sherpa wear 'Himalayan suits' made of waterproof acrylic fibers at the Balcony (~8,440 m.a.s.l.), the highest from which microplastics were collected during the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. Behind them rest disused metal oxygen canisters and other waste which is a regular sight at this common resting point. www.NatGeo.com/Everest

 

This work was supported by the National Geographic Society and Rolex. To learn more about the 2019 Everest Expedition, please visit: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/perpetual-planet/everest/.

One Earth, Napper et al.: "Reaching new heights in plastic pollution - preliminary findings of microplastics on Mount Everest" https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30550-9

One Earth (@OneEarth_CP), published by Cell Press, is a monthly journal that features papers from the fields of natural, social, and applied sciences. One Earth is the home for high-quality research that seeks to understand and address today's environmental Grand Challenges, publishing across the spectrum of environmental change and sustainability science. A sister journal to Cell, Chem, and Joule, One Earth aspires to break down barriers between disciplines and stimulate the cross-pollination of ideas with a platform that unites communities, fosters dialogue, and encourages transformative research. Visit http://www.cell.com/one-earth. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

CAPTION

This image shows a selection of microfibers found in snow samples from Mt. Everest Balcony (8,440 m), collected during the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, which are consistent with fibers from outdoor clothing. www.NatGeo.com/Everest

Microplastics in the death zone

Scientists find plastic fibres in snow samples from Mount Everest

UNIVERSITY OF PLYMOUTH

Research News

 

IMAGE: HIGH-ELEVATION CLIMBERS AND SHERPA AT THE BALCONY DURING THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND ROLEX PERPETUAL PLANET EVEREST EXPEDITION view more 

CREDIT: BAKER PERRY, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Scientists have identified the highest recorded microplastics ever found on Earth - at an altitude of more than 8,000metres, close to the summit of Mount Everest.

Samples collected on the mountain and in the valley below it revealed substantial quantities of polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene fibres.

The materials are increasingly being used to make the high performance outdoor clothing commonly used by climbers, as well as the tents and climbing ropes used in attempts to climb the mountain.

As a result, researchers have suggested the fibres - the highest of which were found in samples from the Balcony of Mount Everest, 8,440 metres above sea level - could have fragmented from larger items during expeditions to reach the summit.

However, they have also surmised the plastics could have been transported from lower altitudes by the extreme winds which regularly impact the mountain's higher slopes.

The research, published in One Earth, was led by researchers from the University of Plymouth's International Marine Litter Research Unit, working with colleagues from the UK, USA and Nepal. It was supported by the National Geographic Society and Rolex.

Research Fellow and National Geographic Explorer Dr Imogen Napper, the study's lead author, said: "Microplastics are generated by a range of sources and many aspects of our daily lives can lead to microplastics entering the environment. Over the past few years, we have found microplastics in samples collected all over the planet - from the Arctic to our rivers and the deep seas. With that in mind, finding microplastics near the summit of Mount Everest is timely reminder that we need to do more to protect our environment."

The samples were collected in April and May 2019, as part of National Geographic and Rolex's Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition, and then analysed in specialist facilities in Plymouth.

Of 19 high elevation samples collected from the Mount Everest region for microplastic analysis, 11 were snow and eight stream water. This included streams along the trekking routes close to the Khumbu Glacier, in the snow at Everest Base Camp, and high into the Death Zone near the mountain's summit.

The highest quantities (79 microplastic fibres per litre of snow) were found at Base Camp, where summit expeditions are based for periods of up to 40 days. However, evidence was also found at Camps 1 and 2 on the climbing route, with 12 microplastic fibres per litre of snow recorded from the Balcony.

There were lower quantities in streams leading down from the mountain to the Sagarmatha National Park, with scientists saying this could be due to the continuous flow of water created by the region's glaciers.

CAPTION

Samples are collected near Everest Base Camp during the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition

CREDIT

Brittany Mumma, National Geographic

The first confirmed summiting of Mount Everest in 1953 coincided with the global rise to prominence of plastics and their use in society.

From a time in the 1950s when it had very few visitors, the Sagarmatha National Park (which includes the mountain) welcomed more than 45,000 visitors in 2016, while in 2019, climbing permits for Everest were issued in Nepal.

Over the same period, the versatility of plastic materials has resulted in a substantial increase in their use from five million tonnes globally in the 1950s to over 330 million tonnes in 2020.

Professor Richard Thompson OBE FRS, Head of the International Marine Litter Research Unit, said: "Since the 1950s, plastics have been increasingly used in all kinds of products because of their practicality and durability. However, it is those qualities which are, in large part, creating the global environmental crisis we are seeing today. There is now global recognition of the need to take action, with Nepal itself imposing regulations on climbing expeditions to try and curb the environmental problems created by waste. This study and our continued research only emphasises the importance of designing materials that have the benefits of plastics without the lasting and harmful legacy."

CAPTION

Dr Imogen Napper working in the laboratories at the University of Plymouth

CREDIT

University of Plymouth

A comprehensive look at the effects of climate change on Mount Everest

CELL PRESS

Research News

 

IMAGE: AT 8,430 METERS ABOVE SEA LEVEL, THE HIGH-ALTITUDE EXPEDITION TEAM CELEBRATES AFTER SETTING UP THE WORLD'S HIGHEST OPERATING AUTOMATED WEATHER STATION DURING THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC AND ROLEX PERPETUAL PLANET EVEREST... view more 

CREDIT: MARK FISHER/NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC

Between April and June of 2019, 10 research teams composed of 34 international and Nepali scientists journeyed toward the summit of Mount Everest as part of the 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition. Early results from this expedition, publishing November 20 in the journal One Earth, look at the impacts of climate change and human activity on Mount Everest, including glacier loss, precipitation changes, the presence of microplastics on the mountain, and more. Highlights from the findings include:

Six decades of glacier mass changes around Mt. Everest are revealed by historical and contemporary images

King et al. show that glaciers around Mt. Everest have thinned by more than 100m since the 1960s and that the rate of ice mass loss has consistently accelerated over the past six decades. To arrive at their findings, the researchers constructed time series of glacier mass-change measurements based on modern and historical satellite images of Mt. Everest and the surrounding glacial valleys stretching back 56 years. The work provides a baseline for future glacier loss and meltwater predictions, which are especially important because of the role that meltwater from Himalayan glaciers plays in providing water to the surrounding communities.

One Earth, King et al.: "Six decades of glacier mass changes around Mt. Everest revealed by historical and contemporary images" https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30549-2 DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.10.019

How climate change will increase the oxygen available to humans on Mount Everest

Not only is it currently possible for humans to climb to the summit of Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen, it's actually become easier since the beginning of the 20th century: increases in temperature have increased the air pressure on its summit and made more oxygen available for human climbers to breathe. Matthews et al. provide the highest resolution estimate to date of how close Mt. Everest summit oxygen availability encroaches upon human aerobic limits and the most detailed assessment yet of the potential shifts in the aerobic challenge of Mt. Everest due to climate change.

iScience, Matthews et al.: "Into Thick(er) Air? Oxygen Availability at Humans' Physiological Frontier on Mount Everest" https://www.cell.com/iscience/fulltext/S2589-0042(20)30915-9 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101718

Behind the scenes of a comprehensive scientific expedition to Mt. Everest

In this Backstory, Elvin et al. describe the "symphony of logistics" it takes to conduct science on the world's tallest mountain. They calculate the supplemental oxygen needed to take the team to the summit, devise ways to lighten scientific equipment, design an inflatable catamaran raft to use for sample collection in alpine lakes, and map a route involving more than six different types of transportation. They also discuss the importance of receiving informed buy-in from local communities and the essential leadership, guidance, and support of the high-altitude climbing Sherpas who were key partners in the expedition.

One Earth, Elvin et al.: "Behind the scenes of a comprehensive scientific expedition to Mt. Everest" https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322(20)30536-4 DOI: 10.1016/j.oneear.2020.10.006

CAPTION

The geology team from the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition preps to take a lake sediment core at a glacial lake in the Gokyo region in spring 2019. Learn more at www.natgeo.com/everest.

CREDIT

Freddie Wilkinson/National Geographic

This work was supported by the National Geographic Society and Rolex. To learn more about the Everest Expedition, please visit: https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/perpetual-planet/everest/.

One Earth (@OneEarth_CP), published by Cell Press, is a monthly journal that features papers from the fields of natural, social, and applied sciences. One Earth is the home for high-quality research that seeks to understand and address today's environmental Grand Challenges, publishing across the spectrum of environmental change and sustainability science. A sister journal to Cell, Chem, and Joule, One Earth aspires to break down barriers between disciplines and stimulate the cross-pollination of ideas with a platform that unites communities, fosters dialogue, and encourages transformative research. Visit http://www.cell.com/one-earth. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com.

'Teetering on the brink' - Urgent action demanded to stop North Sea oil and gas industry 'jobs massacre'

By Martin Williams @MWilliamsHT Senior News Reporter


A UNION has called for urgent government action to stop a North Sea oil and gas industry "jobs massacre".

Offshore union RMT has said the North Sea energy industry was "teetering on the brink" having been hit by a double whammy of plummeting oil prices and the coronavirus pandemic.

As many as 8,000 jobs are thought to have been lost in the industry this year and trade body Oil and Gas UK previously warned that number could rise to 30,000 by the end of 2020.

In October an Offshore survey of 1383 oil and gas workers asserted that nearly half of North Sea oil workers had been either made redundant or been furloughed since lockdown, with four in five saying they are now open to leaving the industry.


READ MORE: Nearly half North Sea oil workers are either redundant or furloughed and 'face barriers' going green

The analysis comes after Royal Dutch Shell said it expected to cut up to 9,000 jobs as it looked to slash spending amid the crude price plunge triggered by the coronavirus crisis.


The oil and gas giant, which is a big player in the North Sea, said the cuts formed part of a simplification programme that it expected would help it save up to £1.9bn annually.

RMT general secretary Mick Cash said: "After the pandemic took hold, RMT demanded that ministers deliver a package of measures to ensure that offshore oil and gas workers aren't dumped by the industry in a rush to protect profits and dividends.

“Yet today we still have had nothing from Government whilst thousands of jobs are lost. Employers continue to estimate 30,000 job losses by October 2021.

“Exploration and production plans exist for 2.5 billion barrels of oil but the required investment has disappeared. If the Government doesn't follow RMT's advice and use decommissioning rate relief to protect jobs, skills, investment and resources, then offshore workers' skills and livelihoods will disappear along with any prospects of a 'Just Transition' to a net zero carbon economy. We cannot let that happen."


During a virtual Scottish Trades Union Congress event Jake Molloy, RMT regional organiser, said operators had “pulled the plug” on projects, leading to the drilling sector being “wiped out”.

He also claimed that the impact of Covid-19 is only responsible for a “fraction” of the job losses that have hit the industry in the last few months.

He said: “Operators are sitting on their money, they’re not prepared to spend. That doesn’t work for the North Sea industry anymore and that’s why there’s this ripple effect on the wider supply chain.

“We’ve seen boom and bust in the industry before and I used to think the downturn in 1986 was the worst ever. This is the worst, there’s no doubt about it.

“But it has been like smoke and mirrors with Covid. The pandemic has been at the front but in actual fact, behind the scenes, the oil companies have pulled the plug – they’re not prepared to spend or invest in anything.

“We’re in a mature, declining basin with a finite resource and we’ve got climate change on our back as well – the North Sea is teetering on the brink here.”

Nearly half North Sea oil workers are either redundant or furloughed and 'face barriers' going green

By Martin Williams @MWilliamsHTSenior News Reporter


NEARLY half of North Sea oil workers have been either made redundant or been furloughed since lockdown, with four in five saying they are now open to leaving the industry, a survey has revealed.

But many are faced with "significant barriers" preventing them from transitioning from their current jobs onto green energy projects, according to a new report.

Environmental groups Friends of the Earth Scotland, Greenpeace and Platform who have produced the findings are urging the UK and Scottish Government to sit down with workers to shape policy together so that their experiences and ideas are used to steer Covid-19 recovery packages and the transition to renewables.

Richard Hardy, Prospect’s Scottish national secretary and member of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission, said: “This is an important report with some worrying findings which highlight just how far we have yet to go to achieve any manner of Just Transition from fossil fuels to renewables.

“There is a wealth of skills in the North Sea oil industry, easily convertible to be applicable to renewable energy – all it needs is the will.

“Here in Scotland we have set up the Just Transition Commission which earlier in the year set out the need for immediate sector-specific plans – this report demonstrates that need further.

READ MORE: Oil & Gas UK say offshore workers should be routinely tested for coronavirus

“If we wait until the last minute on this it will be too late. If we repeat the mistakes of previous generations in it is our economy and local communities that will pay the price."

The analysis comes as Royal Dutch Shell said it expects to cut up to 9,000 jobs as it looks to slash spending amid the crude price plunge triggered by the coronavirus crisis.

The oil and gas giant, which is a big player in the North Sea, said the cuts form part of a simplification programme that it expects will help it save up to £1.9bn annually.

The group employs around 1,000 in its North Sea business and a further 5,500 in other operations in the UK.

It said a programme that is expected to involve from 7,000 to 9,000 job reductions should be completed by the end of 2022.

Shell cut North Sea jobs amid the four-year downturn that started in 2014.

The new Offshore study is the results of a survey of 1,383 oil and gas workers which shows that given the option of retraining to work elsewhere in the energy sector, more than half would be interested in renewables and offshore wind.

Based on the findings of the survey, the authors make recommendations to improve working conditions in the oil and gas sector, address barriers to entry and conditions within the renewables industry and ensure workers are able to help determine policy for the energy transition.

Ryan Morrison, Friends of the Earth Scotland Just Transition campaigner said: “These workers are the backbone of our energy sector but have faced years of job insecurity amid volatile oil markets, lax regulation and now the global pandemic.

“Despite the Scottish Government’s rhetoric, the idea of a just transition has failed to reach the overwhelming majority of the workers who will be most directly impacted. Workers’ voices must be at the centre of that transition process. The government must ensure oil and gas workers are supported into secure and sustainable jobs.”

“These results reveal an urgent need to improve terms and conditions for workers offshore and tackle job insecurity. The solutions provided by the workers could also increase opportunities in renewables and make the process of transition to renewables far easier.”

The Just Transition Commission (JTC) established to make recommendations to ministers on how Scotland can transition to a net-zero economy by 2045 has suggested fast-tracked North Sea decommissioning projects should be used as a “skills bridge” to get hundreds of oil workers over the current job-cuts crisis and into green energy role It has said that bringing forward deferred oil-well plugging and abandonment (P&A) work would immediately create jobs.

Its Green Recovery report urged the Scottish Government to "not lose sight of the pressing need to tackle climate change", suggesting a green recovery can help rebuild after Covid-19.

Written responses in the new survey revealed some of the hardships that workers have faced, both in the recent pandemic and as a result of volatility in the industry.

One worker said: “I have now been off work for 14 weeks and I have not received a penny due to me being employed by an agency. They have just ended my contract and hung me out to dry. I do not fall into any category for receiving any payment from anywhere.”

Another respondent answered: “I just think it’s a better work environment out of the oil and gas industry. It’s always boom and bust to some degree but the last five years have not been a pleasant environment to work in – that’s five years of mental toil.”

Scots teachers' safety strike warning as Covid positive pupil numbers soar tenfold in just six weeks


Exclusive by Martin Williams @MWilliamsHT Senior News Reporter


THE NUMBER of Scots pupils testing positive for coronavirus increased over ten-fold over just six weeks after they returned to school in August, the Herald can reveal.

New figures reveal that in the week in October before the half-term holiday, there were 409 school pupils testing positive for Covid-19 running at a rate of around 54 per 100,000 pupils. Nearly two in three were in secondary schools.

That has soared from at the start of the new term, when there were as few as 38 Covid-positive pupils - a rate of five per 100,000.

And the Herald can reveal that since then, Covid-related illness cases amongst pupils have since doubled again.

The figure come as unions have warned that teachers could refuse to attend schools if they feel that their environment is unsafe.

The rise in Covid cases amongst school pupils comes despite the fact the number of pupils actually tested for Covid slumped from 27,994 in the week starting on August 24, to just 4,449 before the October holiday.

The highest positive test rates are seen among S5-6 pupils in October where they reached 129 per 100,000.

Scotland's largest teachers union EIS has said teachers could carry out a "safety strike" if schools remain open full time. It has said school closures should be in the mix, and are surveying members on the effectiveness of Covid safety measures and on their willingness or otherwise to support ‘safety strikes’ should they be necessary.

Unions agree that blended or part-time learning - where education is a mix of being at home and in the classroom - should be on the table.

The Glasgow branch of the public service union UNISON called on the Scottish Government to "drop" it's attempt to keep schools and early years establishments fully open as more than two million people in 11 local authority areas - including Glasgow - are placed within Scotland's toughest Covid restrictions today (Friday).

READ MORE: Teachers 'being told to keep self-isolation numbers low'


The Level Four rules will see the closure of non-essential shops, pubs, restaurants and gyms.



They will be imposed in East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

North and South Lanarkshire, East and South Ayrshire, Stirling and West Lothian will also move to Level Four.

Brian Smith, Glasgow UNISON branch secretary said if workers believe that the current health and safety measures in their workplace are inadequate several courses of action are open, including in "extreme circumstances" refusing to attend schools under Section 44 of the Health and Safety Act. The union could also institute a collective grievance and report councils to the Health and Safety Executive.

He said: "The branch firmly believes that schools and early years establishments should not be fully operational during Level Four.

"We oppose the Scottish Government's position of attempting to maintain current service arrangements.

"There needs to be fewer staff and pupils attending schools and early years establishments."

EIS general secretary Larry Flanagan said: "The EIS is strongly of the view that at Level 4 both blended and remote learning have to be actively considered as part of the operational arrangements, both in terms of ensuring schools are Covid secure and also as a contribution to making Level 4 an effective intervention.

"Level 4 is an indication of high levels of community infection which clearly impacts on schools as much as anywhere. We already have schools suffering severe disruption because of infection levels and self-isolation requirements; blended or remote leaning could bring stronger coherence to the education offer to pupils, over the short period of time which Level 4 is due to apply for. "We will be calling on local authorities to engage in meaningful discussions around how Level 4 is managed within schools."


But an expert scientific report commissioned by the Scottish Government has backed the government’s decision to keep schools open through the Covid-19 crisis.

READ MORE: Teachers say Scots school closures should be on the cards as Level 4 lockdown is imposed in 11 council areas

The paper, from the Covid-19 Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s Issues, which examined the risks posed by the virus to pupils and staff, and the benefits to children and young people of schools remaining open, states the rate of coronavirus-related sickness among pupils is low across the country.

It asserted there was no direct evidence that transmission of the virus within schools plays a significant role in driving rates of infection among children.

Separate Scottish Government data shows that the number of pupils not in school for Covid-related reasons has doubled since the before the half-term break, reaching 30,028 on 11 November - about 4% of the school population. The vast majority of those pupils are self-isolating rather than showing Covid symptoms.

It emerged that half of one Scots secondary school is off after a total of 16 tested positive for coronavirus.

More than 400 pupils are self-isolating following an outbreak of coronavirus at Auchmuty High School in Glenrothes, Fife.

Head teacher, Alan Pithie said in a message that ten pupils and six staff members had tested positive for the virus.

John Swinney on Wednesday defended the decision to keep schools open in areas which are being moved to the toughest levels of lockdown restrictions. The deputy first minister said keeping schools open was "absolutely central" to the well-being of children and young people.

According to the Scottish Government over 0.2% of pupils tested positive for coronavirus in the first nine weeks of the school term restarting in Scotland.

Nicola Sturgeon said their findings reinforced her view the benefits of reopening schools outweigh the risks of increasing transmission rates.

She said on Wednesday: "While we will continue to listen carefully to all concerns, these findings do reinforce our view that at this time, the benefits young people gain from being in school outweigh the overall impact of schools on transmission rates."

The advisory sub-group paper – published to provide the evidence base for keeping schools open – says that there continued to be “strong evidence that children and younger people are much less susceptible to severe clinical Covid-19 disease than older people” and that there is “no current direct evidence that transmission within schools plays a significant contributory role in driving increased rates of infection among children”.

And it said that the prevalence of infection only began to increase in school-aged children in Scotland in mid-September and that coincided with an increase in community prevalence across all ages.

It says it is difficult to separate the risk from infection as a result of behaviour outside school and from in-school contacts.

It said that “there is clear evidence that time out of school has a detrimental effect on children and young people’s wellbeing, including impacts on developmental and mental health harms”.

New data also shows that on November 10, there were 748 children off school due to Covid-19-related illness, which includes those with symptoms but had not yet tested positive. That's nearly double the numbers who were off before the schools' half-term break in early October.

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Being in school is in the best interests of children and our priority remains to ensure schools are safe, open and welcoming. We have put in place robust measures developed with input from the Education Recovery Group, which includes local authority and union representatives, to help us to protect our school community.

“The Health and Safety Executive has provided very positive feedback on the way schools are implementing the guidance. We are keeping this, and scientific evidence under review, so where there is a need to take further action, we will work with teachers, parents, trades unions, local authorities and young people’s representatives to do so.

“There is no current direct evidence that transmission within schools plays a significant contributory role in driving increased rates of infection among children..."

Neither the Scottish Government or Public Health Scotland were able to show they were aware of the number of pupils who had tested postive for Covid in November.

The Scottish Government were first asked if they had the numbers a fortnight ago. They were only able to be detail how many had Covid-related illness - which includes many who have symptoms but not necessarily the virus.

A spokesman said "the separation" into the number of Covid positive pupils "is not available to us" and eventually referred us to Public Health Scotland.

Public Health Scotland were unable to update.

Winter of discontent: Scotland's public sector staff warn of strikes as morale 'collapses'

Exclusive by Martin Williams @MWilliamsHT Senior News Reporter


EXCLUSIVE

SCOTLAND is facing a winter of discontent as a new survey found that over half of local government workers are prepared to take industrial action to improve working conditions as morale "collapses".

The new study, carried out for the union Unite Scotland lays bare the feelings of Scotland's 250,000 local government workers, who help keep the nation's public services running.

It says they have been hit through a triple whammy of high stress, low pay and job insecurity during the Covid pandemic.

It comes as Scotland faces a series of potential strikes of public sector workers affecting schools, ferries and trains.

The survey of 3000 local government workers reveals that nearly three quarters are experiencing workplace stress, and over half rated their workplace morale as "bad or terrible".

It found that workers, from cleaners, carers, caterers and early years workers to refuse workers, grave diggers and road maintenance workers were regularly working beyond their contracted hours (41%). And nearly one in four said the additional hours worked were unpaid.

Some 84% said low pay was the key issue for local government and 56% were prepared to take industrial action to secure a better pay increase.

It comes as Unite, launches a Imagine Life Without Us campaign focusing on the "essential" roles of local government workers.

The study, carried out in October, found that nearly half identified job security as a "major worry" and 43% said they had had their terms and conditions "cut".

It comes as Scots face huge council tax rises as cash-strapped councils seek more powers to raise funds.



The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has asked to remove the cap for the rate of council tax which councils can set - which currently sits at three percent.

It said £500m of additional funding would be needed to help fund Scottish councils as authorities warn they faced "devastating" financial black holes.


The demands were part of a new Blueprint for Local Government document launched by COSLA which warned without "proper resourcing" cuts to council services are inevitable, risking the country's recovery from the virus.

Unions have already issued a 'safety strike' warning if teachers and staff feel their environment is unsafe, as the number of Scots pupils testing positive for Covid-19 has soared since they returned to the classroom in August. There are concerns about classroom safety as more than two million people in 11 local authority areas - including Glasgow - were placed within Scotland's toughest Covid restrictions yesterday.

CalMac union RMT has been calling on the state-run ferry operator to enter talks over a current pay dispute as it ballots staff on strike action.

And RMT has warned it will ballot nearly 2500 ScotRail staff on a strike and other forms of industrial action in a row over pay.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is currently contemplating a pay freeze for millions of public sector workers in England.

The 5.5 million affected include key workers lauded for their service during the pandemic, from the armed forces and police, to teachers and civil servants.

It is thought NHS staff would be exempt from the measures, but unions called a freeze for any sector "insulting".

Three weeks ago a 'Save our Services' campaign was launched as fears rose over council tax hikes to fill a £91m hole in the public finances of Glasgow alone over the next two years.

The public service union UNISON said Glasgow faces a "funding crisis", saying there is "historical unfairness" over the Scottish Government’s funding arrangements for the city exacerbated by what it called "a decade of Tory cuts from Westminster and now the Covid19 pandemic".

Unions including Unite launched an online Save Our Services petition calling for more money for the city and calls on councillors to refuse to implement any more cuts in the council budget whilst a campaign is built to win more money for the city.

Wendy Dunsmore, Unite regional officer said: “The survey findings highlight that morale has collapsed among local government workers who continue to keep our country moving, clean and compassionate as we enter the winter period.

“It’s clear that pay is the top issue after years of local government underfunding, cuts to terms and conditions, and the workforce regularly working beyond their contracted hours often not getting paid for this work."

Unite is calling for a 6% pay rise or £1,800 whichever is the greater, as part of the 2021 local government pay claim.

It said the survey findings are in the context of Scottish Government revenue funding to councils having been cut in real terms over the period 2013/14 to 2020/21 by 3.3 per cent. This does not include additional funding in response to the COVID-19 pandemic "We hope that the Scottish public will support our local government workers campaign and show their appreciation for the dedicated and professional work which has often gone beyond the call of duty during this pandemic," Ms Dunsmore added.

The COSLA blueprint document said the lack of funding has “immediate and long-term implications for local government’s ability to both manage the financial impacts of COVID-19 and continue to deliver essential services.”

A previous COSLA paper which emerged in July said: “Given the initial forecasts from local authorities it would require a council tax increase in 2021/22 in excess of 50 percent.”

Councils have broadly three main sources of funding – council tax, service charges and direct funding from the Scottish Government.

Council tax is the smallest with a 3% rise each April, raising around £7m per year in Glasgow.

A COSLA spokesman said: “The efforts of our workforce during this pandemic in terms of the delivery of essential services to communities has been incredible. As employers, we have worked closely with our trade unions colleagues throughout the period including weekly meetings to address any concerns.

“As befits the workforce who make a real difference to the lives of everyone in our communities, local authorities offer some of the best terms and conditions in the country. Our trade union colleagues joined us in our recent campaign to address stress levels called 'Don’t Stay on Mute'. Which included a video encouraging people to speak out.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “We value the sacrifices and efforts of all our local authority workers which is why we have taken exceptional measures in every area of government to deal with the challenges of Covid-19.

“Councils are independent of the Scottish Government and they are responsible for managing their own budgets and resources, and for the pay of their employees."