Lesley Riddoch

Chilling threat to efforts to bring Russia in from the cold

Shale Gas. Two small words that could transform the world.

According to Tony Hayward, BP’s Chief Executive at the World Economic Forum in Davos, a “gamechanging technology” has arrived which “transforms the US energy outlook for the next 100 years."

American companies have discovered how to exploit new reserves of gas and coal by breaking up rock formations with a mixture of water, sand and chemicals in a process called hydraulic fracturing.

A date for your diary

If you bought the Scotsman over the last few days, you will have seen an advert like this one with Joyce McMillan. On 17 February, the Scotsman will launch a weekly podcast which will be produced by Feisty Productions. Lesley Riddoch will be joined by a posse of Scotsman journalists to discuss, dissect and debate the big issues. The podcast will be available on the Scotsman website. And here. 

Put the date in your diary now.

Coming up on February 17th !

 

The ultimate outcasts are coming in from the cold

He’s a blood sucking parasite whose power over ordinary mortals is eternal. He has yet to be exposed for murderous acts committed years ago. And yet in the hit BBC series Being Human the vampire is the vulnerable, courageous and moral hero in a petty, vindictive world of human spite.

Best Foreign Language Film award winner, Let the Right One portrays the struggle of a lonely, bullied, isolated boy befriended by the little girl next door, who happens to be a vampire. Where the Wild Things Are tells the story of a lonely boy who runs away to find acceptance on an island full of other “wild things” -- and the strength to re-enter “conventional” society.

Inequality harms us all

The richest 10% of the British population are more than 100 times as wealthy as the poorest 10% of society. Whichever way you look at it, the National Equality Panel report makes shocking reading. But some will try to spot a crumb of comfort in the relative narrowing of the gender income gap.

To read the rest of Lesley's 'Comment is free' article - click here.