River monitoring in Scotland is scant; compared to England, where 100 per cent of rivers and lakes are monitored, in Scotland only 8 per cent are observed. This lacklustre approach has enabled speculation that Scotland’s rivers and lakes are A-okay, pretty shipshape in comparison to the rest of the UK. This speculation, however, is exactly that: speculation. At the end of 2024, reports surfaced that sewage pollution in Scotland’s waters was far more widespread than initially perceived, with thousands of undisclosed sewage spillages demonstrating a need for tighter and tougher regulations.
Now, Argyll’s Loch Long, one of Scotland’s most prized beauty spots, appears to be at the head of the plastic pollution problem. What has typically been a place of idyllic beauty and an escape from urban pollution has become what is now being termed as a “litter sink,” a rank manifestation of our extreme plastic usage and a disgusting eyesore and environmental hazard to the residents of Argyll. A combination of winds and the rotation of the earth has driven litter up to the loch, with the majority arising from the waterways of Glasgow. Discouragingly, it is estimated that 11 per cent of rubbish which enters the River Clyde, is eventually washed up at Arrochar at the head of the loch.
We are not doing enough to stop pollution. A simplistic point to make, I am aware, but it quite clearly needs repeating. In a week that has already seen the consent for the Jackdaw and Rosebank oil fields by the last government ruled unlawful, and the “green chancellor” Rachel Reeves approving plans for Heathrow’s third runway, the pollution of Loch Long is the cherry on the cake. We evidently must be reminded of what we are losing, and what we are set to face.
We are destroying what is beautiful. We are making our country unlivable. How long can this continue to go on? No longer does it feel like climate disasters happen in some faraway land, destined to only destroy the lives of those in the global south. Pollution and climate change are affecting people in this country, right here and right now. And yet still nothing is done. It feels like we are instead regressing, not progressing.
Yes, it is undisputable: the best time to act on issues of climate change and pollution was years ago. Many, many years ago. The second best time to act, however, is right now. Now, please, excuse me whilst I go and bang my head against a brick wall.
Illustration by Erin Dirom