ABSTRACT

Scotland’s built and natural environment is a major asset for us to enjoy in life and business. That’s why we need to protect and enhance it. Clean air and water, and uncontaminated soil, support and protect our public health and wellbeing … They are the inspiration for much of Scottish art and literature. And the natural and built environment are sources of wealth and economic opportunities – especially for fishing, farming, forestry, aquaculture, renewable energy and tourism. (Scottish Government 2009)

People [in Scotland] in the most deprived areas are far more likely to be living near to these sources of potential negative environmental impact than people in less deprived areas. (Fairburn et al. 2005)

The protection of the environment continues to capture international media and political headlines. A mounting body of research points to the perils facing essential natural resources such as water, soil and air from climate change by the economic activities of world trade (Brown et al. 2009). The dangers confronting environmental destruction are so severe that the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has referred to global warming as a ‘weapon of mass destruction’ (IPCC 2007).