Salmonella and the beansprouts

A food warning has gone out to food establishments in Edinburgh over the importance of proper handling of raw bean sprouts.

An investigation into an outbreak of salmonella by the Health Protection Agency and Health Protection Scotland has identified possible links to raw bean sprouts.

There have been 58 cases reported in England since the start of August and 15 cases in Scotland.

Currently, eight of these cases have been reported amongst Lothian’s residents.

An investigation is currently ongoing and no conclusive source has been identified. However, as a precaution the City of Edinburgh Council and the Food Standards Agency would like to remind people of the importance of preparing and cooking raw bean sprouts.

Bean sprouts that are labelled ‘ready to eat’ can be eaten uncooked, as long as they are consumed within the ‘use-by’ date. However, bean sprouts not labelled ‘ready to eat’ should be cooked thoroughly until they are piping hot all the way through.

The Food Standards Agency recommends that for bean sprouts to be completely safe, they must be cooked thoroughly until they are steaming hot. And large bean sprouts, which are often added to a stir-fry, should be left to simmer for a few minutes whilst cooking.

The main advice for bean sprouts before cooking should be:

- Keep them refrigerated.
- Avoid sprouts that have turned brown or have a strange odour.
- Rinse raw bean sprouts thoroughly.
- Follow any instructions on the packaging and use the bean sprouts by the ‘use by’ dates.
- Bean sprouts that are labelled ‘ready to eat’ can be eaten uncooked, as long as they are consumed within the ‘use-by’ date.
- Bean sprouts not labelled ‘ready to eat’ should be cooked thoroughly until they are piping hot all the way through.
- If you are in any doubt as to whether the bean sprouts are ‘ready to eat’, or in the absence of clear preparation instructions, always cook the bean-sprouts thoroughly before eating. This includes bean sprouts that are labelled or appear ‘pre-washed’, but are not described as ‘ready to eat’.

Councillor Robert Aldridge, Environmental Leader, said: “We readily give advice on how to prepare and cook food to avoid the potential risks of contamination and food poisoning and with raw bean sprouts it is essential that they should be cooked properly. I would urge restaurant owners and the general public to take the FSA’s advice on preparing and cooking bean sprouts so that any possible illness can be avoided at all costs.”

People with weakened immune systems, as well as the very old and the very young, should not eat raw sprouts.

If any member of the public has concerns they can call the Council on: 0131 529 3030.

National Library – now online

One million resources previously available only by visiting Scotland’s largest research library can now be accessed from your home or office, at the click of a button.

More than 1.5 million manuscripts, letters, books, newspapers, and market research reports have been made available online to the public via the National Library of Scotland.

The items are available via 52 licensed digital collections equating to around 9% of the Library’s print collection, providing an invaluable resource to a variety of researchers from enthusiasts to academics alike.

John Coll, Head of Access and Enquiries, National Library of Scotland, said: “I am very excited to see this ambitious project coming to fruition. We are leading the way in Scotland in terms of providing seamless access to such an extensive range of resources. Anyone resident in this country and registering as a reader of the Library can gain immediate and free access, via the web, to a vast range of material.”

For those interested in 19th Century material, access is available to a extensive range of periodicals and newspapers which cover the events, lives, values and themes that shaped Victorian society, including a full back catalogue of The Times from 1785 to 1985 and The Scotsman from 1817-1950.

Britain’s major writers also have their own dedicated section on the cutting edge web resource. The British Literary Manuscripts Online category includes more than 600,000 pages of author manuscripts including poems, plays, novels, private correspondence, and diaries, providing an intimate look into the lives and works of Britain’s major writers.

The online resource also includes the Electronic Enlightenment collection, offering a full-text digital archive of the correspondence between the greatest thinkers and writers of the 18th Century, containing over 53,000 letters and documents from over 6,000 correspondents.

Those interested in modern and current content have not been forgotten.  Thousands of local and international newspapers are available to search and browse online, alongside major academic journal collections.  And hundreds of up to the minute full-text reference works and academic texts, such as Who’s Who and the complete Oxford English Dictionary, sit alongside more historic full-text archives containing hundreds of thousands of titles [relevant collections include: Infotrac Custom Newspapers, Factiva (news wires & papers), Oxford Journals Online, JSTOR (journals), Netlibrary (e-books), Credo Reference (ref e-books), Making of the Modern World (historic full-text archives)].

The remote access collections also offer an insight into the world of commerce. The Cobra Complete Business Reference Business Advisor section contains details on how to start hundreds of different businesses as well as providing thousands of factsheets on running a business. Whilst the Global Reference Solution section houses details of more than 150 million companies worldwide, including contact details, an indication of size and ownership and an activity code.

John Coll added: “Remote access demonstrates the Library’s commitment to enriching lives and communities by making a wealth of information freely available to the people of Scotland. It removes the physical and geographical boundaries requiring people to travel to the library to see this content.

“Our intention is to extend coverage as demand grows. We have a target of increasing usage of existing resources by 25% during the current financial year. Achieving this target will influence our move towards greater remote access.”

ESPC explains what €82m will buy you

On Friday 1 October, punters taking part in the EuroMillions draw could win a jackpot of £82million. The payout is one of the biggest in the game’s history according to Camelot and it comes on the back of a fine run of luck for British players. Since June ten winners in the UK have netted a total of almost £350 million.

Such grand sums of money are hard to fathom for most of us mere mortals of course, so to put things in perspective, here’s what £82 million could buy you in terms of Scottish property:

The 800 most affordable houses in Edinburgh advertised on www.espc.com or the 113 most expensive.
Every property currently available for sale in Marchmont & Bruntsfield. Twice over.
Over 450 two-bedroom flats in the Capital.

Or for those looking for something further afield, £82million would have allowed you to buy every property sold in Shetland since January 2008.

ESPC chief executive Malcolm Cannon said:- “Vast sums of money like this are frankly fanciful for most of us so it’s always interesting to put them in some sort of context. Even in today’s market, property is still a popular investment for those looking at the longer-term and it’s quite mind-boggling to think of the number of homes one could buy with that sort of cash.

Of course, managing and maintaining so many homes could be a little tricky and if anyone is lucky enough to hit the jackpot I’d think a glass of something refreshing followed by a relaxing holiday somewhere warm would be a perfectly admirable course of action in the short-term!”

Low Carbon Investment Conference – back next year!

The Scottish Low Carbon Investment conference will be held again next year, First Minister Alex Salmond announced today, saying the gathering of senior executives from finance, energy and government in Edinburgh can become the ‘Davos of green finance’.

In his closing address to the SLCI conference, attended by around 550 delegates over two days, Mr Salmond said next year’s event would focus on resource use and energy efficiency.

He said:-”This conference has explored the unprecedented opportunities of building up the global low carbon economy – estimated to reach £4.3 trillion in value by 2015 – and how Scotland’s huge natural resources, our wealth of offshore energy engineering expertise and strong record of financial innovation will play a key role in accelerating that progress. We have examined the challenges, not least of raising the levels of private investment needed to enable Scotland to become a massive net exporter of clean energy and bring lasting social and economic benefits for all.

“Much work has been invested in planning this conference and tremendous progress made in recent days – galvanising new partnerships of investors, utilities, developers and government that will continue over the coming weeks, months and years. The Scottish Government plans to reconvene the conference next year. Indeed, given the strength of commitment from those involved in this inaugural event, I think Edinburgh can become the ‘Davos of green finance’.”

The First Minister outlined plans to support projects in seeking finance, including maintaining the SLCI website as a portal to match developers with investors, and to convene a summit of leading experts from the oil and gas sector and the renewables industry to maximise the transfer of skills and experience from petrochemicals to low carbon energy generation.

He told delegates that the next year’s investment conference would have a strong focus on resource use and energy efficiency – a key element, alongside low carbon energy generation, of Scotland’s strategy to reduce carbon emissions by 42 per cent by 2020.

“There are further big returns for investors and consumers on the demand side and in investing in energy efficiency,” the First Minister told delegates, before outlining existing projects in Scotland to improve home design, heating, transport and smart metering.

“In the next fortnight, we will publish an Energy Efficiency Action Plan, outlining our approach, including setting a headline target to reduce Scottish final energy consumption by 2020.

“Our £27 million Climate Challenge Fund has helped already some 250 communities reduce their emissions, saving them an estimated 700,000 tonnes of CO2. That’s the equivalent of taking 225,000 cars off Scotland’s roads. By improving energy efficiency, Scottish consumers will not only save billions and secure warmer homes but we will see a further 10,000 new green jobs.”

The two-day Scottish Low Carbon Investment conference provides a unique forum for Government, international finance, utilities and developers to engage directly, debating and identifying the risks and rewards of major capital, public/private and ‘venture’ size projects in the low carbon sector.

Scotland is committed by statute to cutting CO2 by 42 per cent by 2020 – the highest emissions reduction target in the industrialised world. A new national target for expanding renewable electricity capacity has been set to achieve the production of at least 80 per cent of the level of demand by 2020. Scotland is committed to be a major exporter of low carbon electricity and to decarbonise our electricity supply by 2030, through a combination of renewables and clean fossil fuels utilising Carbon Capture and Storage.

Davos in Switzerland is the setting for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

More arrests for supplying crack cocaine

A further 11 people have been arrested this week by Lothian and Borders Police as the Force continues to take action to reduce the supply of crack cocaine in Edinburgh.

Six addresses in the Leith area of the city were searched earlier in the week and in addition to those arrested a quantity of heroin and crack cocaine was seized.

A number of those taken into custody have appeared at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

A total of 41 people have now been arrested as part of Operation Advance – an intelligence led operation targeting those responsible for dealing crack cocaine in the city.

Several thousands of pounds and drugs including crack cocaine, heroin and herbal cannabis have also been recovered during the past week.

Following six months of covert intelligence gathering, officers from Lothian and Borders Police have been executing a number of drug search warrants across the city over the last seven days.

A police spokesman said: ‘These arrests will let the dealers know that they are not welcome in Edinburgh and will reassure our communities that we will take action against those whose activities bring misery to them.

‘We have been working closely with a number of our partner agencies on this Operation and this will continue in the coming weeks as we carry out high visibility patrols and support is provided to drug abusers who will be without a supply.

Car Thefts

Police in Edinburgh are appealing for information following a spate of high-value vehicle thefts that have happened in recent days.

Early on Sunday morning (September 26), a silver Mercedes CDI and a black Alfa Romeo saloon were stolen from outside a property in Plewlandcroft, South Queensferry, after thieves entered the premises and stole both sets of keys.

In another incident, which happened overnight between Sunday and Monday, a red Audi A4 was stolen from an address in Redford Loan, again after thieves gained access to the owner’s home. A number of laptop computers were also stolen.

In another incident that happened overnight, and was reported this morning, (Wednesday) thieves entered a property in Broomyknowe and stole the keys to a grey Landrover Discovery and a blue Volkswagen Golf, which were parked outside.

In addition to these incidents, a silver Transit van was stolen in Duddingston Road West around 6.30am today, after the driver left the keys in the ignition while making deliveries in the area.

A police spokesman said: ‘This is a worrying spate of thefts, and we are appealing for anyone with any information that can help reunite these vehicles with their owners to get in touch as a matter of urgency.

‘In most of these incidents the thieves stole the vehicles after gaining access to properties that had been left insecure, and we would always urge homeowners to make sure their properties are properly secured overnight.

‘In particular we would urge vehicle owners, particularly the owners of high-value vehicles such as those listed above, to be vigilant when it comes to securing their car keys, whether at home or elsewhere.’

Exhibitions at the RSA

The Royal Scottish Academy is presenting two very different exhibitions this month.

RSA New Works will present work by artists who have participated in the 2009 RSA Residencies Programme and will run in the RSA Finlay Room until 10th October.

RSA NEW WORKS
Until 10th October
This exhibition will present work by five artists who participated in the 2009 RSA Residencies for Scotland programme. As successful applicants for the programme, each of the five artists received funding (up to £5000) and an opportunity to spend time at RSA Partner arts venues across Scotland. These venues allowed the artist to further develop their practice in a period of research from one week to six months.
Paintings, photographs, prints, film work and sculpture resulting from these periods of research are exhibited as part of this exhibition.
The following artists are participating:
• Anthony Schrag – Deveron Arts, Huntly
• Becky Šik – Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Lumsden
• Frank Pottinger RSA – The Rendezvous Gallery/Tigh Alasdair Ruaraidh, Lewis
• James Lumsden – An Tallas Solais, Ullapool
• Patricia Cain – Wasps Artist Studio, Glasgow

Consultation on nursery closures

A report proposing that a consultation should be carried out into the closure of two city nurseries will be presented to a special meeting of the Children & Families Committee next month.

Get your car washed – by the Fire Service!

Looking for a stress free way to clean the family car? Here’s the chance to take the pressure off. On Saturday 2nd October 2010, firefighters across Lothian and Borders will be hosting their annual Autoglym National Car Wash Day on behalf of The Fire Fighters Charity.

The message from the sponsor is if your car is looking neglected get down to your local fire station on Saturday and let the firefighters give it a clean!

On the day, firefighters will be using specialised shampoos donated by Autoglym, to help give that added shimmer. For three years running, Autoglym has supported The Fire Fighters Charity – the official organisation which supports injured fire fighters during their times of need.

The National Car Wash is the Charity’s largest fundraising event of the year, and sees firefighters up and down the country washing the nation’s cars in exchange for a donation. The event promises to be a great day for all, as not only will cars leave the fire station looking squeaky clean, but the passengers will leave armed with vital fire safety information. It’s also the ideal way to help raise greatly needed funds for The Fire Fighters Charity.

Stations taking part in Lothian and Borders so far, are: Tollcross, Sighthill, Crewe Toll, McDonald Road, Bathgate, Whitburn, Broxburn, Livingston, Dalkeith, Haddington, Newcraighall, Penicuik, Musselburgh, West Linton, Innerleithen, Selkirk, Hawick, Coldstream, South Queensferry, North Berwick, Duns, Peebles, East Linton, Galashiels, Lauder, Eyemouth, Dunbar.

Autoglym’s chief executive, Paul Caller said ‘We are proud to support the car wash event for the third successive year. We hope that our contribution in conjunction with the efforts of the local firefighters will again raise substantial funds for such a worthy cause.”

Of course, whilst everyone will be waxing lyrical about their spotless cars, there are two very serious reasons to why this annual event is taking place across the UK. Despite fire fighters’ best efforts, they see first hand how fire can destroy lives and devastate communities on a daily basis. By learning more about fire safety around the home, lives can be saved. It is also a fantastic way to raise essential funds for The Fire Fighters Charity in order to continue to support those in need.

The Scottish Low Carbon Investment Conference

Innovation and advances in clean green energy present a “pivotal turning point in human history”, Scotland’s First Minister said yesterday, urging private finance leaders to seize the multi-billion pound opportunities in renewable and low carbon technology.

First Minister Alex Salmond opened The Scottish Low Carbon Investment conference in Edinburgh, where more than 450 leading figures from international finance, energy and other sectors are gathered to explore opportunities and help accelerate private investment in a global market that is forecast to grow to £4.3 trillion by 2015.

Mr Salmond also unveiled an industry-led Offshore Wind Route Map, setting out the key actions required in the coming years to fully realise the huge potential around the coast of Scotland – estimated to have a quarter of Europe’s potential offshore wind and tidal capacity and a tenth of its wave resource.

He said:-”This is more than a once-in-a-generation opportunity such as North Sea Oil and Gas was. Until now, mankind has largely been reliant on carbon based energy for fuel. Ever present was the realisation that finite resources must eventually run out. More recently, has been the realisation that our overuse of carbon and dependence on petrochemicals threatens the climate itself.

“The move to renewable energy is fundamentally different from the move from wood to coal or coal to oil and gas. That was just moving from one limited form of carbon based energy to another. Renewable energy is different: the wind and the waves will be with us forever. Once we make that shift to renewable energy, there will be no going back.

“This is a pivotal turning point in human history, on a par with the move from hunter-gathering to settled agricultural communities or the discovery of the New World in 1492. The 19th century Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister, George Canning, talking of the liberation of Latin America, said that he had brought a New World into existence to redress the balance of the old. Now we must bring a new economy into existence to redress the balance of the old. And unlike the discovery of the New World of America, this New World of energy will be gained not by force and conquest but by innovation and ingenuity.”

In Scotland up to 60,000 new green jobs could be created across the low carbon sector by the end of this decade – some 28,000 of them directly servicing domestic and worldwide offshore wind markets.

The First Minister told delegates:-”The Offshore Wind Industry Group’s Route Map sets out the sector’s ambitions in Scotland and identifies clearly what actions are needed now – from reform of the UK’s outdated transmission charging regime to strengthening grid connectivity. It can galvanise us all to overcome these current challenges and ensure we deliver on the huge potential around Scotland’s coast. The Industry Group’s report also calls for the release of Scotland’s £189 million fossil fuel levy surplus. The sooner the funds are unlocked, the sooner we can use them to leverage greater levels of investment in our ports and other infrastructure.”

The First Minister added:-”Capital may be difficult to get but the renewable resources of our land and sea are scarcely touched and now opening up. And in the East a quarter of mankind is racing from poverty to prosperity at growth rates of close to or above 10 per cent annually. And they are looking for solid, secure infrastructural investment to replace the asset bubbles of the past. While we won’t find all of the financing solutions this week, we know that it has been done before with North Sea oil and gas a generation ago. And we can do it again on the same scale. Let’s get down to work and bring our Renewables Revolution closer to reality.”

Andrew Jamieson, Regulation & Markets Director, ScottishPower Renewables and Director of industry body Scottish Renewables, co-chaired the Offshore Wind Industry Group which produced the Route Map.

He said:-”I welcome the publication of the Scottish Offshore Wind Industry Route Map. This clearly demonstrates that if the renewable industry continues to work in partnership with Scottish Government, and that Government continues to show leadership in this area, Scotland can capture all the employment and economic benefits that befit the huge renewable resources around our shores.”

The global low carbon economy was estimated to be worth £3 trillion in 2007-08 and is forecast to grow to £4.3 trillion by 2015. The two-day Scottish Low Carbon Investment conference provides a unique forum for Government, international finance, utilities and developers to engage directly, debating and identifying the risks and rewards of major capital, public/private and ‘venture’ size projects in the low carbon sector. Scotland’s First Minister, Environment Secretary, Energy Minister and senior officials will represent the Scottish Government at the conference.

The Offshore Wind Industry Group Route Map makes recommendations in five main areas (infrastructure, supply chain and innovation; grid; managing the environment; skills; and finance). Its Membership include all offshore wind developers active in Scotland, grid operators, supply chain companies, academia and public sector including the Scottish Government, enterprise agencies and The Crown Estate.

Scotland is committed to cutting CO2 by 42 per cent by 2020 – supported by several targets, including expanding renewable electricity capacity to the equivalent of at least 80 per cent of demand by the end of this decade. Scotland is committed to be a major exporter of low carbon electricity and to decarbonise our electricity supply by 2030, through a combination of renewables and clean fossil fuels utilising Carbon Capture and Storage.

An Offshore Valuation report, published in May, found that harnessing just a third of Scotland’s practical offshore wind, wave and tidal resource by 2050 would take the country’s installed offshore renewables capacity to 68 GW. Deploying just a third of the total UK resource could unlock the electricity equivalent of 1 billion barrels of oil a year (matching North Sea oil & gas production), delivering CO2 reductions of 1.1 billion tonnes by 2050. The report estimated that delivering this output would require capital expenditure between now and 2050 estimated at £443 billion across the UK – which, if apportioned on the basis of share of practical resource, would equate to some £177 billion of capital investment in offshore sites around Scotland.

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