Donald Trump and the European Emissions Trading Scheme have come out tops in the inaugural Stupid Awards, beating a shortlist of "some of the most notorious climate-trashers" in Scotland, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, budget airline Ryan Air and the Scottish Government.
The tongue-in-cheek awards ceremony, held at Edinburgh Filmhouse cinema last night, was inspired by the new docu-drama The Age of Stupid, which had its global premiere last weekend. The awards were organised by Friends of the Earth Scotland and World Development Movement Scotland.
Trump won a Stupid Award in the category "Head in the Sand" for "steamrolling Scottish democracy" into giving him planning permission for a £1 billion golf resort at Balmedie in Aberdeenshire.
The Scottish government, whose target of 80% reduction in Scotland's carbon footprint by 2050 is at odds with its old-style, economic growth plans, would have taken the "Greenwash" award if it weren't for the European Emissions Trading Scheme. The program, whereby high-polluting companies offset their carbon emissions by buying credits off low-polluting companies, has been an ineffectual failure.
Not Stupid on climate change
On the plus side, Edinburgh University won a Not Stupid award in the "Money where their mouth is" category for its work on reducing its carbon footprint, and Mike and Karen Small, creators of the Fife Diet, which emphasises eating local, seasonal, sustainable food, won a Not Stupid award in the "Unsung heroes" category.
Simon Bateson of Edinburgh's Take One Action project has co-ordinated more than 20 events in Scotland around the Age of Stupid, showing at the Filmhouse this week. Bateson says the film is a great opportunity for campaigners to educate people about what they can do locally.
"Film is a unique way to engage many ordinary people with difficult issues and move them on to action. What's great about Franny's film, though, is that she has been working from the beginning with campaigners to ensure that they have as much ownership of the project as she does," says Bateson.
Take One Action patron and Palme D'Or winner Paul Laverty, added: "Films are spurs of ideas - they open people's minds. That makes this work in Scotland really, really important."
The Stupid Awards
Category: Ostrich (head in the sand)
Nominations:
The Water Industry Commission for Scotland (climate change denying chairman and other practices)
Lord Christopher Walker Monckton (the elite of climate change deniers)
Ryan Air (for putting a cheap buck before climate change and charging for the toilet)
RBS (for putting billions of our money into climate trashing fossil fuel projects - and the rest)
Donald Trump (encouraging airport expansion and air travel)
Winner: Donald Trump
Category: Greenwash
Nominations:
European Emissions Trading Scheme (for failing to work and reduce emissions)
Scottish Power (extending life of dirty coal power stations)
British Energy (pretending that nuclear power is the answer to climate change)
The Scottish Government (large climate-change causing transport projects and more)
Winner: European Emissions Trading Scheme
'Not Stupid' awards
Category: Unsung heroes
Nominations:
Nazim Merchant (long time poverty and climate change campaigner)
Gus Langlands (long time climate and environmental justice campaigner)
Cindy Cortillier (young, energetic, committed climate activist)
Eva Shonveld (key figure in Transision Towns in Scotland)
Mike and Karen Small (creators of the Fife Diet)
Winner: Mike and Karen Small
Category: Money where their mouth is
Nominations:
Aquamarine Power (wave and tidal energy company)
Co-op (taking climate campaigning to the high street)
Scottish Government (introducing potentially tough climate law)
Edinburgh Uni (making serious effort to reduce their climate impact)
Reclaimer (Provided recycling in Glasgow where council have been slow to act)
Winner: Edinburgh University
Category: Great Ideas
Nominations
The Fife Diet (helping us think about the carbon footprint on our plates)
Plane Stupid (engaging hundreds of ordinary people against the massive expansion of flying)
Fintry Development Trust (insulating homes with profits from community-owned wind power)
Cheat Neutral (for likening carbon offsetting to cheating on your parter, but paying someone else to stay faithful)
Transision Towns (harnessing the will of local people to make changes)
Winner: Fintry Development Trust