Dave Thompson MSP

Last Saturday was the first ever Armed Forces Day which was preceded by a week long celebration of the men and women who are, and have, served in our armed forces. I was privileged to be asked to take part in the parade in Dingwall which marched from the Royal British Legion along the High Street to the War Memorial and back.

The parade was very well attended with all ages from very young cadets to proud veterans taking part. At the end of the parade Lord Lieutenant, Janet Bowen presented around 50 Veterans Badges to men and women from Ross-shire who served in the forces.

The Armed Forces Day is to be an annual event and I hope it will grow as the years go on as it is extremely important to mark the service given to our country by our dedicated forces personnel, who make many sacrifices on our behalf.

Another worthwhile organisation is the Citizens Advice Bureau, a charity where 80% of its workers are volunteers. Without the support of these volunteers, the CAB would be unable to continue so I am really pleased to make a plug for them today as the Alness CAB has just begun a recruitment drive.

There are many volunteering positions available in the CAB to suit all skills and anyone over the age of eighteen who wishes to give time and effort to help others within the local community will be considered.

Volunteering at the CAB is an excellent way for parents with free time once children have started school to find a way back into work or for school leavers and students to have a self enriching gap year while enhancing their CV's. It would also benefit the longer term unemployed or retirees who wish to continue working as volunteers. Full training is given to advisers, teaching them skills which will prove valuable in many other lines of work.

Any person interested in become a volunteer at the Citizens Advice Bureau in Alness should telephone 01349 885 931 for more information.

The Scottish Parliament did something last Wednesday which drew us to the attention of  The Terminator which, fans of the films will confirm, is not usually particularly wise. On this occasion, however, he was on our side as the Parliament passed the SNP Government's Climate Change bill.

Terminator actor, and Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger gave his backing to our Bill saying:

"Climate change is a global problem that requires a global solution. California has set aggressive greenhouse gas reduction targets, but we need the help of the world to tackle the most pressing environmental issue of our time.

"Scotland's ambitious and comprehensive targets encourage other nations to step up to the plate as we look toward an international agreement in Copenhagen, and it sends a message to the world that we must act now and we must act swiftly." Praise indeed and confirmation of just what Scotland can achieve with the right leadership and policies.

The Scottish Climate Change Bill sets a target of reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050, including emissions from international aviation and shipping and also sets an interim target for a 42 per cent cut in emissions by 2020. These are very ambitious targets and lead the world as we move towards the international summit on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December.

While climate change is a threat, it should also be seen as a real opportunity and Scotland can help by harnessing the energy related opportunities presented by Scotland's renewable resources. In the process we can create tens of thousands of jobs which will help us emerge from the current global economic downturn on the back of a strong green economic revival.

Achieving these targets will be challenging but I am confident that our SNP Government, business and the people of Scotland are ready to rise to this challenge and show the way to the rest of the world.