NEWS: THE WORLD'S most famous course could sink into the sea by 2050, a climate change expert warned yesterday.
Prof Jan Bebbington raised the possibility that the Old Course at St Andrews - known as the home of golf - could be lost through coastal erosion by then.
The St Andrews University academic was asked to prepare a report visualising the effects of climate change on Scotland's future society. She decided to write a speech, to be delivered at an imaginary carbon forum in 2050, aimed at encouraging countries to meet their emissions targets.
It describes how Scotland adapted to more severe winter storms, flooding and rising sea levels by co-ordinating a "managed retreat from vulnerable coastal locations".
But it also refers to the "sorrow at the last British Open played in St Andrews" before the course was claimed by coastal erosion.
The speech, which assumes Scotland has achieved an 80 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, also talks of the rise in car-sharing and vegetarianism. It describes the "Scottish Carbon Enlightenment", involving a "huge array of social experiments" which leads to "unleashed creativity on a grand scale".
It talks of "low carbon living" being achieved through technology, individual and collective behaviour change, and changes in culture, values and expectations.
Prof Bebbington describes the Scotland of 2050 as a "happier place than it once was", but adds it is "a time of profound change".
She said she hoped the speech would encourage people to think about the potential effects of climate change.
The director of the St Andrews Sustainability Institute said: "I am trying to say don't assume the way we live now and the things we take for granted will always be there.
"The Old Course is one example. It could be safe and I suspect it will attract a lot of investment to try to keep it safe. But it is on low lying ground and people should be asking themselves what if it - and other places we take for granted - was not there any more.
"In 2050 we will still work and have friends and do what we do now, but the world will be a very different place."
Prof Bebbington's work was commissioned by the David Hume Institute in Edinburgh and will be launched at an event in the city's Dynamic Earth tomorrow.
Meanhwile, messages of support continued to flood in for Seve Ballesteros yesterday after it was confirmed the Spanish golfing star has a brain tumour. The 51-year-old collapsed at Madrid airport a week ago and was in intensive care for five days, with doctors releasing a statement saying that he had suffered "a partial epileptic fit". He undergoes a biopsy today.
Speaking on behalf of the European Tour, chairman Neil Coles said: "Everyone connected with the European Tour will be shocked to hear this news. We are confident that Seve will conquer this challenge with the same determination he has brought to all previous challenges."
Ballesteros' compatriots Jose Maria Olazabal and Miguel Angel Jimenez were quick to offer him their best wishes for a speedy recovery. Olazabal, who visited Ballesteros in hospital, said he was "confident" he would recover, adding: "While I'm rightly worried, I thought Seve seemed very well. We were talking for a good while. I wish him a speedy recovery." Jimenez added: "Seve, we love you. We all hope you recover as soon as possible and we're waiting for you."
Sam Torrance, a contemporary of Ballesteros on the European Tour and a former European Ryder Cup captain too, added: "Well it's tragic news obviously, he's one of the best-ever players. There's not much more I can say. I have many fond memories of playing with him and against him. I hope he gets better."
There have been concerns over Ballesteros' health since he retired in 2007. Doctors discovered an irregular heartbeat when he was admitted to hospital last year while persistent back problems led to his retirement following a brief comeback.
