DEEP beneath the waters to the west of Shetland lies a question about Scotland’s future: do we allow the UK to continue implicating our country in the global climate crisis, or do we take a different path that leaves behind not only our broken political Union but our deference to the oil and gas industry?

The new Cambo oil field, set to begin drilling in 2022 if it gets the final go-ahead, will deliver the equivalent of 16 coal-fired power plants worth of annual pollution in its first phase alone. It’s wholly thanks to the UK Government’s oil and gas licensing system that this folly is even being considered.

It may sound like the height of hyperbole, but Scottish independence may quite seriously be of benefit to our entire planet should it provide us the opportunity to stop Westminster’s reckless push to extract every last drop of oil and gas from Scottish waters.

READ MORE: All you need to know on proposed Shetland Cambo oil field project

Here are two facts to consider. Firstly, Scotland has an abundance of oil sitting beneath its waters. Second, any further exploitation of that resource will lead to irreversible and disastrous consequences for our planet. According to the International Energy Agency, any further development of oil and gas means missing the 1.5C targets set out in the Paris Agreement.

In this century, global warming will likely be the biggest cause of extinction for entire species of animals around the world. 20-30% of all species on our planet are at risk of simply disappearing if temperatures continue to soar. Between rising seas and increasingly extreme weather, the impact of climate change will devastate our global communities. Do we really want Scotland to be one of the reasons this is happening?

This could so easily be our future if we don’t take action now to tear down the machinery of the industries that act without any care for the future they will leave behind.

As Scots, with this planet-killing industry on our doorstep, we have a moral responsibility to take whatever actions we can to facilitate a just transition away from fossil fuels and toward greener, sustainable industries.

This wasn’t a responsibility we asked for, but it’s one that we have none-the-less.

Ultimately the decision to move ahead with the new Cambo oil field rests with the Oil and Gas Authority, an executive agency for the UK Government, meaning that Scotland’s role in contributing to catastrophic climate change will be decided outwith our nation’s own government and legislative bodies.

The power to issue oil and gas licenses still remains in the hands of Westminster, and if the past 50 years or so have shown us anything, it is that the UK Government is wholly invested in extracting as much oil and gas as possible regardless of whatever weak gestures towards environmentalism it makes.

​READ MORE: Scottish Greens call UK Government an 'embarrassment' over Shetland oil project

The UK Government is so desperate to continue it’s ecocidal drive toward profit over plant that recently it has decided it’s easier to play the authoritarian rather than deal with protests over its role in contributing to climate breakdown – a position it has slipped into with all the excitement of a child given a new toy to play with.

The new Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill voted through by MPs last week, if passed in the House of Lords, will effectively ban protest in England and Wales by giving police the power to lawfully end any form of resistance that it deems to be disruptive or noisy. You show me a protest that doesn’t fall foul of this draconian restriction on free expression, and I’ll show you a waste of everyone’s time. As much as we’d like it to be otherwise, quietly sitting around out of sight and asking politely for political change is about as impactful as changing your lightbulbs to save the planet. It won’t achieve anything.

This bill came as a reactionary snap back at protests organised by Extinction Rebellion, primarily because the UK Government knows fine well that its love for fossil fuels during a period of increasing awareness of the dangers facing our planet will only lead to further acts of civil disobedience. For the UK’s political elite, the unfettered flow of capital remains the priority over any meaningful steps toward climate justice.

In Scotland, however, we have the means to take the matches away from Westminster’s reckless successive governments. With independence, Scotland can take back its oil and protect it from the greed of the UK and the oil and gas industry.

Though it has to be said that independence would only be the first step toward doing so. With the SNP in power, there is no real guarantee that steps would be taken to transition away from fossil fuels at the pace our planet needs.

The SNP has just missed its greenhouse gas reduction targets for the third year in a row, not to mention that as a party it appears to have an uncomfortably close relationship with big polluters like Heathrow Airport. There isn’t much point in setting some of the most ambitious global climate targets if you aren’t actually meeting them.

Independence at the very least offers us the opportunity to hold our own government more fully to account on its connections with the oil and gas industry, when Westminster’s influence can no longer be a means to avoid scrutiny.

Independence, however, is a long-term solution to Westminster’s despotic behaviour and reckless disdain for climate action. Decisions around the Cambo oil field represent a clear and present danger that must be addressed urgently.

While protesters in England are likely to face fines or jail time for standing up to the British Government, we Scots have even more of a responsibility to take the necessary steps to protect our world. Think of the future, but be prepared to act now.