The city caught in the middle of the big energy shift debate

The city caught in the middle of the big energy shift debate26 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleJames CookScotland editorBBCWhen Iona Macdonald graduated from Aberdeen University in 2000 with a degree in chemistry, there was only one show in town. Iona recalls that she "inevitably slid into the oil and gas industry" where, like thousands of others, she built a successful and lucrative career.Back then, the sector was swimming in money, she remembers. "You would see a lot of Ferraris and Lamborghinis," says Macdonald of Aberdeen at the time.But after a quarter of a century, that journey - working both on and offshore as a production chemist and later a training manager - came to an abrupt halt when she was made redundant two years ago.Having tried and failed to secure employment in the renewable energy sector, the 48-year-old is now working on the minimum wage in a Glasgow pub. Iona enjoys the job and finds being part of the community worthwhile - but she's conscious she's not using any of her skills and experience. And she says she isn't alone: "I have friends who've gone from six-figure salaries to stacking shelves in a supermarket overnight."Iona adds: "It's been quite the struggle to transition out of what's a very heavily specialised technical industry."Iona Macdonald graduated from Aberdeen University in 2000 with a degree in chemistryThe transition from oil and gas jobs into renewables jobs has been on the lips of many politicians in recent years - including during the current Holyrood election campaign.Specifically, the talk has been of a "just transition" at the heart of the energy policy - the idea of a smooth and equitable shift of labour from dirty old oil to a bright green future.UK Energy Secretary Ed Miliband presents this as both a moral and practical duty, repeating warnings from climate scientists that burning every last drop of oil will accelerate catastrop...