You think We shouldn’t forget the blight of plastic pollution
WHILE the fight against coronavirus has rightly been the top priority in recent months, the huge environmental threats the world faces, such as the nature and climate crises and scourge of plastic pollution, have not gone away – and must be urgently addressed.
Fuelled by a growing number of scientific studies showing its widespread presence in our rivers, oceans, mountains and countryside, public concern about plastic pollution remains high.
The government response so far, such as bans on plastic stirrers and straws, are certainly welcome, but fall far short of the comprehensive measures needed to address the problem.
Of course, plastic isn’t the only waste problem we face. Care must be taken not to create even more waste by simply substituting another disposable material for single-use plastic.
The Environment Bill, currently passing through Parliament, provides a perfect opportunity to tackle both plastic pollution and the other sources of waste that blight our planet.
This is why we are calling on Cardiff South & Penarth MP Stephen Doughty, Cardiff West MP Kevin Brennan, Cardiff North MP Anna McMorrin and Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens to back calls for the new legislation to include bold and legally binding targets to reduce plastic pollution and cut waste.
These targets should be based on the approach outlined by Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, Surfers Against Sewage, the National Federation of Women’s Institutes and Keep Britain Tidy in their and Alasdair Carmichael MP’s Plastic Pollution Bill.
Our politicians have been very vocal about getting tough on plastic pollution. Now it’s time to act.
Cardiff Friends of the Earth
Keep Splott Tidy Keep Grangetown Tidy
Canna Collective Keep Rhiwbina Tidy Rhiwbina Against Plastic
Surely the first payment into a pension scheme should constitute a contract?
Chris J Perry Hythe
Handy coach stop has gone
FURTHER to the letters in the Echo regarding Castle Street, including my own of last week, requesting Castle Street reopen to traffic, I would like to add that National Express coaches are no longer able stop in Park Place at the university.
This was of course an ideal place for students travelling to and from our university and also much more convenient for other passengers such as myself rather than having to trudge across to Sophia Gardens to catch coaches, which is a very inconvenient place for the coaches for most people anyway since our bus station was taken away from us and even worse now that the dark evenings are upon us.
Also there are two coffee shops opposite the Park Place coach stop which are very convenient for people travelling.
One wonders what on Earth our councillors could have been thinking of to implement such a plan as the cafe quarter at Castle Street and to let it go on and on.
Violet Salter
Rhiwbina, Cardiff
New leadership of Labour offers hope
FOR many years former ASW steelworkers’ only voice in Westminster has been from Labour MPs Stephen Doughty and Christina Rees, and Plaid Cymru MPs, but it seems under new leadership they may have
a voice at the highest level, as senior Labour figures are seeking to do all that is possible to support the 18-yearlong and stressful campaign for pension justice.
However, I must stress Labour under Blair and Brown were just as guilty as the Conservatives in this scandal. We ask Labour and Conservative Welsh MPs and other MPs in the UK to put party differences aside and give their full support in backing these efforts to get justice for ASW pensioners and those in the Financial Assistance Scheme, as our fantastic Senedd Members have done over many years.
Then finally this inhumane injustice will come to an end, and these pensioners will received the pensions they were promised and paid for 100%. And enjoy a comfortable retirement in their old age.