Science and logic are at heart of decision-making

WALES is very fortunate to have Mark Drakeford as First Minister and Vaughan Gething as Health Minister.

Both have accepted their responsibilities and presented the public with a clear understanding of the way forward in the fight against Covid-19.

Science and logic have also played a part in decision-making, with the Welsh Government well-equipped in both disciplines.

Perhaps Bill Powell (Echo letters, October 13) who criticises Mark Drakeford for “treating us like toddlers” would prefer to be led by Boris Johnson’s erratic leadership in England.

If I recall, one of Boris’ suggestions to combat the virus was to “whack a mole”. Now that sounds like treating us like toddlers.

John Watkins

Rassau, Ebbw Vale

Stay safe and think of others

THE virus is killing us daily and with lockdown killing more people’s businesses and jobs, everyone needs to take this seriously.

The ones ignoring rules are blinkered and clearly don’t care that this virus is a killer and that people with underlying health issues and the elderly are particularly vulnerable. Why aren’t they sensible and realise the virus can take a hold on anyone, and how would they feel if one of their family or friends contracted Covid and were seriously ill or died? They clearly are of the opinion that “it won’t happen to me”. Nobody knows who will get it and they need to heed the advice that is being given.

Lockdown does affect many of us mentally; it isn’t easy not being able to do what we were used to doing before Covid and now not being able to see friends or family when we want to, but we have to do what we have to do and ensure everyone stays as safe as they can. We will get back to normality but only if everyone does their bit to help this dreadful situation we are in and not act irresponsibly.

We must not let any more businesses suffer and close down, we will need some of these shops when things do get back to some sort of normality but they will never be resurrected as we have seen over the past few years with endless shops closing down and some towns being left like a ghost town.

So everyone, do what you have to do to ensure we get through this sooner rather than letting it drag on for several months and causing more heartache for families and added stress for the NHS.

Stay safe, think about others.

Alice Weaver Riverside, Cardiff

Some facts for Will to mull over

WILL HAYWARD pontificates about the danger of fake news and calls for “increased evidence-based policy and scientific literacy in our politicians” in his latest column (“Let’s stick to facts – not form opinions based on nonsense”, Echo, October 16).

Fair enough, I suppose, but he then makes this glib assertion: “Anyone really looking at the evidence around the action needed on climate change would hardly be able to sleep at night after seeing that most of the UK’s ambition seems to extend to a few electric car charging points and putting some extra insulation in your nan’s attic.”

It’s Will who clearly needs a lesson in facts because the UK is among the leading lights globally in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Fact 1: This summer the UK went 67 days, 22 hours and 55 minutes without using coal to produce electricity, the longest period since the Industrial Revolution.

Fact 2: Last year coal contributed just 2.1% of the UK’s power, compared to Germany, where coal is responsible for 28% of its electricity production.

Fact 3: The UK is the sixth-largest producer of wind power in the world.

Fact 4: The Government plans to phase out coal as a power source completely by 2024, remarkable when you consider that as recently as 2014 the highly polluting fossil fuel supplied 30% of our energy.

Fact 5: Boris Johnson this month stated wind farms could be powering every home in the UK by 2030.

OK that last one’s less a fact and more an aspiration – and probably a pie-in-the-sky one at that. But it does show the current Government is taking climate change seriously and its ambitions extend further than insulating your nan’s attic.

Maybe journalists like Will could spend a little more time talking up the UK’s achievements instead of doing us down all the time.

S Viner

Newport

City motorists are ignored once again

NO SURPRISES that Castle Street is to be reopened to buses, taxis and cyclists, as I predicted this would be the case.

The nincompoops on the council will not admit their bias against the motorists in Cardiff but will continue to alienate them by stealth. At least by allowing buses to reuse this road, passengers will be able to access the shops in High Street and St Mary Street when the lockdown ends.

I also wonder how Cardiff Bus was allowed to accrue debts of millions of pounds which will require a bailout by Cardiff council taxpayers. I have no doubt that no-one will be held accountable for this gross failure by the bus board as it is clear that as well as being inept they have no control over the basic management of the bus service.

On a final note, Roath Park still doesn’t have a viable bus service as the number 28 and 28A buses were axed from Lake Road West, Shirley Road and Mackintosh Place 19 months ago.

It will be interesting to see what happens to this service (I use the term very loosely) when Wellfield Road becomes a one-way system. What a complete shambles.

Mrs Sian Davies

Roath Park, Cardiff

Our park deserves better than this

THE tender for three catering pitches in Bute Park has reared its head once again.

Three such pitches are wholly inappropriate for our glorious listed parkland, particularly as the Covid19 tragedy has underlined how important informal green space is for the well-being of the population.

Such takeaway outlets are unlikely to be serving health food. Given that obesity now costs the NHS more

We must not let any more businesses suffer and close down...

Alice Weaver Riverside

than the treatment of cancer, how can three such pitches in the northern end of the park be justified?

This is a cynical opportunity to make money at the expense of citizens’ health.

It is also inevitable that takeaway food will be consumed on the move and the packaging discarded. Therefore

the problem of litter will increase hugely within the park. Mobile units will also contribute to noise pollution and increased use of plastic, and are not a sustainable option for our green heartland.

The council is the custodian of Bute Park, and has a moral obligation to preserve the integrity, tranquillity and biodiversity of this irreplaceable public open space.

Bute Park deserves better than to be exploited for short-sighted, short-term commercial gain. And we, the citizens, deserve better too.

Nerys Lloyd-Pierce

Chair, Cardiff Civic Society

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