Tidal power plans are depressingly neglected
WHEN I was a young civil engineer I attended a public lecture on the subject of a possible Severn Barrage.
The main part of the lecture made a very convincing case for the benefits of such a scheme.
Then, in conclusion, the lecturer explained why it wasn’t actually going to happen!
Lack of political vision, tribal protectiveness of various government departments, deferred benefits that might not emerge within a parliamentary term and (horror of horrors) credit claimed by a different government.
The case for going forward remains compelling; the pessimistic conclusion was depressingly prophetic.
That lecture was over 50 years ago!
And I’ll throw onto the table the Cardiff and Swansea Bay schemes – even our own Newport ventured a feasibility study for an Usk Barrage a few years ago.
But it all came to naught, and one of the largest tidal ranges on the planet remains untapped.
Why should we take seriously the hand-wringing and pious words that will undoubtedly spew out from UK representatives at the upcoming COP26 Conference, while we fail to harness one of the greatest and most reliable natural resources at our disposal: tidal power?
Chris Power
Newport
Backdate this pay policy for teachers
I applaud the decision of the Welsh Government to pay non-white teachers more than white teachers, starting from next year, as reported last week.
This is a forward-looking policy, which I am sure will help to bring about a welcome increase in racial diversity within the teaching profession. However, the policy should be backdated, so that it applies to existing non-white teachers and not just to new ones, otherwise it will be very unfair on the non-white teachers who have already contributed so much to teaching in Wales.
J Pearce
Pentwyn, Cardiff
Patients should be accompanied
IN my recent letter saying the A&E resembled an episode of MASH, I was trying to emphasise that close relatives of patients should be allowed to accompany them to A&E wearing PPE when suffering with life-threatening illnesses.
My friend in question had a heart problem and was alone and too ill to go to the toilet.
He asked three times but everyone was too busy. Unfortunately he wet himself. He phoned his wife, who was then allowed to attend to clean him up.
My point is if she had been allowed to accompany him this crucial time this all could have been prevented.
She would have been able to take him to the toilet, and not only help her husband, but save the overworked staff from further work.
My friend is still in hospital and she still hasn’t been allowed to see him.
He can’t operate his phone for FaceTime so is reliant on mobile phone calls.
His wife will only be allowed to see him if he’s desperately ill.
It’s criminal this is happening and probably because, understandably, the authorities are afraid of being sued.
Paul Fenton
Penarth
Deaths important not case rates
One of the largest tidal ranges on the planet remains untapped
A lot of people in the mainstream media and on social media highlight the fact that Wales’ Covid case rate is at a record high, at 0.7168 cases per 100 people.
But very few go beyond this figure and give space to the number of people in hospital, the number in intensive care and the number dying.
Those are the statistics that really matter but are rarely discussed in comparison to the number of cases. But surely the number of cases depends to a large extent on the number of people being tested.
And the UK is testing far larger numbers of people than, for example, Germany, France and Italy.
So why continue to highlight the case numbers?
John Owen
Llanishen, Cardiff
Chris Power Newport
Woodland cycleway is not eco friendly
CARDIFF council’s proposal to build a cyclists’ commuter highway through the Nant Fawr woods is totally inconsistent with Cardiff ’s vision for a carbon-neutral vision.
The proposal would require the felling of numerous trees, directly impacting on the variety of plant and animal species that depend on the woods. Hardly an environmentfriendly prospect.
The negative wildlife impacts will be made even worse with the provision of lighting along the route.
This is known to severely impact on insect species and all the animals
The small print: Letters will not be included unless you include your name, full postal address and daytime telephone number (we prefer to use names of letter writers but you can ask for your name not to be published if you have a good reason). The Editor reserves the right to edit all letters. that feed upon them, such as bats and birds.
Knowingly impacting on biodiversity in this way directly contravenes several statutory and policy requirements.
What is the council thinking of? Julian Salisbury Cyncoed, Cardiff
Brexit’s done and Britain loses out
A few years ago Liz Truss was getting hot under the collar with the UK importing more cheese than it exported.
This is the same Liz Truss who has been travelling the world to make trade deals.
Heat Pump Johnson perpetually goes on about CO2. How are imports from the other side of the world helping CO2 reduction?
This Tory government seems anti-British and seems to deliberately undermine British farmers on various things like pork, lamb, milk, and fruit and veg etc.
There is now the strong prospect of GM in wheat, apparently, so that we can toast bread without getting cancer. GM is banned in the EU, so there goes another market on our doorstep.
Brexit has been done, but so have we Brits.
G Davies
Manordeilo, Sir Gâr
Learn Welsh and find new respect
DAVID Gorton (South Wales Echo letters, October 23) has not been made aware that for most nations across the world, bi-, even tri-lingualism is the norm, and clearly condones the vandalism of those who perpetrated painting over the signs in Cymraeg (Welsh) of Romilly Road West, Cardiff.
He also was deprived of the history of these islands, otherwise he would know that Brythoneg – the early form of Cymraeg, was spoken as far north as Scotland, but then came the monoglot Anglo Saxons, inflicting their lingo not only across these islands, but also within their evil empire which should not have been.
The logical cure to the lack of cognitive development resulting from monoglotism is to undertake the many opportunities that now exist to learn Cymraeg and enjoy its incredible beauty.
Try from your website ‘saysomethinginwelsh.com’, or the services of ‘Duolingo’ and others or local classes in Caerdydd, then your new bilingual state will bring you respect, a new state for you. Geraint Price Llantrisant