YEP Letters: January 15

Urgent action needed to stop climate change

P A Lloyd, Farsley

Reading all the articles and letters in the Evening Post about the flooding in the north of England, it is clear that the government did far too little by way of flood prevention.

However, it is almost certainly true that the main cause of these extremely unusual floods is climate change. Climate change is already causing far worse floods, storms, droughts and fires elsewhere in the world.

Why is so little said about it? Climate change is getting worse, with unrelenting increases in weather extremes. All the 195 countries which promised to cut harmful emissions at the Paris conference in December need to implement those promises and if possible do even more.

There is no international force to make us all take action, only the knowledge that if we don’t then life on earth is threatened. Our government needs to play its part in the world effort to slow down and then stop climate change before it is too late. Now is much easier and cheaper than later.

Since the election this government has cut right back on subsidies for solar and wind power, throwing a growing industry into chaos.

We cannot afford short term policies. As in so many areas, cuts lead to far more expensive consequences.

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Give help, not rhetoric

B Duffy, by email

I welcome Mr Cameron’s promise to provide funding to make good the storm damage in Yorkshire and for providing flood defences for areas like Kirkstall, an area that I cannot remember flooding before.

However I would also call on him to defy the EU Directive signed up to by the Labour government, stopping the dredging and management of rivers.

It might be simplistic, but could this have contributed to the flooding in areas that have, hitherto,had no history of flooding? Surely increasing the capacity of the river and removing the rubbish would decrease the likelihood of flooding, or is this too simple?

On a local note can we have a commitment from Coun Blake to immediately create a designated section within Leeds City Council to clean out every road gulley within the Leeds area every six months on a pre-planned maintenance programme, as used to happen.

This is what people pay their council tax for, not cycle lanes, carnivals or gay pride marches. They pay for services, not cosmetic events.

Obviously this would not stop rivers flooding, but it would stop debacles like the flooding of the Armley Gyratory, which paralyses Leeds and prevent local floods.

A little help is worth more than a lot of rhetoric!

Thanks for clean-up help

Rt Revd Dr John Thomson, Bishop of Selby

I would like to thank all those who helped with the clean-up of St Mary’s Tadcaster following its flooding on Boxing Day.

The community’s care for their parish church was deeply moving and I was also able to witness local community spirit on a visit around the town with Richard Sweeting, Chairman of Selby District Council.

That Vicar Canon Sue Sheriff was able to lead a candle light service of prayer for the town in the church building on the first Sunday of the new year was tribute to all who had given time and energy to the clean-up. Thank you.

Strikes are order of the day

Paul C Thompson, Scarcroft

The London Underground hopes to improve it service to the public with night operation, strikes however seem to be the order of the day, supported by H M Opposition.

From the press it appears that the union leaders of the rail unions have promised chaos on the London underground for millions of commuters trying to get to their days work, January 26, February 15, February 17. On offer are above inflation pay rises, four year pay deal, hiring part time night drivers, creation of 700 new jobs and the protection of work–life balance of existing staff.

All seem to be grounds for strikes! Customers will have to pay for more money, fewer hours and four day week.

Now retired, glad I do not rely on commuting, but have every sympathy with those having to put up with regular inconvenience and cost, and damage to businesses and other jobs.

At a disagreement over the table, it is up to both sides to compromise and agree. Strikes are of no long term benefit to anyone, least of all the suffering public, users of the service.

Soon cancelled out by the next price increase.

Myself, spending many years in civil engineering, opencast, construction, plant industries, the normal shift was 11 and a half or 12 hours, seven days, including regular night shifts out in all weathers, many drivers operating machinery costing many thousands of pounds.

Strikes were unheard of, more important was keeping the job and the company going and of course your wage and production bonus.