Extinction Rebellion protesters need a lesson in reality - Yorkshire Post Letters

I CANNOT help but agree with Bill Carmichael and his comments on the current environmental protests around the country (The Yorkshire Post, April 19).

It does seem that as we all try and reduce wastage and lower our energy and water usage there are those who only appear to pay lip service (or glue themselves to trains etc) in order to try and make a point without thinking of the consequences.

The demands being made by the protesters leave many more questions to be answered than can be matched by the speed of technological advance.

I believe that if governments were able to deliver zero emissions levels by 2025 then they would do so, but realism has to take hold.

It is, I think, not unreasonable to say that many of those protesting would not like to live without the conveniences that energy provides.

Wind farms and water power – i.e. natural resources – will not on their own meet the needs of modern society.

Let us all make the efforts towards zero emissions, use of plastics and other misused modern things, but I doubt that protesting and the daily inconvenience to the general public will create much sympathy for a very important cause.

From: Cecil Crinnion, Sycamore Close. Slingsby.

REGARDING the London protesters, the minimum punishment for obstructing the public going about their lawful business should be a fine of £10,000 with a fine of £20,000 for a second offence. No money? No excuse. That would go some way to covering police costs.

Teachers face email tyranny

From: Chris Keates, General Secretary, NASUWT.

RATHER than helping teachers to work more efficiently, email abuse is instead electronically tethering them to their classrooms adding to their stress, anxiety and workload.

For many teachers there is no escape from work. No respect or concern being shown for them even at some of the most difficult and distressing times in their lives such as bereavement or sickness.

There is something fundamentally wrong about a management culture which has no boundaries of consideration or concern.

Teachers are not just facing the intrusion of those who manage them into their private lives but there is now an unreasonable expectation that they are available at the convenience of parents. Many schools are now providing app links for parents which raise the expectations that teachers are available anytime anywhere.

Damian Hinds has recently taken to wringing his hands in public about his concern for teacher workload, including the email culture pervading schools but what is he actually doing about it?

He exhorts schools to free teachers from emails to work more in the classroom. He clearly has no concept of either the scale or the nature of the problem. It’s home invasion by email which is the problem.

It’s the tyranny teachers are facing in their inbox, which is all part of an anything goes management culture this government has allowed to flourish across schools, where teachers’ health and well-being is not even given a second thought

My vision for Notre-Dame

From: John Eoin Douglas, Spey Terrace, Edinburgh.

I WAS interested to learn that, despite its monopolisation by Roman Catholics, Notre-Dame is owned not by the Vatican but by the French government.

With French President Emmanuel Macron having already signalled that he is open to new ideas for rebuilding the cathedral, perhaps it is time to consider reconstructing it as a multi-faith centre for use by all.

For example, the incorporation of a minaret in place of the destroyed spire would be of use to Muslims, whilst the provision of a cafe or restaurant would be in the spirit of laïcité, the secularism on which the French state is founded, and would appeal to persons of all faiths and none especially if dietary regimes like kosher, halal and veganism were to be catered for.

Sign of times for Grayling

From: ME Wright, Harrogate.

IT is surprising that it has taken Chris Grayling so long to come to the attention of Private Eye (Tom Richmond, The Yorkshire Post, April 20 and 23).

However, as an ardent Brexiteer, haven’t his strictures on the possible metrication of road signs been delayed even longer than so many of his trains?

“We don’t want any of that foreign nonsense here do we?” Brexit or not, the somewhat bizarre British track gauge of 4’8½” dominates the world’s railways. Surely that must bring him some joy?

I bid you Brid

From: Andrew MacArthur, Bridlington.

I AM appalled that Bridlington is not in the top 10 locations for staycations (Jayne Dowle, The Yorkshire Post, April 22). It should have kicked Salcombe out of place! I live here and it is 10 times better than Filey which could be called “dead on it’s feet” while Weymouth is even more boring. Burning issue

From: Thomas Reed, Harrogate.

THANK you for highlighting our duty to protect the countryside following the Easter fires (The Yorkshire Post, April 22). Perhaps Welcome to Yorkshire could win back some lost trust by launching a summer campaign along the lines you suggested.