On a Radio Wales phone-in programme this morning, I heard an apologist for the Welsh government declare that there was no need for the climate change demonstration in Cardiff because we in Wales were on the right track. Now, I am cynical enough to believe that these demos do nothing but enable a lot of ingenious young people to let off steam. In the current case, the aims are symbolic rather than practical: it costs nothing to make a declaration in parliament or to pass a law against the nebulous ecocide. I also wonder how many travelled to the capital by car.
However, Labour in Wales are not blameless when it comes to perpetuating our addiction to fossil fuels. It is only six years since they weakened building regulations aimed at reducing carbon emissions by 40%. The Welsh NHS has continued to close local hospitals, increasing journey times for staff and patients alike. In spite of resistance from Education Secretary Kirsty Williams, small schools are going the same way. Parents, and more especially grandparents, need little enough excuse to drive children to school, adding to local pollution as well as to greenhouse gases. On top of this, this year there has been another round of cuts in bus services. Buses may rely on internal combustion engines (though there are promising hydrogen developments) but at least they reduce the fossil fuel consumption per person.
A small cheer for Transport for Wales, which is actually expanding public transport. There is also a programme for finally ridding ourselves of the inefficient Pacers by the end of this year. But don't get me started on Chris Grayling and the abandonment of electrification.
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