Issue 1157 - Monday 26 October

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rhifyn 1157 issue 1157

26 Hydref 2020 26 October 2020

gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Inside: The first climate activist, Svante Arrhenius, and climate change (page 23)

Students may need to isolate for Christmas at home Tirion Davies

Editor-in-Chief

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niversity students may be asked to self-isolate in a way which allows them to return home ahead of Chirstmas, and without spreading the virus, the Welsh Minister for Education has stated.

In a press conference on Thursday October 22, where Welsh Education Minister Kirsty Williams noted the impact on Welsh schools, Williams noted the impact the ongoing pandemic might have on students returning home at Christmas.

The announcement comes soon after it was found that the number of students having to isolate after returning to Cardiff University had quadrupled in a week.

On Thursday, October 15, Cardiff University claimed it had 1,983 students in isolation - 510 students more than the reported number the previous week.

A further 73 students had tested positive, though the average total rised the following week, up to 251 Cardiff University students testing positive for COVID-19.

Talybont Halls of Residences reported an outbreak of COVID-19 on its campus and a result, the Education Minister for Wales has announced there is a possibility students across Wales will be asked to isolate ahead of returning home when the first university term ends at Christmas.

Students have already been told not to return home ahead of the 17day national lockdown, which began on Friday, and universities across Wales will be kept open and will continue to offer a blended learning approach to encourage students from returning home and increasing the spread of COVID-19 to other parts of Wales and the UK. Ms Williams noted that all four of the UK nations were working with each government in order to secure a range of options to help students return home for Christmas.

Meetings are set to continue next week in order to discuss progress and the approaches they are actively

considering.

Williams announced that students returning home for Christmas is a priority for the Welsh Government.

There is an expectation students from across the UK will likely need to follow a period of isolation and rounds of testing before they return home for Christmas, to ensure they do not carry COVID-19 home to their families, and to discourage the further spread of the virus, and the rise in positive cases.

Though students have been discouraged from returning home before the Christmas period, the Welsh Government has stated it will do all it can to help students to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic whilst they cannot return home.

Ms Williams noted there will be a fund of an extra £10m to help students cope during the pandemic, with the money being spent on mental health support services, and to ensure students' unions and universities to offer advice.

Online services and help through the medium of Welsh will also benefit from this fund.

Funding will also be set aside for food services for students who are self-isolating with some money specifically for learning support to aide vulnerable students, those with disabilities, and those with caring responsibilities.

Before the press conference began, Ms Williams told, "Going away to university can be a difficult time for many students, which can be exacerbated by the current circumstances."

This year has been difficult for many returning to university, and there's no doubt the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has heightened the problems many might already face.

Though many students will feel downhearted that they may not be able to return home from university until the end of the term, it will be a comfort to some to know that the Welsh Government measures which are likely to be put in place, will ensure they will not need to self-isolate away from their families when it comes to returning home for Christmas.

Wales lockdown: Wales will once again enter a national lockdown on Friday, for a period of 17 days, known as a 'firebreaker' lockdown period. Source: Roger Davies (via Flickr)

Wales enters another national lockdown Zoe Kramer

Head of News

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ollowing a further rise in COVID-19 cases across Wales, and a series of local lockdowns put in place across Wales by the Welsh Government, it was announced there would be another national lockdown for Wales.

This lockdown, which is known as

a 'firebreaker' lockdown, will continue for a period of 17 days, says Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford. The 17-day period is meant to limit the amount of days needed for the lockdown to preserve the economy, and to encourage a serious drop in the Welsh R-number.

Only a few months ago, Wales was the only nation in the United Kingdom with a falling R-rate of positive COVID-19 tests.

Manchester enters S4C yn i ddarlledu ar ddraws y byd Tier 3 lockdown Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

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egotiation between Manchester local government and Westminster over the amount of money contained in a relief package have broken down.

Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham initially requested £90m then lowered his offer to £65m which he argued was the minimum required he needed to keep the people of Manchester on 80% Furlough. After the talks broke down Manchester was placed into tier 3 lockdown and given less money than they asked for.

To read more about Manchester's local lockdown requirement of Tier 3, turn to page 11.

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Aled Biston

Pennaeth Cynnwys Cymraeg

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ae S4C wedi bod yn cydweithio ar delerau masnach newydd bydd yn galluogi bod gwylwyr ledled y byd yn gallu mwynhau rhaglenni newydd y sianel yn ogystal â rhaglenni archif ar alw drwy S4C Clic. Bydd holl rhaglenni newydd S4C, ynghyd â chynnwys o'r archif, ar gael sm gyfnod o 150 diwrnod ac yn rhyngwladol, yn hytrach nag am 35 diwrnod yn y Deyrnas Unedig, sef y traddodiad i S4C. I ddarllen am delerau masnachol newydd S4C ac i ddarllen yn fwy am S4C yn ddarlledu ar draws y byd, trowch i dudalen 9.

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Since the easing of lockdown, however, positive case numbers have once again risen, and so the Welsh First Minister has decided a short, national lockdown period could help to reduce the spread of the virus, and ensure the ongoing pandemic ends in a manor which ensures no more deaths.

Turn to page 3 to read more about what the national lockdown in Wales will mean.

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Super Saturday preview Ben Lovell-Smith Sport Editor

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he 2020 Six Nations will finally conclude this weekend, with a blockbuster lineup in place for super saturday. Wales take on Scotland first, followed by Italy vs England and concluding with the tournament deciding match, France vs Ireland. England, France or Ireland could all finish Saturday as Six Nations Champions. Though not all teams have a trophy to play for, test matches rarely disappoint, whilst it is a first for players from the home nations to stake their claim for British and Irish Lions contention.

Read more about Super Saturday on page 26.

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EDITORIAL

At Gair Rhydd we take seriously our responsibility to maintain the highest possible standards.

We may occasionally make mistakes, however if you believe we have fallen below the standards we seek to uphold, please email editor@gairrhydd.com.

Opinions expressed in editorials and opinion pieces are not reflective of Cardiff Student Media, who act as the publisher of Gair Rhydd in legal terms, and should not be considered official communications or the organisation’s stance.

Gair Rhydd is a Post Office registered newspaper.

THE TEAM Coordinator

Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Tirion Davies

Deputy Editors

Hallum Cowell Holly Giles Molly Govus

Head of Digital Media Tom Leaman

Head of Design

Lottie Draycott

Video Editors

Sophia Grace Scarlett Griffith Ellis Lloyd-Jones Daniel O’Callaghan

Graphics Editor

Ellie Hutchings

Copy Editors

Megan Newberry Amy Saunders Elle Speer

IN THIS ISSUE

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Shouldn’t we celebrate Black History Month year-round?

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ctober is Black History Month across the world. This year, in particular, the importance of Black History Month was felt across the world. From a pandemic in which people of colour have died disproportionately, to the death of George Floyd in Minnesota and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement, the past year has meant more and more people are educating themselves on British history and the ongoing struggles faced by people of colour.

People of colour have always had an important role to play in world history. Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King became icons for their roles in the American Civil Rights Movement.

Harriet Tubman’s work helping American slaves become free was a story which travelled across the world.

Serena Williams’ 23 grand slam titles has made her a hero for hundreds of young people. Betty Campbell made history by becoming the first historic woman to have a statue in Wales.

In light of the summer protests, many have re-evaluated all they know about history.

An argument occurred amongst the public in June after the statue of Edward Colston was removed by protesters in Bristol. Colston’s statue was later replaced by a statue of protestor Jen Reid. The statue did not last, however, and was removed by Bristol Council as they looked into an

alternative, more permanent statue.

The removal of Colston’s statue in Bristol was the first of many arguments that occurred involving various statues across the UK of historical figures known to have been involved in the British slave trade.

Most notable in Wales was the statue of Sir Thomas Picton, displayed as one of many statues in Cardiff City Hall. It was announced Picton’s statue would be removed, after it was found he had been convicted of the illegal torture of a 14-year-old girl, whilst he was the Governor of the then British colony in Trinidad.

Though the removal of statues may seem insignificant in the discussion of racial inequality, it’s the first step in acknowledging a past many kept buried.

It is our duty to educate ourselves on the history of people of colour, so that we may better understand their struggle. Their stories have been lost in history, and many of us will be unable to relate to a lot of their experiences, though it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to understand it.

Black History Month is a time of celebration and appreciation; it is also an opportunity to learn and correct misconceptions.

It’s worth taking full advantage of all the resources which are available during this month, so that you can continue the rest the year with the tools to carry on the conversation.

NEWS

Transport for Wales to be nationalised (p.3)

Black History Month: Following the Summer Black Lives Matter protests, Black History Month this year is on everyone’s radar.

Source: PDBVerlag (via. Pixabay)

Dathlu Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu trwy’r flwyddyn

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TAF-OD

Wythnos Dysgu Cymraeg 2020 gyda’r BBC (t.8)

POLITICS

Welsh Government announces free school meals plan (p.10)

COMMENT

Will Attenborough spark evironmental action? (p.14)

ADVICE

Coping with tension amongst flatmates (p.18)

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Cannabis exposure in pregancy affects offspring (p.21)

@CAERDYDD

America’s Welsh Foundations (p.24)

SPORT

Effect of second lockdown on Sport in Wales (p.27)

Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu: Yn dilyn y protestiadau Black Lives Matter dros yr Haf, mae Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu eleni o fwy o bwys nag erioed o’r blaen.

Tarddiad: PDBVerlag (drwy Pixabay)

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Despite not fully understanding all the struggles people of colour may face, you can be sympathetic and learn from the mistakes of the past. considered a well-functioning adult.

You’re doing your best and that’s all you can do.

is Hydref yw Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu ar draws y byd. Y flwyddyn hon yn benodol yw’r flwyddyn lle bu pawb ledled y byd yn deall wir pwysigrwydd Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu. Rhwng pandemig lle bu nifer anghyfartal o farwolaethau ymysg pobl duon, marwolaeth George Floyd ym Minnesota yng nghanol mis Mai, ac ymchwyddiant y symudiad Black Lives Matter, bu’r flwyddyn ddiwethaf yn olygu bod mwy o bobl yn ceisio addysgu eu hunain am hanes Prydain a’r broblemau sydd dal i’w deimlo gan pobl duon heddiw.

Mae pobl dduon wastad wedi chware rôl bwysig yn hanes y byd.

Rosa Parks a Martin Luther King Jr wnaeth ddod yn eiconau am eu cyfraniad i’r brwydr Hawliau Sifil yn yr Unol Daleithau. Llwyddodd hanes Harriet Tubman fel rhan annatod o’r symudiad dadrwymo caethwasion i gyrraedd bob fangre’r byd. I nifer, Serena William’s yw eu arwr, yn ennill 23 grand slam. Yng Nghymru, Betty Campbell fydd y fenyw cyntaf hanesyddol i dderbyn cerflun.

Yn dilyn protestiadau’r Haf, mae nifer wedi mynd ati i ail-ddehongli’r hyn yr oeddynt yn gwybod yn hanes y byd. Ceir straeon ac enwau sydd wedi’u anghofio yn y gorffennol, problem mae nifer yn sichrau na fydd yn digwydd eto.

Mis Mehefin oedd y cyfnod lle gwelir dadl rhwng y cyhoedd, wedi

i gerflun Edward Colston cael ei dynnu gan protestwyr ym Mryste.

Yn fuan wedi i gerflun Colston cael ei dynnu, wnaeth protestwyr gosod cerflun o brotestwr Jen Reid yn ei le.

Er hyn, waredwyd ar y cerflun gan Cyngor Bryste ymhen diwrnodau, gyda’r cyngor yn addo i ddarganfod dewis wahanol, fwy parhaol.

Y cerflun fwyaf adnabyddus yng Nghymru yw cerflun Sir Thomas Picton. Ym mis Gorffennaf, ceir sôn y bydd cerflun Picton yn cael ei tynnu o’r galeri, ar ôl i bobl ddarganfod fod Picton wedi’i argyhoeddi o poenydio merch 14 oed pan oedd yn Lywodraethwr o’r hen drefedigaethau Prydeinig a fydd yn Trinidad.

Er gall waredu ar cerflunnau cael ei hystyried yn anarwyddocaol i wrth drafod anhegwch hiliol, gall cael ei ystyried fel cam tuag at gydnabod hanes cudd.

Ein dyletswydd yw addysgu ein hunain o hanes bywydau pobl dduon, fel bod modd i ni deall eu brwydr. Mae eu hanes nhw wedi’i colli i’r gorffennol, ond mae’n rhaid i ni ceisio ddeall, o leiaf.

Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu yw’r cyfnod i ddysgu a deall sut i gywiro camsyniadau. Mae’n bwysig ein bod yn cymryd mantais o’r adnoddau sydd ar gael dros y mis, i addysgu ein hunain, fel ein bod yn fwy ymwybodol o’r teclynau sydd ar gael i wella’r byd.

NODYN GAN Y GOLYGYDD

NEWS

Transport for Wales to be nationalised

The rail services will now be under Welsh Government jurisdiction Tirion Davies

Editor-in-Chief

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ransport for Wales rail services will soon be brought under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government, beginning from next February.

Welsh Government ministers have confirmed the takeover from KeolisAmey, the company which previously owned Transport for Wales over the past few years. Dayto-day services are to be run by a publicly-owned company.

The change in company follows after a significant fall in passenger numbers across Wales during the COVID-19 pandemic. With less passengers travelling, fewer trains running, and local lockdowns occuring, Transport for Wales have been hit hard, as have many companies, during this pandemic.

Nationalising Transport for Wales, however, has caused much debate amongst minister in the Welsh Government since the announcement was made.

Welsh Conservative Party members have questioned how much nationalisation will cost taxpayers, while Plaid Cymru called for the Senedd to be recalled.

Whilst some ministers in the Welsh Government opposed the nationalisation of Transport for Wales, others showed their support.

Economy Minister Ken Skates noted he believed the Welsh Government had stepped in “to stabilise the network and keep it running”.

“The last few months have been extremely challenging for public transport in Wales and across the UK. COVID has significantly impacted passenger revenues” he stated.

KeolisAmey began its juridsction over Transport for Wales in 2018, taking over from Arriva Trains Wales. Transport for Wales covers most of Wales’ trains, including Valleys Lines, Wales’ key commuter services, used by many across South Wales.

Who are KeolisAmey?

KeolisAmey was a partnership between two European companies, and following a £5bn contract deal in 2018, was awarded Wales’ rail

Transport for Wales: Welsh rail transport will now be under the jurisdiction of the Welsh Government. Source: mattbuck (via Wikimedia Commons) and Metro franchise.

Transport for Wales, was taken Though it was the first time the over by taxpayers in a £65m agreeWelsh Government had awarded ment signed in May this year. the franchise to a private company, The nationalisation of Transport and the contract was for the com- for Wales Ltd will occur in Februpany to control Wales’ rail service ary of next year, and KeolisAmey for the next 15 years, the Welsh rail staff have heard they will be transservice will now be owned primar- ferred over, and that their jobs will ily by the Welsh Government. remain.

KeolisAmey is currently the bigIt has been reported that the gest private public sector opera- time gap between the agreement tor for public transport in France, and the beginning of the new opthough is a major shareholder in erator is to allow for the Welsh state-owned French railway SNCF. Government to prepare its new It was formerly owned by Fer- operator for service, so that further rovial, a Spanish multinational complications do not occur. company operating in the design, Part of the inital agreement will construction, financing, operation remain, with Amey Keolis Infraand maintenance of transport in- structure Ltd continuing managefrastructure and urban services. ment of Valley Lines, and will work Despite KeolisAmey taking over in tandem with the Welsh Governas controller of Welsh rail services ment to make improvements to the in October 2018, it was found in service.

January that the company had been The biggest change will be that fined £3.4m over the performance the rail services across South Wales of services, with the majority of its will now be under Welsh Govpenalty being caused by “passenger ernment jurisdiction. It is widely time lost”. believed that the Welsh GovernSince the company began over- ment’s new agreement could be a seeing Transport for Wales, the sustainable way forward for rail new franchise has had to pay transport across South Wales. around £1m per quarter to pasWhat has the reaction been? sengers in compensation, over its Transport for Wales has come “delay, repay” scheme. under scrutiny from passengers for What is happening with the years, though it will be interesting nationalisation of Transport for to see how the public reacts to naWales? tionalisation of the rail services.

The Wales and Borders rail franIn January, it was reported by chise, which has been branded the BBC that users of Transport for

Wales were amongst the ‘least satisfied’ in the UK according to the Rail Passenger Survey carried out

by Transport Focus.

The percentage of customers satisfied with their journey with Transport for Wales fell from 82% in Autumn of 2018, to 79% in 2019.

A passenger told BBC Wales at the time that the trains were consistently late to arrive, overcrowded, and they would often need to stand in crowded spaces, or avoid trains because of the lack of adequate space to stand.

For many, this change in jurisdiction might be the change many are hoping for.

However, there has been serious criticism from members of the Welsh Government in regards to the nationalisation of rail travel by Transport for Wales.

The economy spokesman for the Welsh Conservatives told the BBC, “Given the track record of the Welsh Labour-led Government, its decision to take control of our vital train industry has not filled me with any hope”.

The spokesperson also claimed ministers should have consulted the Senedd on “how much this decision is going to cost Welsh taxpayers”.

A Plaid Cymru spokesperson told the BBC, however, that the deicision to nationalise Transport for Wales “could well be the right decision”, saying her party “has always maintained that our railways should be brought into public hands and the government put passengers before profit”.

Despite the support given, the spokersperson did note that, ultimately, there would need to be important questions in regards to the financial implications of the new jurisdiction. The spokesperson also claimed the decision is one of utmost importance, and “should be announced in the Senedd so that members can ask questions on behalf of the people of Wales”.

Opinions vary in regards to the nationalisation of Transport for Wales, with many rail unions backing the move, and ministers showing oppostion. It will be interesting to see in particular how the nationalisation of Transport for Wales will impact passengers across Wales.

Wales enters another national lockdown Zoe Kramer

Head of News

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eginning at 6pm on October 23, Wales will enter a two week “fire break” lockdown, First Minister Mark Drakeford has stated. The lockdown will serve as a “short, sharp, shock to turn back the clock, slow down the virus, and give us more time” according to the First Minister.

The lockdown will last until Monday, November 9. The lockdown period is intended to ease the overwhelming number of cases being dealt with by the NHS, and prevent further deaths from occurring due to COVID-19. A paper from the TAC predicted that 6000 people in Wales would die in the winter if no further action was taken.

There have been a total of 37,400

Wales lockdown: Wales will once again enter lockdown on Friday, for a period of 17 days. Source: Roger Davies (via Flickr) cases in Wales, including 1148 new the NHS’s resources. Two of these cases on the 21st of October. The circuit-breakers, the Wales-wide NHS have carried out a total of case rate and the percentage of 1,032,042 tests. There have been a positive tests, have reached critical total of 1,722 deaths due to COV- levels.

ID-19 in Wales.

Gathering with people outside The decision is based on six dif- of one’s household will be banned, ferent circuit-breakers — statisti- with the exception of caring recal outcomes which indicate that sponsibilities or concerns regardCOVID-19 levels are approaching ing physical or mental health. As a point which would overwhelm a result, Halloween and Bonfire

Night celebrations have been cancelled.

The lockdown entails the closure of pubs, hairdressers, indoor gyms and all other non-essential businesses. Grocery stores and other essential shops will remain open.

Many non-essential small businesses are concerned for their future, due to the fact that the Job Support Scheme (JSS) is not due to go into effect until the 1st of November, 9 days after the lockdown begins. The Treasury has urged furlough until the end of October, however Chancellor Rishi Sunak has declined to move the JSS forward. Many are worried about falling through the cracks.

“We’ve done everything that was asked of us to support the government in the fight of coronavirus... if they are going to shut us down again they need to do their bit and fast.” pub owner Alistair Darby

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YOUR NEWS DESK

Zoe Kramer

Luthien Evans

Sam Portillo

Dominic Williams news@gairrhydd.com told the BBC. While the entire nation faces lockdown, some regions have fared much better than others. Pembrokeshire has one of the lowest COVID-19 in the UK at 43.7 per 100,000 people. Cardiff, on the other hand, is reporting 283.7 cases per 100,000, a number which is projected to continue rising.

Despite this, of the four nations, Wales is doing the best, with the lowest infection rates. However, none of the other nations have undergone similar lockdown procedures.

The lockdown will mostly confine citizens to their homes, however exceptions include purchasing food and supplies, exercise, childcare, medical services, bank access, weddings and funerals, and to attend court.

For more information, visit the Welsh Government website.

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NEWS

Welsh Flood Response deemed shallow Hallum Cowell Deputy Editor

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review by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) found that the Welsh Government’s response to last winter’s floods “fell short”. The review points to a lack of staffing and equipment as well as missing flood warnings.

The winter of 2019/2020 saw NRW issue a record 242 flood alerts, 1818 warning and six severe flood warnings.

The Met Office has since classified February 2020 as the wettest February on record and the fifth wettest month on records began in 1862.

Storms Ciara, Jorge and Dennis led to the worst flooding in Wales since 1979.

During February 15, the River Taff is estimated to have had 805 cubic meters per second passing through Pontypridd which is enough water to fill an Olympic size swimming pool in roughly three seconds. The River Usk also reached a record peak of 5.6m.

NRW’s chief executive said a “seismic shift” was needed for Welsh flood planning and called for more funding. The NRW highlighted 12 missed warnings and six late warnings.

National Resources Wales is what is known as a quango which stands for quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation. This means it is an organisation which partly controlled and partly financed by a government.

Some of NRW’s budget comes from the Welsh government while other income comes from the sale of timber from their managed lands.

The NRW is calling for an additional 60-70 full-time staff and additional funding from the Welsh Government.

The report points to the actions of their staff as playing a “significant part” in preventing more severe problems across Wales however admitted that their resources did not match the “size of the task at hand”.

Additionally, the review states that the availability of vehicles and phones, among other equipment, that could withstand flooding conditions needed to be improved.

The review states that “We also need to make properties more flood-proof, invest in warning systems, community support and advice so that communities can take their own actions to lessen the impacts of flooding” and that “households and individuals also need to take a share of the responsibility”.

The report concluded that the Welsh Government had difficult choices to make about the level of service that is “practical, realistic and feasible”, the investment required and “how risks are managed”.

This is not the first time issues with the funding for NRW have been flagged up however, in July 2020 the organisation’s chief executive Clare Pillman said the organisation faced a £15m budget gap and that NRW was making £8.8m in cuts.

During the three storms, Dennis, Ciara, and Jorge, 3,130 properties were flooded resulting in £81m of insurance claims.

According to the NRW report, the sponsored body helped protect 73,000 properties from flooding however, in some cases water was able to rise above the defences.

Welsh Government told it “cannot stop all flooding” Sam Portillo News Editor

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inister for the Environment Lesley Griffiths has warned that the government “cannot stop all flooding”, amid concerns that Welsh communities will face more damage over the winter months.

Earlier this year, Storms Ciara and Dennis caused the worst flooding the country has seen in forty years, the latter bringing a month’s worth of rain in just two days, leaving parts of Bute Park in Cardiff completely submerged and several communities having to evacuate from metre-high water.

The two storms, both powerful in their own right, hit the country just four days apart, meaning the damage from the first was exacerbated before reparations could be made.

Residents in Nantgarw said they were woken up by neighbours as the water began to infiltrate their homes, otherwise oblivious to the disaster unfolding beneath them.

Ceredigion Councillor Alun Williams says that climate change is causing sea levels to rise, which in turn threatens to make the flood defences already in place obsolete. “The sea is overtopping this bank much more regularly than it used to – it’s just a matter of time before it breaks through”.

Climate scientists predict that sea levels around Wales could rise by 22cm in the next thirty years.

With over 1,300km of coastline and large numbers of people living close to rivers, the country is particularly vulnerable to such changes. A recent study found that 1 in 8 properties are at risk of flooding, equating to around 245,000 homes.

The Welsh Government’s tenyear strategy aims to cultivate better awareness and preparedness in communities, by way of updating an online flood-risk map every six months and encouraging residents to make “emergency action plans” with their neighbours.

It is hoped that property owners will take steps to mitigate the damage potential by moving elec-

Flooding in Wales is unavoidable: The Welsh Government will need to need to have a conversation about how they handle flood risks this winter. Soure: Keith Moseley (via Flickr) trical plug sockets higher above the floor and changing to stone or wooden floors, as opposed to carpet, for example.

The ten-year plan will also see £2m allocated to planting trees and shrubs which will help to absorb excess water after heavy rain.

The Welsh Government will have invested £390m in flood defence between 2016 and 2021, which it describes as “record”

amounts, lowering the risk levels for some 45,000 properties. Taking the higher rainfall and rising sea level into consideration, though, an even higher number may have fallen into risk areas.

Communities can rally together and the government can invest in defences, but ultimately, the floods will keep coming; it may take more radical action to stop the threat at source.

How will the firebreaker lockdown affect tourism?

Tourism in Wales: Tourism in Wales is set to receieve another blow, as the firebreaker lockdown across Wales will halt travel to areas like Snowdonia. Source: iankelsall1 (via Pixabay) November. With the First MinDominic Williams isters, announcement questions News Editor have been raised on the future of the tourism and hospitality secs of Friday 23 October, tors.

Wales is entering a twoTourism is a big business in week national lockdown Wales, with tourists spending which will run until Monday 9 around £17 million a day whilst in

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Wales.

This amounts to around £6.3billion a year, which is set to decrease this year due to the national lockdowns.

The Welsh Government has offered advice and guidelines surrounding the firebreaker.

For example, being on holiday is not deemed a reasonable excuse and people should return to their main residence as soon as practicable.

Furthermore, holiday parks are not legally responsible for enforcing these requirements on customers, but must not help customers break restrictions.

Alongside this, the Welsh Government said: “As a business, you should take all reasonable measures to ensure that you and your customers are complying with the new travel restrictions rules.

“You should not knowingly accept customers who have traveled to your premises from an area where travel is not permitted.’’

With the timing of the lockdown, and it being half term many

families have now cancelled holidays or postponed which means many businesses are set to miss out on extra revenue. However, Mr. Drakeford has announced a package for businesses that are having to close during the lockdown.

The package includes the following extra-economic resilience fund of £300m. Another £150m into phase 3 of the ERF to support those businesses directly affected by the fire break.

Every business covered by small business rate relief will get a £1000 payment. With small and medium-sized retail, leisure, and hospitality businesses that have to close will receive a one-off payment of up to £5000.

An additional discretionary grant and support for smaller businesses who are struggling because of the restrictions. £80m ERF fund was also announced to be increased to £100m. £20m ringfenced for tourism and hospitality industries has been made available.

Royal Mail commemorates Black History Month Luthien Evans News Editor

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o celebrate Black History Month, four post boxes have been repainted black to honour black Britons from present and past times.

One post box has been repainted black with gold trim in each of the four nations in prominent cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Black History Month was celebrated in the UK in October 1987 following many decades of standing in the US and Canada.

According to the Black History Month website, it is a way of remembering important people and events in the history of the African diaspora’.

The post boxes are a way to commemorate this. The post boxes specifically name four different

Post boxes across the UK, including one in Cardiff, have been painted black in honour of Black History Month. Source: George Holdan (via Needpix.com) prominent figures in black British community including Walter Tull, Yinka Shonibare, Sir Lenny Henry and finally Mary Seacole. The post box honouring Mary Seacole resides in Cardiff on King Edward VII Av-

enue.

The location was picked for its centrality to Cardiff City centre.

Mary Seacole was a heroine and nurse who gained prominence during the Crimean war.

Seacole applied to be an Army nurse initially, before being refused.

Instead of giving up, Seacole funded her own journey to Crimea to help the troops. She established the ‘British Hotel’ for comfortable quarters for the wounded, and soon became known as ‘Mother Seacole’ as she visited the battlefield to provide aid.

Her presence during the Crimean War was always rivalled with Florence Nightingale’s nursing.

Nightingale became immortalised whereas Seacole returned to England poor and in ill health.

The stark differences between the two nurses’ treatment is emphasised in the Black History Month message.

As well as the black and gold design, the post boxes feature a QR code that links to a full list of black Britons who have appeared on special commemorative stamps previously. Black History Month spans from October 1 to October 31.

Join us as we celebrate Black History Month Find out more about our events at cardiffstudents.com

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TAF-OD

taf od

Barn y Bobol

Gydag Etholiad America ar y gorwel, mae Taf-od yn gofyn i fyfrwyr y brifysgol beth yw eu barn nhw am yr etholiad ar Dachwedd 3ydd. Ai Joe Biden neu Donald Trump fydd yn ennill? Ai dyma’r etholiad gyda’r ymgeiswyr gwanaf dros y degawdau diwethaf? A fydd yr etholiad yn dynn iawn o ran nifer o bledieisiau.

Dyma barnau Tomos, Anest a Luned ar y mater.

Luned Hunter

Myfyrwraig y drydedd flwyddyn Hanes a Gwleidyddiaeth Heb os mae etholiad yr UDA yn effeithio ar y byd, ac felly gobeithio bod eu dinasyddion yn pleidleisio am yr unigolyn cywir y tro hwn. Nid oes ymgeisydd sydd wirioneddol yn dangos potensial i arwain yr UDA tuag at ddyfodol gwbl lewyrchus, ond mae’n amlwg iawn allan o’r ddau ddyn yma yn eu 70au, mai Joe Biden yw’r ymgeisydd cryfaf o’i gymharu gydag Donald Trump. Byddai’n gwbl drychinebus pe bai Trump yn ennil eto yn enwedig ar ôl gweld ei ymateb gwbl anerbyniol i COVID-19. Byddwn yn synu’n fawr pe byddai’n cael ei ail-ethol ym mis Tachwedd.

Tomos Topps

Myfyriwr y flwyddyn gyntaf Cymraeg a Hanes Mae pawb yn gobeithio y gwneith Biden guro yn dydyn.

Mae gweithredoedd Trump yn y bedair mlynedd diwethaf wedi dangos nad yw wedi fod yn arweinydd lwyddiannus, a pha mor hyrt oedd ei ethol yn y lle cyntaf. Er hyn i gyd, ni fydd hi’n hawdd i Biden guro.

Mae cefnogwyr Trump wedi rhoi popeth i’w gefnogi ac anhebygol ydyw y gwnewn nhe newid eu meddyliau rwawn.

Mi fydd angen cadw golwg ar yr etholiad yma yn sicr.

Anest Eurig

Myfyrwraig yr ail flwyddyn Y Gyfraith a Gwleidyddiaeth Gyda ond trwch blewyn rhwng Donald Trump a Joe Biden yn y polau, does dim amheuaeth y bydd yr etholiad yn profi i fod yn noson ddiddorol tu hwnt.

Dwi ddim yn siwr pwy fydd yn ennill, ond dwi wir yn gobeithio na welwn Donald Trump yn dychwelyd i’r Tŷ Gwyn - a hynny am nifer fawr iawn o resymau!

Er bod Biden o’i flaen yn y polau, rhaid cofio taw Hillary Clinton oedd yn eu harwain yn yr etholiad diwethaf, ond Trump a ddaeth i’r brig.

O ganlyniad felly, mae’n amhosib dweud pwy fydd Arlywydd nesaf America.

Pêl droed: Cluniau Cymru Premier yn gwynehu dyfodol ansicr (tudalen 9)

NEWYDDION

Cofio ac atgyfnerthu Hanes Pobl Ddu

Er yr holl protestiadau yn ein gwlad, nid yw Cymru’n ddieuog chwaith Nel Richards Golygydd Taf-od

Y

n ddiweddar, cyhoeddodd Llywodraeth Cymru, ei bod am ymestyn Mis Hanes Pobl Ddu i flwyddyn, o dan yr ymgyrch ‘Hanes Pobl Dduon Cymru 365’. Pwysleisia hyn weithredoedd pobl ddu dros y canrifoedd: eu dysgu, a’u dathlu.

Cyhoeddodd yr Aelod Seneddol, Jane Hunt fod cyllid o £40,000 yn cael ei gynnig fel cymorth i Race Council Cymru i addysgu’r boblogaeth ac i hybu ymwybyddiaeth o Hanes Pobl Ddu yng Nghymru.

Yn sgil gwrthdystiadau Black Lives Matter dros y byd yn dilyn marwolaeth George Floyd, mae cynifer wedi dysgu mwy am hanes gwlad eu hunain a’n rhan ni yn y masnach ddieflig o gaethwasaeth ac o hiliaeth. Dyma rhai am Gymru.

Dros bedwar diwrnod ym Mehefin, 1919, bu terfysgoedd treisgar rhwng cyn-filwyr, preswylwyr, milwyr a morwyr o Yemen, Somalia a’r Caribi ar draws De Cymru,ond yn benodol yn Nhrebiwt. Ysbeiliwyd tai, bu farw tri dyn ac anafwyd dros cant.

Protestio oeddynt am ddiffyg tai, swyddi a chyfleoedd. Deilliodd hyn i gyd o hiliaeth. Erbyn 1911, roedd cyfran poblogaeth Caerdydd a oedd yn ddu neu’n Asiaidd yn ail yn y DU, ar ol Llundain. Roedd 700 wedi’u cyfyngu i

ardal y dociau; lle’r oedd hiliaeth wael yn effeithio ar fywyd pob dydd. Does dim cofeb i’r digwyddiad dychrynllyd yma, o hyd.

Yn ystod Chwefror 1988, cafodd Lynette White ei llofruddio yn Nhrebiwt.

Mae’n debyg welodd llygaid dyst dyn a alla’i fod wedi bod yn droseddwr a’i law wedi’i orchuddio â gwaed. Doedd neb yn gallu olrhain y person yma. Roedd y dyn yma’n wyn. Yn wahanol, cafodd pum dyn eu cyhuddo o lofruddiaeth Lynette White. Roedd y pump yma’n ddu. Yn Tachwedd 1990, dyma’r treial llofruddiaeth hiraf yn hanes Prydain yn dechrau.

Cafwyd tri dyn yn euog (Stephen Miller, Tony Paris, a Yusef Abdullahi), a’u dedfrydu i garchar am oes – euogfarn ar gam, (wrongful conviction).

Dros ddegawd yn ddiweddarach yn 2003, darganfyddwyd pwy oedd y llofrudd go iawn: Jeffrey Gafoor. Cyfaddefodd i lofruddiaeth Lynette White, a dedfrydwyd i garchar am oes. Derbyniodd Gafoor ddedfryd byrrach nag a roddwyd i’r dynion a gafwyd yn euog ar gam.

Yn ôl Gweinidogaeth Cyfiawnder y Deyrnas Unedig yn 2018, roedd nifer fwy o blant (40% o’r carcharorion) o dan 18 oed yn dod o grwpiau lleiafrifoedd ethnig, er bod y bobl hyn yn cyfrif am lai na 17% o boblogaeth gyfan y carchardai.

Yn UDA mae pobl du diniwed tua saith gwaith yn fwy tebygol o gael eu

Mae bywydau du o bwys: Protest Bywydau Du o Bwys yng Nghaerdydd dros yr Haf. Tarddiad: DJLeeKee (drwy Flickr). dyfarnu’n euog o lofruddiaeth na phobl wyn diniwed, yn ôl National Registry of Exonerations yn 2017.

Actifydd cymunedol, ysbrydoliaeth a phennaeth ysgol gynradd du cyntaf Cymru oedd Betty Campbell. Yn wreiddiol o Drebiwt, a adnabyddir hefyd fel Tiger Bay, ardal wedi’i leoli o gwmpas dociau Caerdydd, ac un o ardaloedd mwyaf aml-ddiwylliannol cyntaf Prydain.

Fel athrawes a phennaeth, fe ddechreuodd ddysgu plant am hanes caethwasiaeth, hanes Pobl Du, a’r sys-

tem Apartheid, a oedd yn digwydd yn Ne Affrica ar y pryd. Fel menyw ddu, a safodd dros ei hawliau, a hefyd ddysgodd cenedlaethau o blant; galwodd Race Council Cymru am gofeb i gael ei godi fel cydnabyddiaeth o’i gwaith, yn 2020.

“Cyfnodau allweddol a throbwyntiol yn hanes Pobl Du Caerdydd a Chymru.

Trwy dyfu fyny yn Grangetown, sydd yn gyfoethog yn ei hanes du, doeddwn i ddim yn gwybod roedd rhaid penodi mis i hanes y bobl dwi wastad wedi’u gweld yn y parc ac yn y stryd.”

Bod adre gyda’r teulu am y ‘Dolig…pwy a ŵyr?

Alaw Fflur Jones Golygydd Taf-od

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Chymru bellach mewn ail gyfnod Clo Cenedlaethol ers dydd Gwener, 23 Hydref, mae nifer o fyfyrwyr yn pryderu am eu hawliau i fynd adre dros gyfnod y Nadolig. Er pwysleisiodd Prif Weinidog Cymru, Mark Drakeford mewn cynhadledd mai cyfnod clo ‘llym a byr’ ydyw a fydd yn parhau hyd at ddydd Llun, 9 Tachwedd. Gyda’r cynnydd sylweddol o heintusrwydd, poeni mae myfyrwyr am gyfyngiadau pellach a fydd yn eu rhwystro rhag dychwelyd adre i fwynhau’r Nadolig gyda’u teuluoedd.

Mae Mark Drakeford yn apelio ar y genedl gyfan i gydweithredu er mwyn gobeithio “arafu’r feirws erbyn y Nadolig”. Penderfynwyd ar yr ail gyfnod clo Cenedlaethol ar ôl i Iechyd Cyhoeddus Cymru gadarnhau 626 achos newydd o Covid-19 yng Nghymru, gydag un farwolaeth yn rhagor. Dywedodd Heledd Haf Evans, myfyrwraig o’r ail flwyddyn ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, ‘‘Gobeithio mai canlyniad y cyfnod clo llym fydd gallu dychwelyd i ryw fath o normalrwydd yn gynt.’’ Cydnabyddir hefyd mai cyfnod clo Cenedlaethol ‘‘yw’r unig opsiwn’’ yn enwedig ar ôl i Gymru gofnodi 1,148 o heintusrwydd ar ddydd Mercher, 20 Hydref. Y cofnod mwyaf yng Nghymru o fewn 24 awr.

Dathliadau dros Zoom?: Myfyrwyr yn poeni angen cyfaddawdu i ‘Ddolig rithiol

Roedd Caerdydd dan amodau clo lleol cyn y clo Cenedlaethol, ac felly mae’r myfyrwyr eisoes wedi cael eu gwahardd rhag gweld eu teuluoedd.

Ond yng nholau’r sefyllfa bresennol esboniodd Heledd Haf Evans, ‘‘Mae’n edrych yn debyg mai ond gwaethygu bydd y feirws ac mae’r nifer o achosion wedi cynyddu’n gyflym ers i fyfyrwyr ddychwelyd i’r brifysgol, felly mae’n edrych yn debygol ein bod am wynebu canllawiau llym dros y Nadolig.’’

Yn unol â geiriau argyhoeddedig Mark Drakeford, dywedodd y byddai buddion y clo Cenedlaethol yn “dod yn amlwg yn ystod yr wythnosau fydd yn dilyn hynny”. Ymateba Malen Meredydd, myfyrwraig blwyddyn gyntaf ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd, ‘‘Dwi wir yn gobeithio wrth i Gymru gyfan dynnu at ei gilydd a dilyn y rheolau na fydd rhaid i mi hyd yn oed ystyried ‘Dolig heb fy nheulu. Siawns ar ôl hynny, y bydd golau ar ddiwedd y twnnel.’’

Ond yn dilyn ymateb Paul Davies, arweinydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig yn Senedd Cymru: “Nid egwyl o bythefnos yw hwn i ddatrys y pandemig, mae’n debygol y byddwn yn gweld cloeon yn rheolaidd dros weddill y flwyddyn.’ Poena Rhodri Davies, myfyriwr yn ei drydedd flwyddyn ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd y bydd myfyrwyr yn gorfod colli mwy na Noson Calan Gaeaf a Thân Gwyllt

eleni. Mae Rhodri Davies fel sawl myfyriwr arall yn poeni na fyddai yn medru treulio’r Nadolig gyda’i deulu. ‘‘Yn anffodus, nid popeth a gellir ei wireddu dros Zoom. Ni fyddai ‘Dolig rhithiol yn ‘Ddolig!’’

Heb amau, mae myfyrwyr yn poeni am fethu mynd adre dros ‘Dolig, ond un myfyriwr sydd am wneud y gorau o’r sefyllfa pe bai angen, yw Dafydd Lewis sydd yn ei drydydd flwyddyn ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd.

“Os oes angen i ni aros yn y brifysgol dros y Nadolig er mwyn atal lledaenu’r feirws, nid oes lawer o ddewis gennym.

Bydd rhaid i ni barchu penderyniad y llywodraeth, a bydd llawer o fyfyrwyr yn teithio gatre ddim yn helpu o gwbl.”

“Yn bersonol, credaf fod cyfle gan fyfyrwyr i fwynhau gydag eu ffrindiau dros y Nadolig, nid ydym fel arfer yn treulio Nadolig gyda ffrindiau, felly bydd hi’n braf gweld nhw eleni, os mai dyna sy’n digwydd. Wrth gwrs byddai’n methu’r bwrlwm sydd yn dod gyda treulio Nadolig gyda’r teulu, ond mae bywydau ar y llinell, a dwi methu cymryd y risg ‘na”.

Un peth fydd yn sicr ar restr Siôn Corn pob myfyriwr eleni, yw medru mwynhau’r ŵyl gyda’u teuluoedd o gynhesrwydd eu cartrefi. Petai myfyrwyr yn cael mynd adre dros y Nadolig, esboniwyd y byddent yn barod i hunanynysu am 14 diwrnod cyn dychwelyd at eu teuluoedd er mwyn lleihau’r risg o ledaenu’r feriws.

TAF-OD

Pryd o Daf-od: Deio Jones Myfyriwr yn ei drydydd flwyddyn, Deio Jones, sy’n trafod Pryd o Daf-od yr wythnos hon.

Wythnos yma, mae cyn-olygydd Taf-od, Deio, yn trafod sut wnaeth ef, Gwern ab Arwel a Rhodri Davies mynd ati i greu cân mewn awr.

ein bod ni’n tri yn byw o dan yr un to.

Un o’r pethau roedden ni’n trio portreadu fwyaf yn y rhaglen oedd symlrwydd tri ffrind agos yn cael ‘chydig o hwyl a laff wrth gwblhau tasg, yn union fel byddai unrhyw griw o ffrindiau. Dw i’n teimlo fod y vibe cartrefol hwnnw wedi’w drosglwyddo yn yr awr.

Defnyddiwyd ‘olwyn ar hap’ er mwyn penderfynu ar genre’r campwaith, a’r genre aeth a hi oedd pop.

Byddai ysgrifennu cân bop cheesy wedi bod yn anodd gydag unrhyw bobl eraill, ond gan ein bod ni’n nabod ein gilydd mor dda, roedd hi’n hawdd taflu syniadau i’r pair, boed yn dda neu’n warthus.

Gan ein bod yn gorfod crefftio’r symffoni ‘ma mewn awr, roedd rhaid i ni gael pwnc oedd mwy neu lai’n ysgrifennu’r geiriau drostom.

Penderfynwyd fod angen i’r geiriau ddweud stori.

Yn ein wythnos gyntaf yn y tŷ lle ysgrifennwyd y gân, bu Rhodri mewn ychydig o bicil, wrth iddo gloi ei hun allan o’i ystafell gyda dim ond tywel rownd ei wast.

Bu rhaid i mi a Gwern achub y dydd wrth gael gafael ar allwedd gan y cwmni rhentu. Roedd hwnnw’n hanes ddigon difyr ar gyfer y gân ac felly dyna fuodd hi.

Gwern oedd meistro’r melodïau, ac felly gwariodd o’r dydd gyda gitâr ar ei lîn, wrth wrando ar minnau a

Mae’r darn yma yn mynd trwy’r holl broses o hanes y lyrics, y broses o greu symffoni a rheoli amser, ac yn rhoi syniad o’r her o ysgrifennu cân yn gyffredinol, ac yn anoddach mewn awr. r gyfer Diwrnod Sioeau Cymraeg Wythnos y Glas Xpress Radio, penderfynais fod angen rhaglen hollol wahanol i’r arferol er mwyn ceisio creu ychydig o ddiddordeb gwahanol.

Rwyf wedi bod yn ddigon ffodus o fod yn rhan o gymuned Xpress ers i mi ddechrau yma yn y brifysgol, ac felly dw i’n ddiolchgar fy mod wedi cael y rhyddid i greu rhywbeth hollol unigryw ar gyfer y diwrnod.

Y cysyniad oedd bod Rhodri Davies o sioe Nefi Bananas, Gwern ab Arwel sef fy nghyd-gyflwynydd Malu ar yr Awyr a minnau’n mynd ati i geisio ysgrifennu cân mewn awr.

Roedd hwn yn gyfle i ddangos ochr archolladwy o’r tri ohonom wrth i ni ymdrechu i roi cân at ei gilydd.

Cafwyd y rhaglen ei recordio yn fy ystafell wely, ac roedden yn ffodus iawn fod cyfyngiadau COVID-19 ddim wedi effeithio’r rhaglen gan

A

Rhodri yn ceisio seiri geiriau i ffitio.

Ar ôl yr awr o ysgrifennu, plethu, dadlau a chwerthin, aethom ati i recordio’r gân a’i droi’n rhywbeth hanner call.

Doeddwn i, na Gwern, na Rhodri’n disgwyl i’r gân swnio fel y mae heddiw.

Cafodd y gân ei ysgrifennu fel ryw fath o faled rhamantus rhwng Rhodri a’r dillad roedd yn oedi amdano tu hwnt i’r drws, ond erbyn heddiw, mae’r gân yn swnio fel bod yr artist ‘Pitbull’ wedi chwydu drosti.

Mae’n debyg i gân byddai Calvin Harris yn ysgrifennu ar ôl pnawn a noson yn y Royal George.

Er ei naws Hafaidd, hynod gaw-

Lynn Morries ydw i. Rwy’n byw ar ferm odro ger Llanrhystud ac yn astudio Deintyddiaeth.

9. Beth oedd y diwrnod gorau iti ei gael erioed?

2. Beth yw’r digwyddiad sy’n codi’r mwyaf o embaras arnat?

Face-plantio’r llawr ar stryd Chippy Alley noswaith cynta’ freshers.

3. Beth oedd dy air cyntaf?

Moo moos.

4. Pe fyddet ti ar yr X-Factor, pa gân byddet ti’n ei chanu a pham?

Diwrnod Nadolig 2017, pan gefais fochyn wrth fy ffrind gorau fel anrheg Nadolig.

11. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol?

5. Beth fyddet ti’n ei archebu o’r bwyty Indiaidd lleol?

12. Pe taset ti’n gallu bod yn unrhyw anifail am ddiwrnod, pa un fyddet ti’n dewis, a pham?

Gwylan y Môr- i gael llond bol o sglods yn rhad am am ddim.

13. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair.

Norman Preis.

Siaradus, uchelgeisiol, allblyg.

7. Pwy yw dy hoff fand/artist?

14. Pwy fydd yn trafod ‘da’r Taf-od wythnos nesaf?

Bwncath

8. Prosecco neu champagne?

taf-od

Alaw Fflur Jones

Cael fy nihuno gan lanhawyr am 9 y bore gan fod y gegin ‘rhy fudr i nhw lanhau’.

Bod yn y White Horse, Llanelwedd yn downo jäggers.

6. Pwy oeddet ti’n ffansio pan oeddet ti’n iau?

Trafod gyda’r

Catrin Lewis

10. Beth yw dy gas beth?

Blodwen a Meri- clasur.

Tikka Massala? Anaml yn cael Indian.

Aled Biston

Her cerddorol: Mae raglen radio Deio, Gwern a Rhodri ar gael ar Mixcloud Xpress Radio. Tarddiad: Deio Jones

Lynn Morris

Champagne ar achlysur. Prosecco i feddwi

EICH TÎM TAF-OD

Annell Dyfri

Yn Trafod gyda’r Taf-od wythnos yma mae...

1. Pwy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio?

slyd, mae’n anodd iawn cau’r gân o fy mhen erbyn heddiw.

Mae hi ar gael i wrando arni ar instagram Xpress Cymraeg (@XpressRadioCymraeg), felly os oes gennych dri munud a phumdeg-a-thri o eiliadau i’w wastio, mae’r gân yno’n disgwyl amdanoch.

Dyma rhestr o sioeau Cymraeg ar Xpress Radio Cymraeg eleni: Sain y Waun Taro’r Pyst Ar Flaen dy Dafod Crac y Wawr Malu ar yr Awyr Nefi Bananas Shwmae, Blod?

A llawer mwy.

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Lowri Green

taf od Nel Richards

Godro a gwin: Mae Lynn yn hoff iawn o ffermio a treulio ambell i noson lawr yn y dafarn. Tarddiad: Lynn Morris tafod@gairrhydd.com www.gairrhydd.com/tafod

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TAF-OD

Dysgu wyneb yn wyneb i barhau yng Nghaerdydd Daniel O’Callaghan Cyfranwr Taf-od

Gyda cyhoeddiad o clo byr gan Lywodraeth Cymru, Daniel O’Callaghan sydd yn edrych ar sut mae hyn yn effeithio ar ddysgy wyneb yn wyneb y brifysgol. yda dyfodiad y clo bach neu’r ‘circuit breaker’ fel y mae’n cael ei gyfeirio ato – wedi cychwyn 6yh ddydd Gwener yr 23ain o Hydref, mae’r effaith ar addysg y brifysgol wedi bod yn destun pryder i nifer o fyfyrwyr a staff. Cyfres o gyfyngiadau ydyw sydd mewn grym nes y 9fed o Dachwedd. Ymhlith y cyfyngiadau hyn, mae disgwyl i bobl weithio o adref lle bo modd. Mae busnesau lletygarwch, twristiaeth a hamdden hefyd wedi cau eu drysau. Yn ogystal, gwelwyd y canolfannau cymunedol, llyfrgelloedd a chanolfannau ailgylchu yn oedi eu gwasanaethau trwy gau hefyd. Gan eithrio angladdau a phriodasau, nid yw mannau addoli yn cynnal gwasanaethau arferol am y cyfnod byr ‘chwaith.

Sut mae hyn yn effeithio ar y brifysgol? Mae’r elfen o gymysgu dysgu ar-lein â dysgu wyneb yn wyneb dal i fod mewn grym. Nododd y Rhag Is-Ganghellor Claire Morgan; ‘o fewn y cyfyngiadau, rydym yn bwriadu cynnig hyn [dysgu wyneb yn wyneb] fel rhan o’n darpariaeth addysg gymysg.’

Mae hyn yn gyson â phrifysgolion lleol a phrifysgolion Grŵp Russell.

Yn ogystal, ceir adnodd ar SIMS i fyfyrwyr nodi eu hanallu i ymweld â’r campws os ydynt yn hunanynysu.

Anfonodd Yr Athro James Marcel Hegarty ebost at fyfyrwyr trydedd flwyddyn Ysgol Hanes, Archaeoleg a Chrefydd yn nodi na fydd y cyfyngiadau newydd yn gwahardd dysgu wyneb yn wyneb yn yr ysgol.

Wedi dweud hynny, mynegodd fod y ‘sefyllfa a threfniadau amrwiol y clo ar draws Prydain yn creu cymhlethdodau’ i rai o’i gyd-weithwyr ac ambell fyfyriwr. O ganlyniad, efallai bydd y clo byr yn ymyrryd ar y posibilrwydd o gael dysgu wyneb yn wyneb mewn rhai achosion. Y cyngor sy’n cael ei roi yw cadw llygad barcud ar Ddysgu Canolog er mwyn i fyfyrwyr gael eu hysbysu mewn da bryd am ddiweddariadau i drefniadau addysgu yn eu hysgolion.

Felly, yn gyffredinol, nid yw’r cyfyngiadau byr-dymor yn effeithio ar yr egwyddor o gynnig addysg gymysg. Wedi dweud hynny, mae’r her o broblemau diwifr yn rhwystr i fyfyrwyr ac i staff o hyd. Gall hyn hefyd fod yn glwyd i’w chamu drosti wrth i aelodau o staff academaidd ymgynghori myfyrwyr i gadw llygad ar eu hebyst a Dysgu Canolog am ddiweddariadau i’w trefniadau addysgu.

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Dysgu ar-lein: Nid yw dysgu wyneb yn wyneb yn newid i lawer. Tarddiad: Colin Smith (drwy Geograph)

NEWYDDION

Wythnos Dysgu Cymraeg 2020 gyda’r BBC BBC Radio Cymru yn cynnal wythnos dysgu Cymraeg eleni

Annell Dyfri

Golygydd Taf-od

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id wythnos arferol oedd hi ar BBC Radio Cymru rhwng 10-16 o Hydref. Cynhaliwyd wythnos i’n dysgwyr Cymraeg o bob cwr o’r byd i fwynhau eu hoff gerddoriaeth, ambell gyfweliad cofiadwy a llwyth o straeon difyr. Wythnos i sicrhau llais i’n dysgwyr. Wythnos i glodfori eu camp o fynd ati i ddysgu’r Gymraeg, beth bynnag fo’u cefndir, beth bynnag fo’u cymhelliant. Fel y nododd Rhuanedd Richards, Golygydd Radio Cymru, mewn datganiad ar wefan yr orsaf, “The purpose of this week is to celebrate learning Welsh, expand the provision available and provide a platform for learners’ voices’.

Mae’r wythnos hon yn allweddol er mwyn sicrhau cydnabyddiaeth i’r miloedd sy’n mynd ati’n flynyddol i ddysgu’r iaith Gymraeg ac, o ganlyniad, yn cyfrannu’n sylweddol tuag at les a pharhad y Gymraeg.

Mae Radio Cymru’n greiddiol i’n dysgwyr gan roi cyfle iddynt wrando ar arlwy amrywiol o raglenni o fore gwyn tan nos. Mae’n ffordd rwydd i ddysgwyr o bob cefndir glywed y Gymraeg a’i hamrywiol acenion a hynny o fewn cyd-destunau gwahanol iawn I’w gilydd o fyd chwaraeon i’r newyddion ac o fyd adloniant i faterion cyfoes. Y tro hwn, serch hynny, y dysgwyr eu hunain oedd testun llawer iawn o’r rhaglenni a ddarlledwyd gan roi cyfle i wrandawyr arferol yr orsaf wrando ar

hanes a chefndir cynifer o unigolion sy’n dysgu’r Gymraeg ym mhedwar ban byd.

Cynlluniwyd yr wythnos yn ofalus gydag amrywiaeth o raglenni megis Rhaglen Aled Hughes, Bore Cothi, Y Post Cyntaf, Dros Ginio, Geraint Lloyd ar y brif sianel ac yna rhaglen Caryl Parry Jones a Daf Du ar Radio Cymru 2 yn rhoi bri a sylw i’r rheiny sydd wrthi’n dysgu.

Bwriad Radio Cymru oedd sicrhau cyfle i’r dysgwyr ddewis eu hoff ganeuon wrth greu rhestr 10 uchaf o hoff ganeuon y dysgwyr gydag ‘Yma o Hyd’ gan yr anfarwol Dafydd Iwan yn dod i’r brig. Roedd hyn, wrth gwrs, yn gyfle i ddysgwyr newydd wrando ar y sianel yn ogystal â chynnig llwyfan i ddathlu ymroddiad dysgwyr o bob cefndir.

Un sydd newydd gychwyn ar ei siwrne i afael yn y Gymraeg yw Caitlin Davies.

Mae Caitlyn wedi ymuno â chriw Cymraeg i Oedolion yng Nghaerdydd ac erbyn hyn yn derbyn gwersi Cymraeg yn wythnosol dros gyfrwng Zoom. Nododd ‘Dw i’n hoffi dysgu Cymraeg a dw i’n hoffi gwrando ar BBC Radio Cymru’.

Mae’r dysgwyr yn hanfodol i gefnogi gweledigaeth Llywodraeth Cymru o gyrraedd miliwn o siaradwyr Cymraeg erbyn y flwyddyn 2050. Nodwyd ar wefan Dysgu Cymraeg bod 12,680 o bobl wedi mynd ati i ddysgu’r iaith yn 2018-2019 ac yna naid i 13,260 o bobl yn 2019-2020, tybed beth fydd cyfawnswm 2020-2021? Mae’n amlwg felly bod mwy a mwy o bobl yn mynd ati i ddysgu’r Gymraeg yn flynyddol, a gyda

Wythnos llawn dysgu: Bu llawer o fwrlwm yn Wythnod dysgu eleni. Tarddiad: Pxfuel help platfformiau eraill megis Duo Lingo, Dysgu Cymraeg, Say Something in Welsh mae’n amlwg bod y gefnogaeth yno.

Mae’n amlwg i gynlluniau Radio Cymru ddwyn ffrwyth yr wythnos diwethaf gan roi lle haeddiannol i ddysgwyr y Gymraeg o fewn rhaglenni amrywiol. Yn yr un modd, rhoddodd y cynlluniau gyfle hefyd i siaradwyr y Gymraeg werthfawrogi ymdrechion dysgwyr ar draws Cymru a thu hwnt gan ryfeddu at eu hymroddiad mewn cyfnod mor anodd a heriol i bawb.

Efallai bydd BBC Radio CVymru yn edrych i ehangu ei gweithgareddau tu hwnt i radio yn y dyfodol. Gan ystyried faint o lwyddaint roedd yr wythnos eleni, efallai bydd darlledu ar deledu gyda BBC Cymru yn opsiwn ar gyfer ydyfodol. Mae ‘na gyfyngiadau gyda radio, gan mai ond clywedol yw’r cynnwys. Pe bai cynnwys ar y teledu, bydd yr elfen gweledol hefyd, ac mae gan deledu mwy o wylwyr ‘na sydd gan radio gwrandawyr. Opsiwn i BBC ystyried, mae’n siwr.

Amlaenwr yn dysgu’r Gymraeg er mwyn dilyn Cymru Catrin Lewis

Golygydd Cymraeg

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ae Klaus Nehaus o Düsseldorf wedi bod yn cefnogi tîm pêldroed Cymru ers iddynt gael eu trechu 2-1 gan yr Almaen yn 1995.

Disgrifiodd Cymru fel “anlwcus” yn ystod y gêm ac felly penderfynodd ddilyn fwy o’u gemau.

Yn ystod y chwarter canrif y mae wedi bod yn cefnogi Cymru, mae’r Almaen wedi bod yn rownd derfynol Cwpan y Byd ddwywaith a’r Ewros unwaith.

Er hynny, mae Klaus wedi aros yn ffyddlon i Gymru dros y blynyddoedd wrth eu cefnogi nhw’n barhaol trwy eu buddugoliaethau a’u methiannau.

Mewn fideo i’r BBC ar gyfer Wythnos Dathlu Dysgu Cymraeg, dywedodd Klaus ei fod erbyn hyn wedi gwylio 52 neu 53 o gemau Cymru ers iddo gychwyn cefnogi’r tîm 25 mlynedd yn ôl.

O’r holl gemau y mae wedi eu gwylio

disgrifiodd y daith i Cyprus yn 2015 fel ei ffefryn a hynny oherwydd “yr heulwen, y gwesty gorau a gefais hyd yn hyn, a chawsom ganlyniad da”.

Nododd mai un o’i hoff bethau am wylio gemau Cymru yw’r cefnogwyr a’r teimlad o undod sy’n bodoli rhyngddynt. Dywedodd hefyd ei fod yn hoff o’r awyrgylch mae cefnogwyr Cymru yn ei greu boed y tîm yn fuddugol neu beidio: “hoffi gwylio Cymru oherwydd y cefnogwyr, y siantiau, yr awyrgylch, ni waeth be fydd y canlyniad, mae’r wal goch y tu ôl i’r tîm”.

Dywedodd mai Gareth Bale yw ei hoff chwaraewr y dyddiau hyn. Disgrifiodd yr angerdd mae Bale yn dod i’r gêm fel rhywbeth sydd ei angen ar y cefnogwyr a nododd ei fod yn chwaraewr pwysig hyd yn oed pan nad yw ar y cae. Nid yw hyn yn syndod o ystyried ei fod wedi sgorio 33 gôl i Gymru o fewn 85 o ymddangosiadau.

Dywedodd Klaus ei fod wedi gwneud

Cewri Cymru: Chwaraewyr Cymru yn eu crysau coch enwog. Tarddiad: Colin Smith (drwy Geograph)

sawl ffrind ers iddo gychwyn cefnogi pêl-droed Cymru yn y 90au a rhoddodd hynny fel un o’i brif ysbrydoliaethau tu ôl troi at y Gymraeg.

“Dw i’n dysgu Cymraeg achos mae fy ffrindiau’n siarad Cymraeg ac rydw i moyn deal ychydig mwy heb iddyn nhw eu cyfieithu i mi”.

Aeth ati i ddysgu’r Gymraeg drwy gyfrwng gwersi Duolingo’n wreiddiol ond mae eisoes wedi symud ymlaen i ddysgu gyda SaySomethingInWelsh.

Mae SaySomethingInWelsh yn cynnig cyrsiau dysgu Cymraeg ar-lein sy’n ffocysu ar allu deall a siarad y Gymraeg yn hytrach na’r rheolau gramadeg ac ysgrifennu a darllen. Mae modd dewis dysgu gyda thafodiaith y Gogledd neu’r De ac mae hefyd cynnig i ddysgwyr gwrdd mewn bŵt camp ble mae pawb yn siarad Cymraeg gyda’i gilydd am wythnos.

Er ei fod wedi bod yn dysgu’r iaith ers rhyw flwyddyn erbyn hyn, golyga cyfyngiadau’r coronafeirws nad yw wedi cael y cyfle i ymarfer ei eirfa newydd eto ond mae hynny’n rhywbeth i edrych ymlaen at yn y dyfodol.

Dywedodd ei fod “wir yn colli’r gemau a fy ffrindiau” a’i fod yn gobeithio cael “dilyn Cymru eto’n fuan iawn”.

Mae’r cyfyngiadau wedi golygu nad oedd chwaraeon byw yn gallu mynd yn eu blaenau am sawl mis oherwydd y cyfnod clo. Cychwynnodd gemau pêl-droed byw yn ôl fis Mehefin ond oherwydd y cyfyngiadau sydd dal yn eu lle nid oes modd cael cynulleidfaoedd byw yn gwylio’r gemau ar hyn o bryd.

Mae hyn wedi cael effaith ar gefnogwyr fel Klaus sy’n colli allan ar gael profi’r awyrgylch yn y stadiwm a’r ochr cymdeithasol o fod yn gefnogwr Cymru.

Fodd bynnag, bydd y cefnogwyr yn sicr o heidio’n ôl i’r stadiwm cyn gynted a bydd yn ddiogel gwneud hynny.

Dros y blynyddoedd mae Cymru

wedi bod yn lwcus ddim i chwarae’r Almaen yn aml iawn, lwcus oherwydd pan mae Cymru yn chwarae’r Almaenwyr, maent yn colli yn sylweddol, ond mae ‘na un achlysur lle roedd Cymru yn fuddugol.

Roedd hi’n sioc enfawr ar noson y r o Fehefin, 1991, wrth i Gymru curo enillwyr Cwpan y Byd 1990, Yr Almaen.

Roedd carfan Terry Yorath yn gwynebu dim gobaith wrth iddynt wynebu goreuon y byd pel-droed, oedd yn cynnwys chwaraewyr fel Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Klinsmann a Rudi Voller.

Roedd gol Ian Rush yn munud 69 wedi sicrhau buddugoliaeth i Gymru a’r wal goch y diwrnod hynny, ac mae’n gem sydd yn aros yn cof y 38,000 o gefongwyr ym Mharc yr Arfau, Caerdydd, hyd at heddiw.

Ond efallai bydd Cymru yn gwynebu yr Almaen yn y fisoedd i ddod. Gyda tim Giggs heb golli mewn dros 10 gem, ac yn gwynebu timau llawer mwy heriol na’r gorffennol, mae gem yfeillgar rhwng Cymru ac Yr Almaen yn sicr yn bosibilrwydd.

Mae EWRO 2021 hefyd yn gyfle i’r ddau tim cwrdd, yn sicr bydd Cymru yn obeithiol o ailadrodd ei pherfformiadau o EWRO 2016, ac yn sicr bydd Yr Almaen eisiau gwella a ei berfformiad yng Nghwpan y Byd 2017, wrth iddynt orffen gwaelod y grwp, gydag ond tri pwynt. Bydd Klaus dwi’n siwr, ynghyd a nifer o gefnogwyr Cymru eraill, yn croesi bysedd i weld un o timau gorau;r byd chwarae yn erbyn Giggs a Chymru.

Felly’n sicr nid yw ansicrwydd y coro nafeirws wedi effeithio ar ei angerdd tuag at bêl-droed Cymreig ac mae Klaus, fel sawl cefnogwr Cymru arall, yn edrych ymlaen at yr amser pan fydd y wal goch yn ffurfio unwaith eto a fydd y byd chwaraeon yn dychwelyd yn ôl i normalrwydd.

CHWARAEON

Dyfodol ansicr i glybiau’r JD Cymru Premier Nifer o glybiau yn dioddef o ganlyniad i broblemau ariannol a diffyg cefnogwyr

Aled Biston

Pennaeth Cynnwys Cymraeg

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oedd nifer o glybiau’r Cymru Premier yn gweld y cyfnod clo cyntaf yn anodd, gyda gemau yn cael eu gohirio a dim incwm gan gefnogwyr, ac mae hynny dal i ddigwydd gan nad oes hawl gan gefnogwyr mynychu gemau.

Mae’r clo byr yn golygu na fydd llawer o dimau gallu chwarae am y pythefnos nesaf, baich ychwanegol iddynt.

Gan fod nifer o glybiau yn y Cymru Premier ddim yn broffesiynol, mae incwm clybiau yn dibynnu ar y cefnogwyr, ond oherwydd cyfyngiadau COVID-19, nid oes hawl gan gefnogwyr i fynychu gemau’r gynghrair ar hyn o bryd. Mae Clwb Pêl-droed Caernarfon yn cael tua £3,000 pob gêm trwy werthu tocynnau, mae hyn yn golled ariannol anferth iddynt. Nid yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi creu cynlluniau er mwyn galluogi cefnogwyr i ddychwelyd i’r Oval, Maes Tegid a mwy o stadiymau y tymor yma.

Mae diffyg arian yn broblem sydd yn peri gofid i nifer i glybiau’r gynghrair.

Er bod pob clwb wedi cael grant o

Dyfodol ansicr: Caernarfon ac Abertwyth yw ddau o nifer o dimoedd sydd yn ddibynu ar gefnogwyr. Tarddiad: Colin Ewart (drwy Flickr( £20,000 gan Gymdeithas Bêl-droed Cymru, ond mae’r Gymdeithas ei hun yn dioddef yn ariannol hefyd. Mae Paul Evans, Cadeirydd Caernarfon wedi dweud wrth BBC Cymru Fyw, byddent yn lwcus i bara hyd at fis Ionawr, ac eu bod nhw methu para tan ddiwedd y tymor lle bydd 32 gêm yn cael ei chwarae.

Ond pam bod cefnogwyr ddim yn cael mynychu gemau? Mae system

lwyddiannus wedi datblygu yn ‘nonleague’ Lloegr, lle mae hawl i 300 o gefnogwyr mynychu gemau gan bellhau’n gymdeithasol. Pam nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru yn edrych at greu system debyg?

Mae’r Aelod Seneddol Plaid Cymru, Liz Saville Roberts wedi galw ar y llywodraeth i adael cefnogwyr mewn, gan gymryd bod system lle caniatawyd

pellhau cymdeithasol.

Daw cic arall i glybiau’r gynghrair, wrth i’r clo byr amharu ar gemau ac ymarferion timoedd sydd ddim yn broffesiynol. Cadarnhawyd gan Lywodraeth Cymru bod timoedd proffesiynol gallu parhau gyda chwaraeon yn ystod y clo byr, ond dim clybiau nad oeddent yn cyrraedd yr anghenion.

Ond gall hyn dod fel saib lle nad oes angen gwario arian?

Mewn datganiad gan y Cymru Premier, dywed “Some Member Clubs, understandably, didn’t feel that they had enough off-field professional staff to fully meet the stated requirememnts during this difficult period”.

Yr unig glwb proffesiynnol yn y gynghrair yw’r Seintiau Newydd, tra bod Bala a Hwlffordd a Cei Connah yn cyrraedd yr anghenion proffesiynol hefyd.

Ni fydd Cei Connah yn chwarae, felly ond tri chlwb sydd yn cyrraedd yr anghenion a gyda’r gallu ariannol i barhau yn ystod y cyfnod byr. Golyga hyn fod naw clwb yn y gynghrair sydd yn â diffyg staff/chwaraewyr proffesiynol i chwarae yn y cyfnod clo.

Dengys hyn y prinder ariannol hefyd, gyda chwaraewyr ar gyflog isel, neu ddim cyflog gan glybiau o gwbl.

DIWYLLIANT

S4C yn cytuno cytundeb hanesyddol i wylwyr y byd

Aled Biston

Pennaeth Cynnwys Cymraeg

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ewn cytundeb hanesyddol i deledu yng Nghymru, mae S4C a TAC (Teledwyr Annibynnol Cymru) wedi bod yn cydweithio ar delerau masnach Newydd fydd yn galluogi gwylwyr ledled y byd i fwynhau rhaglenni Newydd y sianel, yn ogystal â rhaglenni archif ar alw drwy S4C Clic. Golyga hyn fod hoff raglenni Cymreig megis C’mon Midff îld, Gwaith Cartref a llawer mwy ar gael i’w gwylio ar draws y byd.

Bydd holl raglenni Newydd S4C, ynghyd â chynnwys o’r archif lle mae hawliau’n caniatáu, ar gael am gyfnod safonol o 150 diwrnod ar S4C Clic yn hytrach na’r 35 diwrnod presennol.

Mae hyn yn cynnwys ‘bocs sets’ sydd wedi profi’n hynod boblogaidd dros y blynyddoedd.

Mae’r Telerau Masnach hefyd yn golygu bydd modd ffrydio digwyddiadau yn fyw yn fyd-eang gan gynnwys sioeau, gigs a gwyliau. Bydd hyn yn galluogi i gefnogwyr timau pêl-droed a rygbi rhyngwladol Cymru wylio gemau

Strydoedd Cwmderil: Bydd gwylwyr S4C o gwmpas y byd nawr gallu mwynhau Pobol y Cwm a llawer o raglenni eraill. Tarddiad: Adam Care (drwy Flickr) yn fyw, yn ogystal â chefnogwyr operâu sebon S4C, Pobol y Cwm a Rownd a Rownd.

Meddai Owen Evans, Prif Weithredwr S4C, i S4C, “Hoffwn ddiolch yn fawr i TAC am ei Gwaith yn cydlynu’r Telerau Masnach Newydd fydd yn sicrhau gwasanaeth gwell i’n gwylwyr ac yn golygu y gall ein rhaglenni gyrraedd bob rhan o’r byd.” Ychwanegodd “mae ein gwasanaeth ar alw, S4C Clic, wedi datblygu’n sylweddol dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf gyda dros 100,000 wedi cofrestru erbyn hyn”.

Hafan ar-lein S4C, yw S4C Clic, lle mae yna nifer o opsiynau ar gael i wylio

sioeau presennol a gorffenol, yn ogystal â ffrydio’n fyw. Gellir gweld rhestr rhaglenni dyddiol y sianel, er mwyn gweld pryd mae eich hoff raglenni yn fyw.

Dywedodd Gareth Williams, Cadeirydd TAC, i S4C, “Rwy’n falch eithriadol fod TAC ac S4C wedi cytuno ar Drydydd Argraffiad y Telerau Masnach. Rwy’n ffyddiog y bydd y Telerau Masnach hyn, yn fuddiol i’r sector cynhyrchu, ac yn hwyluso’r berthynas ag S4C o ran gweithredu effeithlon y broses gomisiynu yn y dyfodol”.

Mae hyn yn rhoi sail i gytundebau ar gyfer y dyfodol, efallai byddwn yn

gweld cytundeb lle bydd rhaglenni poblogaidd gallu cael eu gwylio ar draws y byd, am y flwyddyn gyfan. Yn sicr, mae Gareth Williams wedi gosod y sail ar gytundebau yn y dyfodol, a bydd gwylwyr S4C ar draws y byd yn cadw llygaid allan ar gyfer unrhyw gytundebau yn y blynyddoedd i ddod.

Heb amau, mae gwylwyr S4C yn gyffrous i weld rhaglenni Cymreig yn cael eu darlledu ar draws y byd. Dywedodd Daniel O’Callaghan “dyma gyfle gwych i gyfryngau Cymru a’r iaith Gymraeg. Mae hyn yn gam angenrheidiol er mwyn sicrhau datganoli darlledu i Gymru. Yn ogystal, rhaid manteisio ar y cyffro hwn i ehangu defnydd yr iaith”.

Heb os, gobaith nifer yw bydd y cytundeb hwn yn creu momentwm newydd i S4C a’i gynnwys. Bydd hyn yn rhoi’r opsiwn i gynulleidfa ifancach S4C gael blas ar hen glasuron y sianel.

Gyda’r datblygiadau sylweddol yng ngwasanaethau ar alw S4C Clic, mae’n debyg bod y cytundeb yn argoeli’n dda i’w gynulleidfa. Gan gofio bod siaradwyr Cymraeg yn byw y tu hwnt i Gymru, bydd hyn yn anogaeth bwrpasol iddyn nhw fwynhau cynnwys cyfryngau Cymru.

Galw am achub canolfan Tŷ’r Cymry yng Nghaerdydd Aled Biston

Pennaeth Cynnwys Cymraeg

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edi penderfyniad i werthu adeilad Tŷ’r Cymry gan bwyllgor ymddiriedolwyr y ganolfan, mae Cymdeithas yr Iaith wedi galw ar berchnogion Tŷ’r Cymry i beidio â gwerthu’r adeilad yn ardal Cathays.

Gorchmynnwyd i denantiaid yr adeilad, sydd yn cynnwys Cymdeithas yr Iaith, UCAC, Plaid Cymru a chylch meithrin Tŷ’r Cymry- i symud allan o’r adeilad. Mae’r ganolfan yma yn rhodd i ‘Gymru

Caerdydd’ gan Lewis Williams yn 1936, ac mae wedi bod yn ganolbwynt dros yr wythdeg mlynedd ddiwethaf, i’r iaith Gymraeg yn y brifddinas.

Yn natganiad i’r wasg, dywedodd Bethan Ruth, cadeirydd Cymdeithas yr Iaith “Mae hanes pwysig i Dŷ’r Cymry yn adferiad yr iaith yng Nghaerdydd, a does dim rheswm i hynny ddod i ben”.

“Rydyn ni’n deall bod cynnal adeilad fel hyn yn bwysau ar griw bach sydd heb newid ers tro byd”.

Dadleua Bethan Ruth mai nid gwerthu’r adeilad a chau’r ganolfan yw’r ateb, ond yn hytrach bod cyfrifoldeb ar y perchno-

gion pasio’r cyfrifoldebau ymlaen i grŵp newydd o bobl y byddai gallu ailsefydlu’r ganolfan fel lle cyfoes ar gyfer y Gymraeg yng Nghaerdydd. Dyma mae Ruth a’r Gymdeithas yn galw ar y pwyllgor i wneud.

Ychwanegodd Cymdeithas yr Iaith eu bod nhw’n awyddus i weld datblygiad a buddsoddiad yn y ganolfan, a bod dim gwneud hyn yn ‘cam yn ôl i’r Gymraeg yn y brifddinas’. “Rydyn ni’n sicr bod digon o bobl yng Nghaerdydd fyddai’n barod i gymryd yr awenau er mwyn sicrhau dyfodol llewyrchus i Dŷ’r Cymry.”

“Mae angen datblygu Tŷ’r Cym-

ry yn ofod cymdeithasol Newydd ar gyfer yr iaith yng Nghaerdyddyn sicr mi fyddai cau’r lle yn gam yn ôl i’r Gymraeg yn y brifddinas”.

Honnir fod y ganolfan yma yn ganolbwynt i hanes yr iaith yn y brifddinas gan Gymdeithas yr Iaith, a bod achub y ganolfan yn ganolog i gadw iaith a diwyllian ty Gymraeg yn fyw yng Nghaerdydd.

Un o brif alwadau Cymdeithas yr Iaith ar gyfer etholiadau’r Senedd y flwyddyn nesaf, a nodir yn ei dogfen ‘Mwy na Miliwn’, yw creu mil o ofodau Cymraeg ar hyd a lled y wlad, a byddai sicrhau peidio gwerthu’r canolfan yma yn fan cychwyn gwych iddynt.

TAF-OD 9 Llywodraeth yn rheoli rheilffyrdd dros cyfnod Aled Biston

Pennaeth Cynnwys Cymraeg

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ae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cadarnhau y bydd rheilffyrdd yn dod o dan ei gofalaeth o fis Chwefror 2021.

Dywed y Gweinidog Trafnidiaeth i BBC Cymru Fyw, Ken Skates, fod hyn yn dilyn “cwymp dramatig yn nifer y teithwyr” yn sgil y pandemig coronafeirws, dechreuodd effeithio Cymru ym mis Mawrth eleni.

Y cwmni preifat KeolisAmey sydd wedi bod yn gyfrifol am y ctundeb ar ran y corff cohoeddus, Trafnidiaeth Cymru, ers 2018, felly cytundeb yn uniongyrchol rhwng y cwmni yma a’r Llywodraeth sydd wedi cymryd lle.

O dan y cytundeb newydd, bydd is-gwmni newydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru, sy’n eiddo cyhoeddus, yn rhedeg y gwasanaethau rheilffyrdd o ddydd i ddydd.

Ychwanegodd Mr. Skates, byddai’r penderfyniad y nhelpu i ddiogelu gwasanaethau teithwyr yng Nghymru a’r Gororau ac yn amddiffyn swyddi.

Ni fydd cynlluniau ar gyfer system metro yn cael eu heffeithio, meddai.

Heb amau, mae’r misoedd diwethaf wedi bod yn heriol i drafnidiaeth cyhoeddus yn y DU. Gyda negeseuon Boris Johnson a Mark Drakeford, i beidio ymgynull i’r gwaith pe bai’n waith allweddol, mae rhan fwyaf o’r boblogaeth wedi bod yn gweithio o gartref.

Mae hyn wedi cyfyngu nifer y deithwyr, gan mae’n siwr byddai llawer o bobl wedi teithio ar drenau i’w gwaith.

Mae Mr. Skates yn cydnabod yr heriau yma hefyd.

Dywedodd “Mae COVID-19 wedi cael effaith sylweddol ar refriw twithwyr ac mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi gorfod camu i mewn gyda chefnogaeth sylweddol i sefydlogi’r rhwydwaith a’i gadw redeg.

Rydyn ni wedi penderfynu trosglwyddo gwasanaethau rheilffordd o ddydd i ddydd i is-gwmni newydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru sydd dan berchnogaeth cyhoeddus.”

Yn yu Senedd, dywedodd dirprwy weinidog bod cynllun busnes y rheilffordd wedi “dymchwel” yn sgil y pandemig, ac nad oedd Keolis yn “fodlon ysgwyddo eu rhan o’r baich”.

Dywedodd Lee Waters AS, nad oedd costau hirdymor rhedeg y gwasanaeth yn amlwg. “Mae’n dibynu ar COVID. Dydyn ni ddim y gwybod”.

Ond, mae llefarydd trafnidiaeth Plaid Cymru, Helen Mary Jones yn dweud y dylai’r fath gyhoeddiadau gael eu gwneud gan y Senedd yn gyntaf.

Er yr holl trafod a dadlau yn y senedd, ynghyd a’r cytundeb rhwng KeolisAmey a Llywodraeth Cymru, nid oes lawer o newid i deithwyr.

Dywedodd Yr Athro Stuart Cole, athro emeritws trafnidiaeth ym Mhrifysgol De Cymru, i Post Cyntaf “Fydd pobl ddim yn gweld llawer o newid”.

Yr unig newidiadau gwelwn yn sgil y pandemig yw gwisgo mygydau a ymhellau’n gymdeithasol.

10

POLITICS

YOUR Welsh Ministers respond to lockdown POLITICS DESK F Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

Hallum Cowell

Tom Kingsbury

rom Friday October 23 to Monday November 9, Wales will enter its second national lockdown since February. There has been a strong reaction from across the political spectrum to this announcement with some in support and others against the decision. Gair Rhydd reached out to the four political party student groups for their thoughts on the announcement and statements from their parties.

Joe Shaw from Cardiff Labour Student said; “CLS completely support the ‘fire-breaker’ lockdown. We absolutely understand that these types of lockdowns are not ideal especially for young people, but it seems to be the necessary step in bringing down the R rate across Wales. With cases of infection growing in all parts of the country and now evidence that cases are continuing to rise in older age groups... it is brilliant that the Welsh Government has followed scientific advice and called for a ‘fire break’ lockdown.

“This intervention will be crucial in saving the lives of the vulnerable and protecting our NHS and staff in the process! We think the rest of the UK should follow suit and that those in Westminster should listen to SAGE and its scientific advisors and put in place a circuit breaker lockdown in England, to bring down the infection rate and save lives.”

The Welsh Conservative Party have been critical of the new lockdown measures, with Paul Davies MS noting, “The main concern is that this national lockdown is not proportionate. The impact on businesses in areas such as Powys, Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion, who have the lowest rate of Covid-19 cases in Wales, will be severe at a time when they are desperately struggling to recover from the pandemic so far this year.

“The First Minister needs to urgently come to the Welsh Parliament and answer these questions, to face effective scrutiny by elected representatives and not run his government by media.”

President of Cardiff University’s Conservative Society, James Wallace, stated, “We’ve seen a breathtaking arrogance from Mark Drakeford and the Labour-led Welsh Government. Not only did people find out about this second lockdown through a leaked letter, but now we’re unable to go into stores and purchase clothes, bedding and books - it’s draconian.

“The Wales-wide lockdown is disproportionate, unnecessary and hitting students hardest. What Wales needs is a localised lockdown approach, where we target individual towns - similar to what we saw earlier this month. This is ridiculous, it’s hurting our young people, it’s killing local business and it’s ruining livelihoods”.

Plaid Cymru released a statement

Empty Streets: The COVID-19 pandemic has divided politicans, parties and people on how best to combat it’s spread. Source: Evelyn Simak (via. geograph) which read, “As the first party in Wales to advocate a fire break, Plaid Cymru said it remained steadfastly supportive of this proposal.”

Rhun ap Lorwerth, Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for Health and Care added, “because of the failure of policies by Welsh and UK Governments to date, to reach that point we need a fire break now to get the virus under control and to start afresh. The First Minister must urgently publish a detailed plan to address the inadequacies of the current response, including proposals such as those Plaid Cymru is proposing today” President of Cardiff University’s Plaid Cymru Society said, “We want to ensure that Wales is protected as much as possible. We are acting on impulse; thanks to devolution, Mark Drakeford has ensured that Wales and its NHS, is put first.”

The Liberal Democrats have also been supportive of the new lockdown. Matthew Morgan, President of the Liberal Democrat Society at Cardiff University said, “We support the new lockdown. There is now plenty of evidence from around the world that acting swiftly and decisively is better than dithering. If this firebreak were not applied now than it is quite likely we would have to face a longer, more disruptive lockdown anyway.

“Kirsty Williams, the Welsh education minister and Liberal Democrat, was right to keep disruption to schools and universities to a minimum though, as the evidence given to the Welsh Government suggests transmission in primary schools and in-person education at universities is not a major contributor to the virus spreading.”

battle child hunger in the UK. The England international has welcomed the proposed plan from the Welsh Government, highlighting the undeniable positive impact that this would have on children within the country.

During the summer, Rashford pressured the UK Government to make a U-turn, with the decision being made to fund free meal vouchers for those eligible during the recent summer holidays.

Rashford stated that “having this framework in place for the foreseeable future will have a significantly positive impact on children who are struggling to engage due to anxiety and fear, not to mention the noise of their rumbling stomachs”.

Since then, Rashford’s petition to expand the UK Government’s free school meals scheme has had over 250,000 signatures – and received significant backing and support from the Labour party and Kate Green.

The campaign led by Rashford, alongside the new extension introduced by the Welsh government, is likely to cause pressure on the UK’s Education secretary, Gavin Williamson, and the Westminster Government to expand their scheme in England. However, Westminster announced on October 21 that they will not be implimenting this policy.

Now during the second national lockdown, and the economic pressures it will likely cause, the extension may turn out crucial for many families.

Welsh Government announces free school meals plan Ryan Bellenie Contributor

Dewi Morris

Morgan Perry politics@gairrhydd.com

T

he Welsh Government have recently announced, ahead of the October half-term, an extension of their scheme to provide free school meals for all eligible children across Wales.

The plan will give eligable children free school meals during school holidays, up until and including Easter holidays in 2021.

The programme will cost approximately £11 million, and will provide meals to over 75,000 pupils within the age bracket of five to fifteen.

The project was confirmed by Education Minister, Kirsty Williams, who said she aims to provide “some reassurance in these times of uncertainty”.

The current funding works alongside over £700,000 that has been allocated to support colleges and equivalent eli-

gible learners, as well as the £7 million which was provided at the beginning of the first lockdown in March when schools first closed.

Some reassurance in these times of uncertainty.

Kirsty Williams MS Minister for Education

At present, the future for many is unpredictable – and for many that means even more stressful times lie ahead. With unemployment in Wales recently taking a sharp rise to 3.8%, the scheme comes at a convenient time to aid those who with may be uncertain about their jobs and potential incomings over the next few months.

In June, a campaign led by Manchester United star, Marcus Rashford, fought for free school meals to help

This framework... will have a significant positive impact on children Marcus Rashford Footballer and Campaigner

Reckless jumps ship to Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party Morgan Perry Politics Editor

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ark Reckless MS has defected from the Brexit Party to the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party in the Senedd.

Leader of the Brexit Party group in the Senedd, Reckless was previously elected as a member of UKIP on the South Wales East regional list at the 2016 Assembly Elections.

In 2017, he left the UKIP group in the Senedd to join the Conservatives.

Following a fall out over the party’s inability to deliver Brexit, Reckless once again left the Conservatives and sat independently, before forming a Brexit Party group of poli-

ticians in 2019.

Given Reckless was a Conservative MP before joining the Senedd, this makes his defection to Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party his fifth since first being elected to public office in 2010.

Upon joining the party – which thus far has had limited electoral success in Wales, given its two politicians in the Senedd were elected after standing under different parties – Reckless said he was doing so “to help give those opposed to devolution a proper voice”.

“Devolution has until now only ever been one way, with more and more powers devolved. Now they are even enforcing a border with England [with the Covid travel ban].

“Next year we could see income

tax rise just in Wales under new powers,” said Mr Reckless.

To help give those opposed to devolution a proper voice.

Devolution up untill now only ever has been one way Mark Reckless Abolish the Welsh Assembly MS

Formed in 2015, the Abolish the Welsh Assembly had no success at the 2016 Welsh Assembly elections,

where it won 4.4% of the list votes, and giving it no seats in the Senedd.

Despite this, the party has two Members of the Senedd (including Mr Reckless). The other member is Gareth Bennett, another former UKIP member, who defected earlier this year. Bennett has previously been called “the Donald Trump of Wales”.

In addition to its two representatives in the Senedd, the party has just one local council position of Wales’ 1,253.

They will, no doubt, be looking to capitalise on their recent defections at the Senedd elections, which are currently scheduled for May. But despite the party’s optimism, the latest polling data shows that only four parties are predicted to return

to the Senedd: Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru and the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

Mark Reckless’ defection means that the Brexit Party no longer has any representation in the Senedd chamber.

The news also came in the same week that former Caroline Jones, David Rowlands, and Mandy Jones came together to create the Independent Alliance for Reform. The group reportedly wants to change the way devolution works in the Senedd.

Despite this week’s Senedd drama, this could all change, of course, since the Senedd elections are now just six months away. That is, of course, providing they aren’t delayed.

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Manchester to enter tier three lockdown The Northern City and Westminster have reached an impass over the amount of money in the relief fund for Manchester Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

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anchester has been given a £22m COVID-19 relief fund as the city enters another lockdown as part of the UK Government’s new tiered lockdown system.

Manchester City Council had been in talks with the government over the relief fund, initially requesting £90m before lowering their demands to £65m.

Manchester has been under local lockdown since July and was included in the national lockdown before that.

The £90m figure is the cost of providing those affected by the tier three lockdown in Manchester with 80% of their wages whilst businesses are forced to shut.

Despite the lack of agreement, the UK Government has said a sum of £60m for relief is still available for Manchester.

Matt Hancock, UK Health Secretary, confirmed that the offer “remains on the table” and indicated he would bypass Greater Manchester Mayor Mayor Andy Burnham and strike deals directly with broughs, adding that “our door is open to further discussions with local leaders in the coming days about business support”.

The nortern city is the first in England to be added to tier three since the scheme was launched, a decision which

has angered the city’s local leaders who argue that the relief fund is not high enough.

Andy Burnham said that a relief fund of £65m was the “bare minimum to prevent a winter of real hardship”.

Burnham described this deadline as a “late-night ultimatum briefed to the media” he added that; “I think it is fair to recognise that if you put a place under restrictions for as long as we’ve been under restrictions it grinds people down. It pushed businesses closer to the brink”.

He also added that he has “no regrets for taking a stand.” And that “this wasn’t a negotiation; this was basically bulldozed through”.

Tier three places additional restrictions on the region, creating a situation similar to the first national lockdown that began in March. Households will be unable to mix indoors or outdoors, the rule of six will apply in outdoor public spaces and there will be guidance against traveling in or out of the region although not an outright ban.

The ten Mancunian councillors, local MPs and Mayor Andy Burnham were in talks with the UK Government over the relief fund for 10 days before the Government decided to set the fund at £22m and begin the lockdown measures from October 23. A deadline was given on October 20 by the UK government that if a deal is not reached the Prime Minister would decide the

next steps.

After talks between the two parties broke down a letter was sent from six Conservative MPs to Burnham which accused him of placing his “ego” above the welfare of the people of Greater Manchester.

Sean Fielding, Oldham Council leader, responded that “it wasn’t just Andy Burnham that rejected the offer of £60m, it was collectively the 10 council leaders and Andy Burnham”, adding that, “£60m was not enough, and it remains not enough”.

Determined: Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham., has attmepted to negotated a better financial package for the city. Soure: Rwendland (via. Wikimedia Commons)

Labour rebellion brews after “Spycops” abstention Hallum Cowell Head of Politics

L

abour rebellion brews after abstaining on “Spycops” bill.

On October 15, a controversial bill that would allow undercover police officers to lawfully commit

crimes was passed in the House of Commons. Officially known as the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Bill, the law was dubbed the “Spycops” Bill by critics who claim the lack of safeguarding in the bill could lead to human rights violations and an erosion of civil freedoms.

The bill would allow 13 agen-

Spycops: Armed police officers already exist in the UK but the new legislation would allow undercover officers to commit crimes legally in certain situations Source: Jo (via. Flickr)

cies, including the police, the military, HMRC and the Food Standard Agency the legal parameters for their undercover agents to break the law.

The bill allows these officers to commit crimes if it is in the interests of national security, for the purpose of preventing and detecting crime or if preventing disorder in a way that is in the interests of the economic wellbeing of the United Kingdom.

Labour leader, Keir Starmer has made it clear that his issue with the Bill is the lack of safeguarding regarding the abuse of powers, rather than it’s aim, and so his whip to abstain was out of a desire for changes to the Bill rather than its removal from the floor.

The Bill passed with 313 votes in favour and 98 against after the Labour benches were whipped to abstain on the bill.

With a Conservative majority of over 80 seats, the other parties in the Commons had no chance of stopping the passing of the bill, however many within the Labour Party have been angered by Starmer’s decision to abstain on the Bill, rather than vote against it.

This anger manifested in 34 Labour MPs voting against the bill, including former leader Jeremy Corbyn and former Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell, and thus breaking the whip.

The party’s abstention also saw a slew of resignations, including a member of the shadow Treasury team, Dan Carden, and the Shadow Education Minister, Margaret Greenwood.

Carden said that he voted against the bill as a “matter of conscience” adding that the bill sets “dangerous new precedents” for civil liberties and the rule of law.

The Labour rebels predominantly come from the further left side of the party, which has been out of favour since the resignation of Jeremy Corbyn following Labour’s defeat in the 2019 General Election.

This rebellion comes as a keen reminder to those within the party that the division between new and old Labour are hardly a thing of the past and that many factions still exist within the opposition.

Some Conservative MPs also took issue with the Bill. Steve Baker MP said: “For those of us who like the red meat of law and order, it has forced us to look inside the abattoir and we don’t like what we see.

“I can’t imagine ministers will be authorising killing or torture, but [that should be] on the face of the bill so the public can have confidence.”

Home Secretary Priti Patel com-

For those of us who like the red meat of law and order, it has forced us to look inside the abattoir and we don’t like what we see

11

Win for socialists in Bolivian elections Monique Dyer Contributor

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uis Arce has won Bolivia’s election in the first round with an estimated 52% of the vote.

He was over 20 points ahead of his centrist opponent Carlos Mesa.

Mesa, leader of the Civic Community party, who has conceded defeat, although the win is still yet to be confirmed by the official count.

“The result of the quick count is very strong and very clear,” Mesa said. “The difference between the first candidate and the Comunidad Ciudadana [Civic Community] is wide and it is up to us, those who believe in democracy, to recognize that there has been a winner in this election.”

Arce said that the initial results looked “hard to change” but that he would only be making a statement once the official results were in. In Bolivia the official results can take up to several days before being announced.

The victory saw the Movement for Socialism Party (MAS) sweep back into power less than a year after former president Evo Morales stepped down. Morales fled Bolivia in November 2019 following allegations that he rigged the election in October of that year. Senator Jeanine Áñez was sworn in as interim president. Áñez stepped down from the presidential race in September. She was quick to congratulate Mr. Arce, stating that although “we still do not have an official count”, it is clear “Mr Arce and Mr Choquehuanca [his running mate] have won the election. I congratulate the winners and ask them to govern with Bolivia and democracy in mind.”

This victory for MAS could mean that Evo Morales will return from exile in Argentina. He has been living there since what he claimed was a right-wing coup against him. However, Arce has stated that should Morales return, he would have to face the outstanding Justice department investigations before him.

The country is still largely divided, after the 2019 elections caused widespread protest and violence. The 2020 election was postponed twice

by President Áñez, who cited the coronavirus pandemic as the cause of disruption. This has only served to increase tensions in the country.

Many Bolivians stockpiled food, expecting similar mass protests after this election. But Mesa’s quick concession has come as a relief to the many Bolivians who feared the election could again trigger weeks of protests.

Many countries in Latin America have offered congratulations on the election result, including Mexico, Argentina, Cuba and Venezuela.

Steve Baker Conservative MP

mented on Labour’s abstention saying, “Once again, Labour has refused to stand up for those who protect our country and keep us all safe. Their leader may have changed, but Labour still can’t be trusted on national security.”

La Paz: Bolivia’s capital, where Socialists have won the election.

Source: Russland345, via.

Wikimedia Commons.

12 POLITICS In other news Nigerian #EndSARS movement gains momentum Tom Kingsbury Politics Editor

The United States has approved a $1.6bn weapons sale to Taiwan.

China and Taiwan have been at odds since China’s nationalist government fled to the island following the Communist Revolution. Since then relations between the two nations have been heated. US security advisor Robery O’Brien said while he did not believe China would invade Taiwan the island should “fortify itself ” for the future.

The Thai government has lifted its state of emergency after days of protests. The government imposed the state of emergency, which banned groups of more than four and set a curfew, after even larger crowds began to gather in response. Thai students are leading the movement, calling for reforms to the constitution and monarchy, and are demanding that Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha resigns.

Several people have been injured Saturday after police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas against anti-government protests in Haiti.

Unrest across the nation have been ongoing for more than a year. Protesters are calling for the resignation of President Jovenel Moise, who has been accused of corruption charges and is running the country after a political deadlock led to the Haiting Parliament closing down. President Moise has also been heavily criticised for the lack of economic support for those left unemployed during the country’s coronavirus lockdown. The UN has accused Haiti of failing to protect its population and protests have turned increasingly violent.

At least 12 people are reported dead after an Afgan airstrike hit a religious scholl in the Afganaistan region of Takhar. The Afgan government claims that the strike instead killed 12 Taliban soliders in the same village. The iman of the mosque attached to the religious school told the BBC that there were only children in the Mosque at the time of the airstrike. Doctors in a nearby hospital coroperated his story, stating that most of the victims were children. This event comes as talks between the Taliban and Afgan government break down.

F

ollowing public protest, the Nigerian Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) was dissolved October 11, the Nigerian President announced. He said the officers from the unit, which was accused widely of extorting and abusing the public, would be redeployed.

However, the protests continued despite SARS’s dissolution. Critics argued that this was the fourth time in four years that promises had been made to disband or reform SARS, and that redeploying the officers would not solve the issue of police violence in Nigeria.

Further undermining the ending of SARS was the issue that the antiSARS protesters had been met with violence by unrelated police units while protesting. This led to Nigerian for wider police reforms.

Police reportedly fired live ammunition on protesters, as well as using tear gas and water cannons. Four police officers in Lagos– allegedly the ones to open fire on protesters – were arrested.

A number of Nigerian cities have banned protests or enforced curfews, as the protests escalate.

Some protests, allegedly hijacked by violent actors, have vandalised police stations, and a number of armed groups have attacked peaceful protests.

In Lagos, protesters demonstrating against police brutality blocked a major road in the country’s economic

hub, as well as preventing access to Lagos airport.

There have been demonstrations in Aba, Enugu, Ibadan, Jos and Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, amongst other cities.

In Abuja, protesters were attacked by a group of men using machetes.

Later, demonstrators occupied a bank in the capital, but were attacked by an armed group. Amnesty international reported dozens injured in the incident.

In the city of Osogbo, the state governor was marching alongside protesters when an armed group fired on them, injuring some of the governor’s aides.

Protests began in Kano state, after a 17 year old was reportedly tortured to death in police custody.

There have been reports of violent mobs hijacking the protests. In Lagos a police building was set ablaze, reportedly by such a group.

After dissolving SARS and promising a commitment to more extensive police reforms, the Nigerian President ordered the release of all protesters arrested while demonstrating against police brutality.

The Nigerian police then announced a new police unit to replace SARS, the Special Weapons and Tactics team, and announced that all former SARS officers would have to undergo psychological and medical examination before any further training or redeployment.

SWAT was met with skepticism, with many critics saying that creating a new unit did not solve the issue.

Some took to calling SWAT ‘SARS With Another Title’.

Protests continued despite these changes, and the Nigerian army warned protesters to stop.

The governor of Rivers state banned all forms of protest, stating there was now “no need” for protests of any kind.

Protesters defied the ban though, marching to the government building in the state capital.

Protests were also banned in Abuja, where officials said the spread of coronavirus had to be curtailed.

In Lagos a curfew was instated due

to the escalating violence attributed to some protesters, but protesters have remained outside in defiance of the curfew.

Nigeria’s police chief has ordered the deployment of anti-riot police across the country, saying it is to “protect lives and property” of Nigerian citizens.

Representatives of both sides have expressed concerns about increasing violence, as the protests gain momentum both in Nigeria and internationally.

Taking a knee in Lagos: Protesters demonstrated against police brutality across Nigeria, saying that the abolition of the hated SARS police unit was not enough.

Source: TobiJamesCandids (via. Wikimedia Commons)

Jacinda Arden’s Labour Party secure a landslide win in New Zealand’s election Dewi Morris

Political Editor

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ew Zealand’s centre-left Labour party won 49.1% of the vote, gaining a majority with 64 of the 120-seat parliament.

The incumbent prime minister, Jacinda Arden addressed the nation after her victory saying: “New Zealand has shown the Labour Party its greatest support in almost 50 years. We will not take your support for granted. And I can promise you we will be a party that governs for every New Zealander.”

The opposition, New Zealand National Party, won 26.8% and 35 seats. The other parties to win seats

were: ACT New Zealand with 10, the Greens also with 10, and the Māori Party with 1.

Labour increased their seats by 18, from 46 in the last election in 2017.

The nation hasn’t had a majority government since 1996.

In New Zealand, a general election is held every three years. This year’s election was due to be held on September 19, however, due to COVID-19 restrictions it was delayed until October 17.

Political experts and commentators say Labour’s landslide win is largely accounted for by Arden’s popularity, her empathetic leadership and success with dealing with coronavirus.

Jacinda Arden perhaps first drew

Victory for Arden: Jacinda Arden’s Labour Party won just under 50% of the vote, giving them a rare outright majority of seats. Source: Appointment of the new Ministry (via. Wikimedia Commons)

world attention for her handling of the Christchurch terror attacks in March 2019, she was praised by global figures for her delicate and compassionate approach.

Arden once again captured a world-wide audience over her leadership during the coronavirus pandemic.

New Zealand has maintained incredibly low infection rates since the beginning of the pandemic and life in New Zealand has more or less returned to normal.

Her unorthodox and relaxed leadership style may have also added to her popularity.

In March, she addressed New Zealand in a Q and A session from her home wearing a relaxed jumper which she apologized for saying “it can be a messy business putting toddlers to bed”.

The Dalai Lama congratulated Arden on her election victory and praised her leadership approach saying “I admire the courage, wisdom and leadership [of Jacinda Ardern], as well as the calm, compassion and respect for others, she has shown in these challenging times.”

However, Arden’s reputation may present a challenge. Some observers believe that she has set the bar at a high level beyond what she can live up to while leading the next government, especially as New Zealand entered a recession in September.

Economist, Peter Wilson, commented: “The next three years will be about economic recovery and the way the government deals with it, a very different challenge and arguably a more difficult one.”

A new government is due to be formed in two or three weeks.

Despite having a rare outright majority, Ms Arden has not ruled out entering a coalition with the Green party, and there have been talks between Arden and the Greens’ leader James Shaw.

The new government will perhaps be the most inclusive ever. Becoming the youngest female leader of a nation herself, over half of Labour’s MPs are women, and 16 are Māori.

Independent of parties, 10% of the new parliamentarians openly identify as members of the LGBT community.

New Zealanders also voted on two referendums alongside the general election last week.

On legalising assisted dying for the terminally ill and legalising the recreational use of cannabis.

In a debate between Arden and Judith Collins, leader of the New Zealand National Party, the Prime Minister admitted past cannabis use “a long time ago.” The crowd at the debate applauded Arden for her honesty. However, Arden did not reveal which way she would vote. Collins said she would be voting against its legalisation.

The cannabis referendum is a nonbinding vote, meaning even if a majority vote in favour this does not mean it will become law. However, it can be expected that a majority view would be respected.

The referendum on euthanasia is binding, meaning if a majority votes in favour of legalising assisted dying, then this would become law.

Preliminary results for these referendums won’t be announced until October 30.

Providing a range of certified courses aimed at building your confidence and increasing your employability potential.

14

COMMENT

YOUR The Environmental Dilemma COMMENT Will David Attenborough’s documentary spark the change we need?

DESK H Cerys Jones

Comment Editor

Molly Govus

Sian Hopkins

Cerys Ann Jones

Izzy Morgan comment@gairrhydd.com

uman activity has had many implications on the ever-changing environmental landscape, thus generating global issues such as overpopulation, pollution, global warming, and climate change, in which nations must actively participate in a change to reverse.

British naturalist and TV broadcaster, Sir David Attenborough, released a documentary film on Netflix on October 4, 2020, which acts as a witness statement through which he voices concerns regarding the current state of the planet as a result of human impact.

He states in the film’s trailer: “Human beings have overrun the world. This film is my witness statement and my vision for the future”.

He provides a discerning depiction of possible scenarios that could occur throughout an evolutionary lifetime as long as his own of 94 years if harmful human activity remains unchanged. He states that the Amazon rainforest could degrade into a savannah, the Arctic could lose all ice during the summer season, coral reefs could die, and the over-utilisation of soil could cause a food crisis.

Narrated by Attenborough from Pripyat, an area deserted following a nuclear disaster, the documentary film is interspersed with footage from across the broadcaster’s career, displaying a vast variety of ecosystems and indicators of the climate crisis that humans are causing. The issue of animal mass extinction is discussed as Attenborough noticed a decline in wildlife.

He reveals that the causes are anthropogenic climate change and biodiversity loss which accelerates the planet towards biological destruction at a rapid pace.

Coinciding with educating viewers on the damage caused by ruinous human behavioural patterns, Attenborough describes preventative actions in which climate change and biodiversity could be combatted.

He proposes reversible methods in which humans could participate in in order to evoke change such as providing universal healthcare, improving education encompassing the environment, and bringing countries out of poverty which could all stabilise the state of the planet sooner.

The naturalist states that renewable energy sources such as solar, water, wind, and geothermal could sustainably supply human needs.

Attenborough suggests that a change in the human diet to eliminate or reduce meat consumption would provide the ability for land to be utilised more adequately.

Additionally, he asserts that protecting a third of coastal areas from fishing activity could allow fish populations to drastically increase. Therefore, the remaining area would be available for human consumption.

He cites the government intervention in Costa Rica which caused deforestation to reverse, in conjunction with the governance of Palau, with the introduction of fishing regulations and improved use of land. He states with assurance that the solution has been: “Staring us in the face all along. To restore stability to our planet, we must restore biodiversity, the very thing that we’ve removed”.

The purpose of the documentary is to empower people to participate in the environmental conversation, therefore issuing sustainable development within contemporary society.

Preceding the debut of the documentary film and book both named A Life on Our Planet, Sir David Attenborough joined the social media platform Instagram to disseminate videos encompassing the destruction he has witnessed at the hands of humans, coinciding with possible solutions to reverse or repair the damage.

Utilising the pervasive platform for educational purposes and to reach a

younger audience is the prolific broadcaster and naturalist’s attempt to evoke a change in human activity within contemporary society.

Sir David broke a Guinness World Record for the fastest time to reach one million followers succeeding his debut on Instagram’s social platform on September 24.

Since then, the naturalist’s followers have more than quadrupled, providing his platform with a far-reaching audience, thus increasing his social influence.

He told the BBC that reaching a younger audience provides him with “great hope”. He followed: “I feel privileged that they should listen to what an old bloke like me is talking about”.

Attenborough received an overwhelming abundance of support from Instagram’s social media users, who are predominantly aged between 18-29.

This poses the question of whether the positive reaction was performative in support of Attenborough as a social influence, as opposed to supporting the message he is attempting to spread and the social change he is campaigning to bring forth.

Often among young members of society, such activism is performed to increase one’s social capital, rather than the individual’s devotion to the cause.

Social media platforms have provided young people with a sense of achievement regarding contemporary social, economic and political issues,

including the environment. Reposting activist content such as a David Attenborough campaigning to evoke environmental change is not an active way of practicing true change such as dietary and lifestyle alterations which will have a true impact.

This circulates the message but does not necessarily change the individual’s actions. The dissemination of such content is viewed more like a social media trend for reasons such as popularity and social capital as opposed to supporting the cause through actions.

Society must take sustainable action in creating a culture filled with environmentally friendly trends on a much larger scale than what is currently in place.

Money alone cannot sustain the human race once natural resources have depleted.

The world is experiencing a climate crisis that has developed at the hands of humans.

Enhancing environmental literacy within the educational curriculum will develop a generation that places imperative importance on environmental issues and preservative methods in how we can prolong the use of natural resources.

We must empower people to actively participate in environmental conversation and actions encompassing such issues, to develop a society devoted to saving the planet.

Is time running out?: There is so much more we can do to save the planet from an ecological crisis.

Source: DMCA (via. Pxfuel)

Will the second lockdown affect student drinking habits?

Izzy Morgan

Comment Editor

T

he toll of a second lockdown on students’ mental health in Wales is hugely concerning especially with added pressures such as the lack of home comforts, support networks and an increased workload. For many, it may have been present during the first lockdown.

The drinking culture amongst students is also a factor that must be considered. Whilst usually a social and fun activity for students to usually engage in on nights out or in the pub with friends, binge-drinking during a second lockdown could potentially trigger some unhealthy habits in students in order to cope with stress.

As a student, nights out are a big part of the culture of being at university. It’s where friendships form, unforgettable stories originate, and, for most, where we go to escape the stress and have a laugh with mates.

So, when this is taken away from us, how do we make up for it? If you’re creative like some students who are keeping the party alive, you might turn your house into one of your favourite nightclubs, with the kitchen serving as the SU (and partying with those only from your household) or you may decide to be a little less creative and just put the speaker on and have fun with your flatmates.

The nature of the second lockdown guidelines means the reclosure of bars, restaurants and pubs which usually provide safe spaces wherein students

can drink with members of their household.

With the closure of these environments, the more relaxed consumption of alcohol at home might have serious consequences for students who are struggling with predominantly online learning and less to divert them socially.

These behaviours can be extremely damaging to mental and physical health and might have longer lasting effects such as alcohol dependence.

One potential approach for how the University might be able to deal with this is opening more specific conversations with mental health professionals so students feel they are supported during this time.

The lack of strict timetabling with most students’ work being done at home might also encourage people to

be a lot less worried about getting work done in a timely way which might be a result of drinking more often. This eventually will have a negative impact on students’ grades and be even more damaging to mental health and contribute to unhealthy work practices such as last-minute cramming.

On the flip side, however, the attitude to more relaxed environments for drinking such as being at home instead of being out in large groups might benefit many students who don’t feel comfortable in those sort of social environments where binge-drinking is often present.

This might encourage a more positive and informal attitude towards drinking between students in a culture that sometimes feels competitive to some extent.

The second lockdown might also allow for students to have a break from going out and facilitate healthy habits and relationships with those around them that may not be just from having a social at the pub.

It is naive to think that there aren’t those who will depend on alcohol during this second lockdown and the University needs to be prepared to help those who will struggle as a result of this.

The student reaction to the second lockdown in Wales will no doubt enlighten us more on this.

However, there needs to be interactive and strong support systems in place to help those who might need emergency help during this time as well as just for those who might be concerned about those around them.

SYLWADAU

15

Will a second lockIs it time to ‘cancel’ the concept of cancel culture?

Some may argue that there are better ways to disagree with peoples’ views down pose mental health risks?

Clark, a professor on media studies Sian Hopkins

Comment Editor

I

n a society filled with constant use of social media, tabloids and influencers, it is not surprising that everyone believes they have a say on how others live their lives.

Fame appears to be desired by many, but with the supposed rewards that come from being in the public eye are its downfalls.

Generation Z are said to be the most accepting generation. Thanks to social media and its easy access to constant information, a lot of young people and adults use their opinions online to take a stand against views that are unacceptable or discriminatory.

There is, of course, the issue of those spreading prejudiced views gaining as much public access as those who are protesting against them. However, there is now a term to silence particular people, mainly celebrities and those of influence, who do make controversial points or actions. They are ‘cancelled.’

Cancelling someone, in the simplest terms, means to stop showing support for someone after they do something that you may find upsetting or unacceptable behaviour.

According to Merriam-Webster, “the act of canceling could entail boycotting an actor’s movies or no longer reading or promoting a writer’s works.”

There is no particular definition or reason behind cancelling someone, but it’s usually as a result of a questionable opinion being shared, or acting in a way that to continue following or endorsing that person’s work would be to endorse those actions as ok.

Jonah Engel Bromwich, from the New York Times, explains how being cancelled “refers to total disinvestment in something (anything), and this usage can be traced back several years.”

However, it is only more recently this year that the term has been used the most.

The most popular definition of the concept on Urban Dictionary was posted in March and four of the nine definitions listed were added in just the last two years.

So why does cancel culture ultimately exist? Experts like Meredith

at the University of Virginia, suggests that “it’s ultimately an expression of agency.”

This means that to an extent, people feel they gain back a sort of power by disconnecting or ‘breaking up’ with those who express something they can no longer tolerate.

‘Canceling,’ is therefore “an act of withdrawing from someone whose expression, whether political or artistic, was once welcome or at least tolerated, but no longer is.”

To be cancelled does not have to be as extreme as the phrase suggests.

Many tweets and social media posts that suggest a celebrity has been cancelled or even the year 2020 or the concept of love; this does not rule out supporting it altogether.

Lisa Nakamura, a professor of digital media and race, gender and sexuality at the University of Michigan, calls ‘cancelling’ a ‘cultural boycott.’

She explains, “Changing culture meaningfully means approaching folks from the standpoint of ‘these harmful ideas you are perpetuating need to go,’” she said, “We’re not going to accept this anymore. But the people themselves can be recovered.”

Ultimately, what this means is that ‘cancel culture’ should primarily focus around ‘cancelling’ the negative or harmful views and ideas that are expressed, rather than the person themselves.

If that person can change and redeem themselves from the harmful expressions they may have previously stated, it is possible for them to be ‘uncancelled.’

Celebrities like James Charles and Demi Lovato are amongst a few of those who have been cancelled for previous behaviour and then considered acceptable to follow once again.

Many people may argue that this is not how cancel culture should work, as certain harmful opinions and expressions that may be discriminatory or prejudiced should not be forgiven, especially when those with power and influence can afford for a good publicist to explain their mistakes away.

There is however, a toxic side to the creation and popular use of cancel culture, which often involves the media or continual bullying of someone who is considered cancelled.

Whilst originally, the existence of

Cancel culture can be detrimental to society Lottie Ennis Contributor

C

ancel culture is very prevalent in our society right now and is the removal of support for an individual or their work after an action which is deemed unacceptable.

Often, cancel culture can take the form of cyber-bullying and can be more serious than the cancelled individual’s original offence.

In one way it is a form of protest against those in power. In another way it closes down avenues of discussion and is sometimes unsuccessful in its purpose.

Furthermore, in other cases, cancel culture reduces individuals to one action and defines them as good or bad.

This is unhelpful in the bigger picture as humans are not good or bad and in-

stead of opening up a discussion, that person is reduced, in some cases, to one decision. This also does not allow room for growth and plays into the idea that those who perhaps make an ignorant decision should be dropped from society.

Cancel culture can also take the place of true activism and those who take part in it may think they are helping a cause by posting mean comments or not watching a TV show, whereas, it may be more helpful to spread awareness and educate ourselves and others in an ongoing discussion.

In some cases, cancel culture or a similar approach may be appropriate, especially when the justice system fails to protect a vulnerable party.

However, it is vital we continue the discussion about why they might be cancelled to avoid important issues being overlooked.

Hallum Cowell Deputy Editor

T

The problem: is cancel culture actually more detrimental than we realise, and will it cause more issues than it will solve in the future? Source: wiredforlego (via. Flickr) cancel culture was seen as a positive way of holding people accountable for their actions and not accepting outrageous and offensive actions by people with influence, it has become increasingly common for any scandal to permit the opinion that that person should be cancelled.

Only recently, widely-circulated news articles described actress Lily James kissing the slightly older and married actor Dominic West, with some people over social media reacting by saying that she should be ‘cancelled’. Lily James was described as ‘hiding at home’ after the incident, whereas not much was said about Dominic Williams, except that he and his wife are not separating. Lily James, according to the media, is now just the other woman.

This appears to be a trend within cancel culture, as often women are cancelled faster than men, for similar actions and behaviour.

The unexpected passing of Caroline Flack in February of this year was arguably partly a result of her experience with cancel culture after she was arrested for assault against her boyfriend.

Despite there being much speculation and uncertainty around news stories, Caroline Flack was bombarded over social media by trolls and hate comments, picking apart her personal life and dating history, as ‘evidence’ for her needing to be cancelled.

As Richard Seymour in The Guard-

ian wrote, “Flack was about to be prosecuted over allegations of assaulting her partner, despite him withdrawing his complaint.

“Most of us know next to nothing about what really happened. However, the press that had happily built her up as a star also delighted in taking her down, cackling about Caroline “Whack”.’

Within the means of cancel culture, Caroline’s death would be seen as a mere fatality of people’s opinions and withdrawal of support, but the sheer invasion into her life and hate that was received no longer suggests a cultural boycott but a lynching.

Cancel culture can be seen therefore, as a powerful tool for those who in society are seen as a minority, and gives them the option to speak out and boycott those with power for harmful and offensive behaviour.

Jameela Jamil comments that “a lot of complaints regarding cancellation are coming from very powerful people” suggesting “you can’t really cancel a white billionaire.”

There is however, a danger with cancel culture, that results in the criticism and boycotting of a person becoming as hateful and destructive as their own behaviour.

Misinformation and even fake news that circulate social media can result in tragic outcomes, like with Caroline Flack, with cancelling becoming a result of hate rather than justification.

Cancel culture can bring good to society Anonnymous Contributor

T

he term ‘wokeness’ has become quite a prominent one in our society.

I like to think that this is a good thing; people being called out for their disregard, or wrongdoing to others makes perfect sense.

Of course, this comes with a risk.

It could be taken too far, or to the point of slander and bullying, which has been seen far too often in media culture.

I think what is most important is that the people who risk being ‘cancelled’, or have been cancelled, should shift their relationship with criticism.

I’m aware that that is easier said

than done in some cases, but ultimately, it is about owning up to your mistakes in a mature manner and ensuring an apology for actions is sufficient.

One could even go as far to say that if this happened in the first case, cancel culture wouldn’t be needed.

I think cancel culture gives a voice to the minorities that aren’t able to speak their opinion on such a large platform.

For once, it gives the quiet voice a metaphorical megaphone, to allow them to share their stories.

Risks aside, this should be celebrated.

How often do the general public get a genuine and effective say on such issues, or problematic people?

Hardly ever.

he second Welsh national lockdown is here and, as with any period of isolation, it’s going to have an effect on people’s mental health. One of the most affected groups have been students at university. Research has yielded mixed results as to the effect of lockdown on young people’s mental health.

Some research suggests that factors such as the perceived threat of the virus, disruption, isolation, and confusion can all lead to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in around 30% of quarantined children.

Some other studies showed similar results with young people showing an increase in depressive symptoms.

Research in the UK has shown that young people, in particular teenagers, feel more anxious in lockdown than during the initial outbreak.

Loneliness has also been identified as a key factor in declining mental health during lockdown.

In the UK, the age group experiencing the most loneliness, with 50% of participants saying they have experienced a form of “lockdown loneliness”, are 1824-year olds.

Fear about the future was also identified as a key concern.

The lockdown has left many in poorer situations then they were before and now that the UK has entered a recession it’s understandable that young people would start to worry about their future. Change brings uncertainty, that’s a part of the human condition. The way we’re taught and accessed has changed so much now that everything is online, that it can be very daunting and confusing.

For freshers especially, this may well be the first time they’ve left home for a long period of time so to then be stuck inside their accommodation with people they don’t know can’t be a great experience. When people become isolated, they can lose support networks such as friends, family and so on purely from lack of proximity or contact.

But even those in later years, seeing the same people day in day out can be exhausting. And when you haven’t been outside in three or four days that can have a more profound effect on your mental well-being then you may think.

Thankfully, we live in an age with mass communication so people can stay in touch over the internet or the phone and this is vitally important. Having a conversation with someone new is one of the things we all took for granted before this pandemic but now it can really improve a crummy day.

And, going outside and doing something productive should not be discounted as a viable solution either, but the research on the effects of lockdown are still ongoing and it may be many years before we fully understand the effects that lockdown has had on mental health.

16

COLUMN

S

Molly Govus

COLUMN

ROAD

Will it ever end?: Women are still criticized and body-shamed for their appearance in the 21st century. Source: YuriP4blo (via. Pixabay)

ince the rise of gossip magazines, celebrities have been used to having their body put under the scrutiny of the public and media outlets for a long time.

Unfortunately, it is nothing new in our society and it hasn’t ever really evoked the sense of shock that it needs from the people who want to make a change.

You could argue that we are desensitized to such treatment of celebrities. It is something that many of us have grown up with, and the realisation of its problematic nature only comes into play when we are old enough, as consumers, to realise the longlasting effects.

We are almost led to believe that celebrities aren’t real people; their feelings are disregarded, and tabloids use their appearances as some sort of entertainment for the public.

The most recent online survey conducted by the Mental Health Foundation in cohesion with YouGov in March 2019 showed that 20% of adults felt shame, 34% felt down and 19% felt disgusted by their body image in the last year.

It isn’t hard to imagine the reality behind these statistics when we are all so prominently immersed in judgement and criticism from the media. Whether

this be about our own health habits and body image, or somebody else’s.

The statistics increase when looking at teenager’s’ results, with 37% of those questioned feeling upset and 31% feeling ashamed due to their body image.

The age of teenagers being influence from the media has dramatically decreased in the past few years, with some children as young as 11 begin to scrutinise their appearances due to what is being portrayed online.

It isn’t hard to imagine the reality behind these statistics when we are all so prominently immersed in judgement and criticism from the media...about our own body image or someone else’s.

The American singer-songwriter and icon Billie Eilish was a recent target of body shamers via Twitter, after a photo was released of her dressed in a tightfitting tank top and shorts.

It’s no secret that Eilish’s style of baggy and ill-fitting clothes was an attempt to hide her body from people, preventing them from having an opinion.

Despite this, she stepped out in weather-appropriate clothing and immediately received backlash from twitter trolls as they commented on her body. Many fans rightly jumped to Eilish’s defence.

Slamming the media for portraying unrealistic body standards, Eilish herself also released a short film in back in May called Not My Responsibility, where she strips down from her baggy clothing to a tank top, before submerging herself in black water.

The visuals are paired with her own powerful words about her body, her style, and people’s perceptions.

Eilish has become increasingly more influential in terms of her body positivity, influencing the younger generation to love themselves are not care about how others perceive them or their body.

Another recent case of bodyshaming occurred when British prodigy Adele released photos showing her drastic weight loss as she attended rapper Drake’s birthday party.

The pictures came after her re-

2020 must be a year of resolve.

This isn’t about how we get women directors up in terms of their recognition - now it is about them staying up there.

cent divorce, and once again the public ran to twitter to congratulate Adele on her so called ‘transformation’.

The weight-loss itself isn’t the issue here, but the compliments comparing her ‘new’ body to her ‘old’ body is.

Comparing her slimmer body to her previous body is where the problem lies. Society idealises thinness and automatically suggests that a slimmer Adele is a better and more attractive one, which isn’t the case at all.

The compliments she received were more backhanded than anything and suggests that she is less attractive when sporting a ‘bigger’ frame.

Throughout her career, Adele’s weight has always been the topic of discussion.

Despite being an extremely talented singer, as well as a charm-

ing and well-loved person, Adele cannot just be seen for her talent, but has to be scrutinised by the media.

On one hand, Adele’s weight loss was done correctly, healthily, and with good intentions.

On the other hand, celebrating her weight loss and deeming her as ‘unrecognisable’ is where the problem starts.

Is this suggesting that people that have Adele’s ‘old’ body have to lose weight in order to look better? Absolutely not.

Unfortunately, it seems women will never catch a break in the media, and there doesn’t seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel, either.

This leaves us with one prominent question: what is being done to combat this inequality and body-shaming against women for their own bodies?

In a positive step forward from the issue, The Department of Health released plans of a ‘world-leading partnership’ with social media companies in 2019 to limit the amount of harmful content that could increase selfbody-shaming.

This is only a small step when there are many more to be taken to improve the issue at hand.

With social media becoming more influential by the day, we must protect future generations.

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18

ADVICE

YOUR Coping with tension amongst housemates What to do when tensions are running high but you’re stuck under national lockdown ADVICE DESK M Vicky Witts

Head of Advice

Vicky Witts

Megan Evans advice@gairrhydd.com

Dealing with homesickness at university Lucy Palin

Contributor

H

omesickness at university can be unpredictable. When I was a fresher I couldn’t wait to move out of my family home, only to find myself returning every other weekend because I missed my family so much.

It’s important to look after yourself in the middle of big life changes like moving to university, even more so amongst the stress of COVID-19.

Keep yourself busy When you have nothing to do it can be easy to dwell on what you’re missing back home.

I didn’t join any societies in my first year and my homesickness definitely reflected that.

The pandemic doesn’t have to stop you getting involved as most societies have moved to a mix of online and socially distanced events.

Explore your new city Your new city won’t ever feel like home if you keep yourself a stranger to it. Cardiff has so many gems to offer and through exploring the different parks and arcades or taking a trip to the Bay you will feel a part of the city and no longer an outsider.

It’s also an amazing way to bond with your flatmates as you can explore together.

Look after your mental health Whilst homesickness is expected and often passes once you have settled in, don’t brush it off as nothing if you persistently feel low.

This could be a sign that you need some help with your mental health so make sure you reach out to the university wellbeing service and your GP.

oving away from home for university can often feel like an exciting prospect with the new freedoms and experiences that living away from your family gives you. Living with new people,whether strangers or university friends, is one such experience, and can often be very enjoyable as it can feel like you are living with a group of friends instead of nagging parents.

However, with the amount of time you spend together, especially during the coronavirus pandemic, where many students are having to isolate with their housemates for two weeks without a break, it is likely that at some point, disagreements and disputes may arise.

Your housemates should not be contributing to the many stressful moments that you may experience as part of student life. Therefore, knowing how to correctly manage these disputes and tensions is important, so that living together at university is an enjoyable and exciting experience rather than a stressful one.

Talking to other people If the people that you are living with are your primary friendship group at university, it may be that most of your socialisation throughout the day is with them. Although this may be good when you are all getting along, this can also create

tension and small arguments, as it is almost inevitable that the more time you spend with someone, the more likely you are to talk about something that you do not agree on.

In order to prevent these small comments from escalating, it may therefore be useful to take some time to talk to other people. Although government restrictions may prevent you from meeting other friends that you may have within your area, taking a minute to chat with other friends or family via a phone call, facetime or text can allow you to vent about how you are feeling and talk about other things that you may not have in common with your housemates.

This is also beneficial as it allows you to take a break from the usual topics of conversation that you may have with the people that you live with so that your conversations with them do not become dull or frustrating.

Spending time outside Part of your growing tensions with your housemates may not solely be due to them themselves, but rather that you are frustrated with constantly being at the same location with the same people. Consequently, it may be useful to spend some time outside and away from your house.

Going for a walk can give you a break if you feel that you need some time away from your house and housemates, and can also give you a minute alone to reflect on your current situation. This may be useful as it can allow you to consider why

you or your housemates may be feeling frustrated with one another and think about whether there is something that you can do to relieve the tension that you are experiencing.

If, you are isolating for coronavirus or for other reasons are unable to leave the house, this may not be possible. In this case, taking a break from being in communal spaces, and opening your window for fresh air, may help you have a minute to breathe and relax, so you can think about any frustrating situations that you may be experiencing in a different way.

Be confident to speak up Although sometimes it may seem

that speaking to the person who is frustrating you may only escalate the situation further, it can often be the case that the reason you or your housemates are arguing in the first place is due to a lack of communication.

Speaking about how you are feeling and what has been annoying you may allow you all to evaluate the situation and consider why you have become frustrated with one another.

Whether you are involved in the house tension or not, getting those involved to speak about the situation can often resolve miscommunication and prevent it from getting worse.

When tensions run high: When things feel tense in your student flat, it can feel incredibly lonely. Source: Richard Revel (publicdomainpictures.net) (via needpix.com)

Throwing yourself into the uni experience Kitty Wheeler Contributor

W

e are all now accustomed to being told what we cannot do. We studied hard at secondary school, we dreamt of throwing a graduation cap into the air, and we were twisted with nerves when our parents left us at our first university residence. Many students feel devastated, angry, hopeless and alone now that the university experience we craved has been ‘taken away’.

Many aspects of our lives are now out of our control, but there’s lots that we are still in control of. As a third year student who has experienced the highs and lows of university with and without COVID-19 restrictions, I propose through my own and my peers trial and error, how we can still throw ourselves into the university experience.

One thing I have learned to be true in whatever year I am in, is that things are as good as we make them.

I spent the initial proportion of my first year blaming external factors for my own disappointment. From it being the wifi’s fault that I did not get the email about a meeting, to it being the rain’s fault that I could not go to the beach with the surf society.

I realised I needed to acknowledge my anxiety, forgive myself, and do my best to overcome it.

I think confidence and the confidence to be ourselves comes with experience. It is comforting and daunting to know that we are in control of making the most of our opportunities. Baz Luhrmanns’ words ‘Do one thing everyday that scares you’, has kept me consistently tak-

University and COVID: It can be hard to know how to make the most of your university experience at this time. Source: Alexandra_Koch (via Needpix.com) ing risks despite COVID-19 restrictions. From catching a spider in my bedroom, to writing an article for Gair Rhydd.

We do not have to join a society or become the president of a committee to gain the confidence and experience we crave. Some opportunities are on hold for now. We can knock on our flatmate’s door and propose starting to watch a new series together on Netflix to break the ice. We can bring the university gym to the living room with Joe Wicks to keep active and have a laugh. We can tell a friend we are struggling, and go for a walk to talk it through around one of the parks right at our doorsteps.

Currently, we are not presented the university experience we expected or wished for, but that does not mean it cannot be as good We ultimately come to university for fun, experience, and most of all, to get a degree. Some of us

need stimulation and self-growth to maintain a level of happiness and contentment. It’s challenging to maintain these essentials with lack of human contact, but can still be done.

Familiarise yourself with online platforms, texts, events and deadlines, attend zoom calls. Some lecturers have admitted to finding the transition to teaching online challenging, not all of us are tech wizzes!

Lecturers and the university’s teams are learning just like we are. If we have to leave university saying we did not get to dance in Live Lounge for five hours or endure a wild society initiation for a time, we want to be able to say we tried our best for the degrees we deserve.

Most of us would be lying if we said our mental health has not been affected during this last year. People are quick to tell you about how your time at university will be the best years of your life. I propose we try to

take the pressure of having ‘the best time of our lives’ off, and grow and experience in our own time. Yet, I believe time at university can still be the best days of our life if we make them so, COVID-19 or not.

I think more than ever, openness and honesty in talking about how we feel has never been more crucial. If you’re wondering about whether to ask your new flat mate or your friend of three years how they are doing, do it. Your kindness may go a long way in this time of necessary communication. In my experience, being open, patient and kind with the people who surround me have lay down solid foundations for support and friendship.

We all know that lockdown can drive us a bit crazy. Eventually, small things like your flatmate not doing their washing up, or your housemate using your Hollister body wash without asking will bother you.

Resilience is something lots of us have gained over the past year, and something we need to help each other. In a time where unjustness, frustration and confusion can weigh us down, attempt to appreciate the things we do not always make time for in our normal lives; nature, exercise, literature, kindness, art, music, laughter.

We cannot wait for life to happen just because we are not free to do exactly what we want. University is a time of great self growth and fun, and it can still be those things.

When your family asks you at Christmas, when your future employee asks you when you are at a job interview, when you are an old person sitting in an armchair and your grandchild asks you what you did when surviving the coronavirus…what do you want to say?

Got questions about Academic We Issues? visited Student Advice cardiffstudents.com/advice

20

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

YOUR SCIENCE DESK

Holly Giles

Rowenna Hoskin

Mili Jayadeep

Novel disease-altering treatment for epilepsy New molecule identified as improtant in epilectic brain regions could provide novel drug target to treat epilepsy Mili Jayadeep Science Editor

E

pilepsy is a medical condition affecting the brain and can originate in specific areas known as epileptic centres. Spontaneous bursts of electrical energy arising in neurons in these centres is abnormal and can disrupt normal brain function.

Epilepsy can present in different forms; it can cause seizures, which can affect one’s state of consciousness, can cause ‘fitting’, characterized by jerking and shaking and even result in weird sensations in the body. This neurological condition typically affects children or older adults over the age of 60.

However, it can affect people regardless of ethnicity or gender. The causes of epilepsy may be unclear but it is hypothesised that having a family history of epilepsy can contribute to its manifestation.

On the other hand, it can be a result of structural damage to the brain from a stroke, brain tumour or substance abuse, to name a few examples.

Scientists at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) have discovered a potential disease-altering treatment for epilepsy. Their findings were published in the journal, Neurobiology of Disease. UIC Professor, Head of neurology and rehabilitation and Co-Author of the study, Dr. Jeffrey Loeb, and colleagues studied the involvement of a protein molecule known as DUSP4 in normal neuronal functioning.

Their research showed that DUSP4 was present in higher quantities in healthy brain tissue than in epileptic tissue. Their approach focuses on increasing DUSP4 levels in epileptic brain tissue to return normal brain function.

We wondered if there were natural ways that epileptic brain areas are quarantined. We searched for genes at the border between epileptic and normal brain tissue that may help prevent the spread of epilepsy.”

Jack Robert Stacey science@gairrhydd.com

Dr Jeffrey Loeb

Head of neurology and rehabilitation, UIC

Neuroscience breakthrough: Understanding how these molecules interact and prevent epilepsy spreading in the brain could open up options for new treatments. Soure: ColiN00B (via Pixabay) Dr. Loeb explains the purpose of their research: “If epileptic brain regions spread throughout the brain with nothing to stop them, the seizures would overwhelm the brain, it would not be survivable…

We wondered if there were natural ways that epileptic brain areas are quarantined. We searched for genes at the border between epileptic and normal brain tissue that may help prevent the spread of epilepsy.”

The team studied the genes in the surgically removed tissues of 20 epileptic patients. The tissue included epileptic tissue samples as well as normal tissue surrounding the abnormal brain tissue. Using mathematical modelling, they analysed and compared the genes present in both normal or abnormal tissue.

Earlier research conducted also pinpointed a signalling cascade known as the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK) that was amplified in people with epilepsy. Experimenting on animal models revealed that inhibiting this pathway decreased electrical activi-

ty associated with epilepsy. Dr. Loeb says: “We were excited about DUSP4 because it is known to be a potent MAPK pathway inhibitor in cancer cells…Seeing this gene activated at the borders and shutting off MAPK signaling genes in the human brain led us to believe that the protein cordons off epileptic regions so that they don’t enlarge or spread, similar to how in a ship you might get a leak in one area, but you can close and seal off doors to keep the leak isolated. That’s how we think DUSP4 is working to keep epileptic focal points from enlarging.”

The scientists studied the protein levels in the tissue samples to discover tissue from areas of the brain with little epileptic activity was lower in MAPK activity with an increased presence of DUSP4 protein.

The next steps for this research involves searching for drugs with the potential to affect these pathways.

Dr Loeb is currently optimistic about the team’s efforts: “These DUSP4-targeting drugs

would represent a new kind of ‘disease-modifying’ treatment for epilepsy, which currently does not exist,” If the team are successful in their efforts, this therapeutic will have the potential to alter the disease mechanism itself hence changing the way epilepsy is treated.

However, current drugs used for this purpose are intended for treating some cancers, reported to also entail severe side-effects. Therefore, further research is crucial in developing a treatment with fewer sideeffects suited for therapeutic use in the brain.

These DUSP4-targeting drugs would represent a new kind of ‘diseasemodifying’ treatment for epilepsy, which currently does not exist,” Dr Jeffrey Loeb

Head of neurology and rehabilitation, UIC

Cardiff University uses machine learning to predict violence hotspots Holly Giles

Head of Science & Technology

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urrent strategies to reduce violence focus on pubs and nightclubs as sites where alcohol is sold and violence is most common.

However, work published by Cardiff University this month suggests they need to be broadened to include non-alcoholic places to be effective.

The work included researchers for Cardiff University’s Violence Research Group gathering data from ten city centres across England and Wales. This data was then put into machine learning programs to map locations of incidents of violent

crime with alcohol areas and areas where alcohol is not sold.

The inclusion of places that do not sell alcohol made the model more accurate in predicting levels of violence than the current models used.

The other areas the study highlighted included fast-food outlets, takeaways, bus stops, taxi ranks and cash machines; many of these are associated with nights out so are where it is common to see gatherings on drunk party goers.

The PhD student working on the modelling of alcohol-related violence is Joseph Redfern, from the Visual COmputing Group at the School of Computer Science and Informatics.

When reflecting on the findings Red-

fern told, “Violence reduction strategies often focus on pubs, bars and nightclubs, for example staggering pub closing times and venue security requirements - and while alcohol outlets remain the best individual predictors of violence, our research suggests that more could be done in a range of other locations” Looking ahead into how teams will use these findings Redfern added: “If this work could help to inform new violence reduction strategies and reduce the number of assaults, it could have a positive effect on many people’s lives”.

The director of the Violence Research Group, Professor Simon

Moore, said: “When there are people there is a risk of violence. Some people are more prone to be aggressive and understanding how certain locations attract these people means resources can be put in place to challenge violence … It is likely that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to considerable pent up demand and when nightlife returns to normal it is very likely levels of violence will as well.

But we have a unique opportunity to think clearly about how we can better manage public spaces so that people have fun, but safely. This work makes a considerable contribution to our understanding of these issues.”

These findings will be important in planning violence control for our

city and across the UK in a postlockdown world. While nightlife may seem a far distant memory, when it returns it is hoped the research will enable everyone to have a good time safely.

If this work could

help to inform new violence reduction strategies and reduce the number of assaults, it could have a positive effect on many people’s lives”

Joseph Redfern School of Computer Science & Informatics

GWYDDONIAETH A THECHNOLEG

Cannabis exposure in pregnancy affects offspring Alex Brown Contributor

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annabis, also known as ‘weed’ or ‘marijuanna’ is the most commonly used illicit drug in the UK. The substance obtained from the cannabis plant has the chemical tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which when inhaled or ingested can have hallucinogenic effects and can alter a person’s state of mind and their mood.

Research conducted by neuroscientists at Washington State University could help unveil the effects smoking marijuana has on babies, helping Mothers’ to make more informed decisions during pregnancy. The team’s findings were published in the journal, Neuropharmacology. Halle Weimar, Lead Researcher, said: ‘[At present] the reality of cannabis research is there is not a lot of it’ This may be alarming to some, as roughly 2 million people in Britain admit to smoking marijuana weekly, and with 59% calling for the legalisation of recreational cannabis in Britain, many

top politicians believe the drug will be legalised in the next 5-10 years.

In the study conducted in Washington State University’s Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience unit pregnant female rats were delivered cannabis vapour before and during their entire 3-week gestation period.

The methodology aimed to replicate how humans use cannabis, more specifically how pregnant women may use the drug. Following this, they delivered propylene glycol vegetable glycerol mixture(a common component in vape juice), to explore its effects in the rats. A control group with no exposure to the vapor was also used. The vapor was administered twice daily to the rats for an hour during the mating period and pregnancy.

The researchers found significant behavioral changes and cognitive deficits that continued into adulthood in the offspring of the rats exposed to cannabis during their pregnancy. Using levers and light cues, rats were trained to press a specific lever with a light cue in order to receive a sugar pellet reward. Subjects were then challenged to change their strategy during

test day and ignore the light cue, as a way of measuring cognitive flexibility.

The results showed that regular cannabis exposure on rats during pregnancy may cause their offspring to have long term cognitive deficiencies, asocial behavior, and anxiety. The offspring of pregnant rats exposed to cannabis vapor were more likely to make regressive errors after they had been taught a new method to receive sugar pellets. Weimar explained: “While rats eventually caught on, those whose mothers were exposed to cannabis were more likely to revert to the old pattern and make regressive errors...They also took more trials to learn the rules.”

The rats were also more antisocial and less playful. Both male and female juveniles whose mothers were exposed to vapour engaged in fewer play behaviours, while male rats were particularly hesitant to engage with other rats in initial social introductions.

Additionally, adult rats exposed to cannabis gestationally exhibited anxiety-like behaviour in new environments. Both control and cannabis exposed rats were placed in a large, ele-

vated maze with open and close arms.

Rats exposed to cannabis were more likely to stay within the confines of the closed sections and were less likely to explore the open exposed arms. These findings were significant because they showed the offspring had age-dependent effects well into adulthood, as this behaviour was not displayed in juvenile rats.

Behavioural changes were also noted in young rats. Weimar found that rats gestationally exposed to cannabis made more than a hundred ultrasonic vocalizations, or cries for their mothers, than the control group rats. When reflecting on this, Weimer commented, ‘It’s pretty noteworthy because this is one of the only tests you do that looks at emotional reactivity in neonates and they were far more reactive than the other groups.’

These findings highlight the need for further research to assess how cannabis affects not only the user, but also how it passively affects those around them. This can enable people to make informed decisions before taking cannabis or supporting its legalisation.

Study shows damaging Venus fly traps show effects of festival glitter short-term memory Holly Giles

Head of Science & Technology

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hen thinking about festivals many are transported to a muddy field surrounded by tents wearing wellies and having a face covered in glitter. However, more and more studies are coming to light showing the damaging effect of glitter on our ecosystems and the latest work by a team at Anglia Ruskin University is a prime example.

The team created miniature ponds in the laboratory using water, sediments and plants collected from the River Glaven in Norfolk. Six different types of glitter were then added to the ponds so the impact on the ecosystem could be determined.

The team added large amounts of glitter to simulate the effect of a festival on the surrounding area.

Traditional glitters are made of a plastic core of polyester PET which is coated with aluminium to make it shiny and then covered with another layer of plastic. This has been reported as releasing large amounts of microplastics into the environment which are taken up by fish and accumulated in the food chain, damaging wildlife. In a recent survey microplastics were found in every UK lake, river and reservoir that was tested showing the prevalence of this problem.

All types of glitter decreased the abundance of common plants and microscopic algae in the ponds.

A particularly concerning finding of the study is that even glitters that are targeted as “eco-friendly” had severe impacts.

It was announced in 2018 that 61

UK music festivals are banning single use plastic and the use of PET glitter, meaning only biodegradable alternatives will be available at the sites from 2021.

However, one type of biodegradable glitters which is made of cellulose and coated with aluminium, increased the abundance of a snail species in the study.

While this may appear to be a good thing it is concerning for researchers as the snail is a non-native species so an increase in its prevalence could have unknown impacts higher up the food chain.

Additionally, this study only looked at the effect on the environment 36 days after large amounts of glitter were released, so it is not currently known what the effects will be long-term.

Many campaigeners are worried about the long-term effects of microplastics including the group 38 Degrees who launched a petition in 2019 for glitter to be banned from the UK. The letter to Michael Gove said: “We have no idea what long term effects micro-plastic will have on us, our children or the other animals and plants that share our planet.”

While the prevalence of microplastics is very concerning, it is still possible to wear glitter responsibly, explained senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University, Dr Danielle Green: “If you’re wearing (glitter) as make-up it would be sensible to wipe it off and put it in the bin rather than wash it into our waterways”.

This clear guidance shows wiping our glitter off allows people to wear it at festivals without our environment paying the price.

Mili Jayadeep

Science Editor

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he venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant that has fascinated scientists for centuries. It has flat, wide and open leaves and sensitive ‘hairs’ that are involved in the entrapment of its prey; for example if an insect touches the hairs on the plant just once, the leaves stay still. However, on second touch, the plant tightly shuts. This phenomenon is associated with some form of memory within the plant. Until recently, how the plant has the ability to have a short-term memory has been a puzzle.

A new study has published its findings showing how memory is associated with calcium signalling in an online report in Nature Plants. Mitsuyasu Hasebe, co-author and biologist at the National Institute for Basic Biology in Okazaki, Japan says, “Scientists know that some plants have a type of longterm memory… this is the first direct evidence of the involvement of calcium.”

Despite the absence of a nervous system or brain unlike in carnivorous animals for instance, the Venus Flytrap can tell the difference between actual prey and environmental stimuli such as rain.

This is a brilliant adaptation to conserve energy for use when real prey falls trap on the leaves.

Earlier research shows that calcium does contribute to this action. Hasebe and fellow researchers were able to unveil the action of calcium on the plant using genetic engineering methodology. This enabled the team to visualise calcium signalling as it would appear as a green glow due to the addition of a fluorescent protein.

Activating the sensory hairs the first

time showed a fainter glow compared to when activated the second time within 30 seconds by tapping the sensory hairs. When the hairs were touched again, the glow was stronger showing evidence of memory, which is when the plant consequently snapped to close the leaves in response. Their work shows that this is owing to calcium signalling where when threshold calcium levels are reached, as indicated by the green fluorescence. The activation of the hairs subsequently causes the plant to shut in attempt to trap its prey.

The plant is still of great interest due its unique carnivorous adaptations.

Rainer Hedrich, another co-author and biophysicist at the university of Würzburg, Germany also describes how it senses prey: “the flytrap operates a fast electrical network”,which translates the movement of its prey into electricity that can be sensed by the plant’s cells.

The mystery still remains in how the electrical network and the memory capabilities work in conjunction with each other to cause the shutting of the leaves.

Andrej Pavlovič, a plant physiologist at Palacký University in Olomouc, Czech Republic although not associated with the study is as excited as other scientists to uncover such findings: “But the most interesting part of the research was getting the trap to glow” Uncovering more secrets of carnivorous plants is research to be celebrated, which is why scientists like Pavlovič are optimistic about being able to manipulate the plant’s genes to observe this phenomenon. Pavlovič agrees that it, “is a great leap forward in studies on carnivorous plants.” With further study, scientists are hopeful to discover more secrets of the enticing carnivorous plants of the natural world.

Word of the week: Microplastic • Microplastics are small plastic pieces less than five millimeters long • Microbeads are small pieces of manufactured polyethylene plastic that are added to health and beauty products • Microplastics end up in waterways where aquatic life and birds can mistake microplastics for food. They can accumulate in the food chain to have devastating effects

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Fewer reproductive restrictions lead to healthier babies Umaima Arif Contributor

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ccording to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, American women who live in states with less restrictive reproductive rights policies are less likely to give birth to babies with low birth weights than women living in states with more restrictive policies.

Reproductive rights policies concern an individual’s right to plan for a family, use contraceptives, have access to reproductive health services such as abortions, and be educated regarding general reproductive health. States with less restrictive reproductive rights policies enable these rights to a greater degree than states with more restrictive policies.

The studied, led by D ​ r Sudhinaraset​ from the Department of Community Health Sciences in the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, confirms that implementing and maintaining less restrictive reproductive rights policies is ideal for maternal and neonatal health The study examined and established a significant association between the reproductive rights policies of different states and the subsequent birth weight of children born in these states. This is important because babies with low birth weights are at a higher risk of developing both short and long term health problems.

The study analyzed the birth record data of four million babies born in all 50 states and the District of Columbia in 2016. It found that not only do women living in states with less restrictive policies have a 7% lower overall risk of giving birth to a baby with low birth weight, but more particularly, the lowbirth weight risk was 8% lower among black women in states with less restrictive policies compared to their counterparts in the most restrictive states.

The study’s findings align with an increasing body of literature addressing the “context-dependent nature of race” as a relevant and significant determinant of population health. In context, the study’s findings suggest that the expansion of reproductive rights policies for women may decrease the risk of low birth-weights in the children they bear, especially for women in demographics such as that of US-born black women.

Furthermore, the study was able to establish this association between reproductive rights and birth weights for US-born women of color, not foreign women of color.

It is crucial to understand and address systemic racism in healthcare and its adverse effects on the health of black, indigeonous, and colored (BIPOC) women and their families. General statistics report that black women are more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth, to experience greater complications to maternal health, and to receive lower quality of maternal care. Such discussions concern how broader social factors affect birth outcomes and the subsequent health of the next generation, more specifically by examining the impact of race and nativity status. This redirects current focuses on how racial, socioeconomic and sex-based inequalities According to Dr. Sudhinaraset, further focus on evidence-based policies highlighting women’s “lived experiences of policy exclusion and inclusion,” along with policy levers that ensure increased access to reproductive health services, can prove crucial in observing how reproductive disadvantages and poor health outcomes are subsequently created and further exacerbated by these factors.

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Next-gen consoles to champion environmental sustainability Jack Robert Stacey Technology Editor

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s the console war between Microsoft and Sony’s highly-anticipated next-gen consoles approaches its conclusion this November, the tech giants have been making grand steps towards significantly reducing the environmental impact of their technology. In response to increasing concerns over the sustainability of the video games industry, a 2019 study published in The Computer Games Journal observed that U.S. gamers were responsible for producing up to 24 billion kilograms of carbon dioxide annually. The study enlightened that, in contrast to PC gaming and media streaming devices, the carbon emissions from console gaming was responsible for 66% of the industry’s total carbon output.

Earlier this year, Jim Ryan, the CEO of Sony Interactive Entertainment, announced the company’s new alliance and support of the newly established ‘Playing for the Planet’ initiative.

Created by the United Nations Environment Committee (UNEC), the alliance intends “to take action on the climate crisis” by encouraging key industry figures to adopt and formally commit to environmental sustainability goals. Alongside other alliance members (including Ubisoft, Twitch, and Google’s Stadia), Sony has prepared an extensive carbon footprint assessment of its gaming services which, in the near future, will structure the company’s endeavours towards ecologically friendly practices.

As outlined in his PlayStation blog post, Ryan contended that the ‘Playing for the Planet’ alliance represented a “undeniable opportunity for leaders in the games industry to take a stand and support the UN Environment team”.

Speaking further about PlayStation’s continued efforts in aid of the environment, Ryan highlighted that, as an educative and emotional communication tool “games have the power to ignite social change” and, in the near future, could be used to “raise awareness of climate issues and climate experts”.

According to an announcement by Sony Interactive Entertainment in early 2019, the PlayStation 5 will boast the ability for players to suspend gameplay while the console considerably lowers its power consumption to an estimated

0.5 W. In addition to this feature, Sony is working closely with the development of environmentally-themed video games and will provide useful information from climate experts– Such games include the indie titles Abzû, Endling, and Beyond Blue which all feature a central message of sustainability.

Microsoft, the chief competitor to Sony’s new PlayStation 5, has also partnered with other figures in the video games industry as part of the UN’s ‘Playing for the Planet’ and, with the assistance of third-party sustainability assessments, has made regular improvements to its manufacturing processes and gaming hardware.

Specifically, Microsoft has made a commitment to create 825,000 carbon-neutral certified versions of its current-gen console, the Xbox One, which will reduce the industry’s carbon-dioxide output by approximately 616 million kilograms. Furthermore, as outlined in Microsoft’s extensive 2018 ‘eco profile’, 99% of the Xbox One (including the hardware components, casing, and electronics) can be recycled for future use in the company’s future video game consoles and other tech devices.

In the next ten years, the tech giant intends to cut the carbon emissions created from its supply chain by 55% which, as it previously announced, will contribute to the company’s commitment to achieving a carbon-neutral status by 2050.

Phil Spencer, the Executive Vice President of Gaming at Microsoft, spoke on the challenge that climate change presented to worldwide industries and reaffirmed Microsoft’s belief that “technology can play a critical role in enabling and empowering the response” to the current crisis. A key figure in Microsoft’s work alongside the ‘Playing for the Planet’ alliance, Spencer said that climateconscious initiatives “provide a great opportunity to tap into Microsoft’s technology sustainability and gaming community to make a difference.”

Although they remain to be key competitors in the upcoming consolewar, Microsoft and Sony have taken significant steps towards reducing the ecological impacts of their console and are using their influence to raise awareness of the importance of environmentally sustainable industry practices.

Console wars: With the release of the next generation of consoles looming the tech giants have been taking steps towards improving the environmental impact of their products. Credit: Source: GG125FR (via Pixabay)

BHP bosses defend continuation of gas and oil for foreseeable future Mia Becker-Hansen Contributor

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he chairman of BHP has come under criticism from shareholders after stating that fossil fuels will be part of the energy supply mix for decades to come.

Speaking at the company’s annual meeting, chairman Ken MacKenzie also addressed the destruction of a 46,000-year-old Aboriginal cave by rival company Rio Tinto, after they failed to properly inform the traditional owners.

BHP has confirmed its intention to continue its work with culturally and environmentally-damaging projects, causing the destruction of 40 Aboriginal heritage sites. The Banjima people have already told a parliamentary inquiry that they have had to “trade away their heritage” to mining companies.

BHP has set up a new heritage consultation body with the Banjima people in order to combat the destruction.

The oil company plans to close or sell mines that produce coal within two years; this is part of a plan to cut emissions by 30% within the 10 years.

BHP have said that this is in an effort to comply with the international Paris

agreement which is set to limit the rise in global heating.These emission reduction plans have already caused upset; the Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility’s Director of Climate and Environment, Dan Gocher, said: “BHP fails to deliver any meaningful outcomes in terms of actual emissions reduction, It needs to try harder. BHP should be aiming for a 40-60% reduction in all of its emissions by 2030.” The company is ranked the 19th largest contributor of carbon to the atmosphere worldwide.

While they appear to be planning on cutting down coal production, the company continues its investment in gas and oil. MacKenzie told shareholders that the company will continue to invest in fossil fuels for the time being: “We accept the science around climate change and we support the Paris goals,” he said. “The reality is that all current plausible scenarios show that fossil fuels will be part of the energy mix for decades.” Chief Executive Mike Henry supported him, saying that the company sees oil and gas as “something to invest in for the short to medium term”.

The Oil Change International released a study in 2016 that stated that if all fossil fuels that had already been

mined by 2016 were used up and not replaced, the world would reach just below the 1.5C temperature goal set by the Paris climate agreement. They said: “The most powerful climate policy lever is also the simplest: stop digging for more fossil fuels.” Unfortunately this does not appear to have resonated with BHP as they continue investing in damaging fossil fuels and continue to contribute to the increasing volumes of greenhouse gases.

MacKenzie continued by expressing that: “Our products are essential for global economic growth and the transition to a lower-carbon world.

We provide the materials that improve the lives of billions of people in developing nations, and help engineers realise the dream of cleaner power, more efficient transportation, communications and battery storage.”

In a world where climate change is a very real and pressing issue, the actions of large oil companies can impact our futures to a high degree.

While there is certainly money to be made in the short-term in the oil industry, its negative impacts are hard to ignore. Hopefully, companies like BHP realise the future must be a green future, or we will have no future at all.

Google’s robot-assisted farming to “transform how food is grown” Jack Robert Stacey Technology Editor

While the worldwide demand for food continues to increase dramatically, Google’s semi-secret development company X has conducted research into the future of agricultural technology and, in the past few weeks, has been trialling its own solution, the robotic farming project: “Mineral”.

A new agricultural technology development, recently unveiled by Google’s American multinational parent company Alphabet, intends to work with “nature’s diversity to nourish generations to come”. As part of X Labs’ central aim to foster and develop potentially worldchanging technologies (dubbed “moonshot” ideas), Project “Min-

eral” has revealed prototype robotic buggies that are able to independently analyse the growth of crop fields and, with the collated of this data, aid farmers in large-scale cultivation efforts.

Mineral X’s robotic prototypes sit on a specially designed series of pillars which allow the units to harmlessly move across fields without impeding crop growth and, in addition, feature top-of-the-line senor equipment that is versatile enough to accurately and capture information across a vast amount of different crops.

All of the buggies feature highly interchangeable components which, although retaining the same datacollection system, can be actively adjusted (e.g. raising or lowering the buggy’s design) to cater for the specific needs of a set of crops. Outfit-

ted with a series of energy-efficient solar panels, the buggies have been designed with environmentally efficiency in mind and will produce very few emissions over a lifetime of use.

In a recent blog post concerning the operation of the farming project, Dr. Elliott Grant, the project lead on sustainable food production at X, wrote on the importance of new, technology-integrated tools “to manage the staggering complexity of farming”. Continuing in reference to Mineral X’s research and development of the project, he noted that “we’ve been developing and testing a range of software and hardware prototypes based on breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, simulation, sensors, robotics, and more.”

Amongst other notable shortcomings of modern farming practices,

X’s research foregrounds that current agricultural methods only oversee the cultivation of a very narrow variety of plants which, overtime, will severely alter the nutrient and mineral content of the soil. Additionally, many farmers rely almost exclusively on fertilizers and chemicals to ensure the stable growth of many crops; however, the overuse of these methods leads to less nutritious food and reduces the amount of carbon that the soil can store.

In order to overcome these issues, the robotic buggies actively utilise weather data, satellite imagery, soil information, and plant characteristics (e.g. size, leaf area and fruit size) to identify the progress and patterns that appear across a large field of crops.

As highlighted by X’s development update on its “Mineral” pro-

ject, the team’s primary goal remains to be feeding “the planet’s growing population” which, the team attests, will require “more food in the next 50 years than in the previous 10,000”.

X contends that the project’s developmental robotic buggies, currently in operation alongside breeders and farmers from around the world (Argentina, Canada, South Africa, and the United States), “we will embrace nature’s complexity and diversity to build a more sustainable, resilient, and productive food system.”

Currently, X is set to expand the operation of its “Mineral” project internationally, across a diverse range of agricultural environments and sectors however, before a commercial version of the robotic buggy is made available, the technology will have to prove its worth to its eager worldwide audience.

GWYDDONIAETH A THECHNOLEG

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Scientists of the past & future: October 2020

The first climate activist, Svante Arrhenius, and climate change

Looking back on the work of Svante Arrhenius and how his observations of climate change are being continued in Cardiff University today Rowenna Hoskin

The concentration of carbon dioxide ​​​​​​ in our atmosphere, was 416 parts per million, as of May 2020; the highest it has been in human history 11% of all global greenhouse gas emissions caused by humans are due to deforestation. Another 11% are caused by cars

Science Editor

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limate change is a common term now and it is common for students all over the UK to learn about the effects of fossil fuels. However, these effects have been known for longer than expected, dating back to the work of Svante Arrhenius in the 19th century. Svante Arrhenius was a Swedish physicist and a physical chemist known for his theory of electrolytic dissociation and his model of the greenhouse effect.

He was born on the 19th February 1859 to Svante Gustaf Arrhenius and Carolina Christina Thunberg. You would be right to recognise that surname: Greta Thunberg, one of today’s youngest climate activists, is distantly related to Svante Arrhenius.

At school, Arrhenius was very good at mathematical equations and in 1876 he became a student of Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics at the University of Uppsala and then in 1881 he went to Stockholm to work under Professor E. Edlund at the Academy of Sciences.

It was here that he started his work on electrolytes that won him the Nobel prize: a connection between chemical and electric phenomena became apparent in the 19th century and Arrhenius began studying the way that electrical current is conducted in chemical solutions.

In 1883, he proposed a theory that when rock salt is dissolved in water, it splits into sodium atoms (positive electrical charges) and chlorine atoms (negative electrical charges). It is these charged atoms that allow electricity to be conducted.

A man of many talents, Arrhenius was a pioneer in climate change research. In the Stockholm Physics society, there were debates over how ice ages occurred, which led Arrhenius to create the very first model of climate change.

In the 18th century, there was evidence of mass extinctions in the fossil records as well as geological evidence of glaciation which scientists used to propose that the planet had experienced multiple ice ages. While there were many theories suggested to account for these glaciation periods, including shifts in the Earth’s orbit and changes in the brightness of the sun, Arrhenius suggested an entirely different concept.

He knew that carbon dioxide (in this period known as carbonic acid) absorbs infrared radiation, felt in the form of heat to the human body. He was also aware of the Industrial Revolution’s steam engine-powered machines that burned coal, which produces carbon dioxide.

Climate change facts

In 2019 the world’s leading climate scientists warned we only have 12 years to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5C and avoid climate breakdown

Fumes continue: Svante Arrhenius recognised the issues of climate change over one hundred years ago but we are yet to fix the problem. Source: ISTOCK (via GreenMatters) This knowledge led him to question the result of increasing and decreasing the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide. He asked, “is the mean temperature of the ground in any way influenced by the presence of the heat-absorbing gases in the atmosphere?”

Other scientists had attempted to figure out the relationship between the atmospheric gases and the planet; for example, John Tyndale had already identified methane, carbon dioxide and water vapour as the three main greenhouse gases.

Using Tyndale’s research, Arrhenius quantified the influence of carbon dioxide on the greenhouse effect through complicated calculations.

Arrhenius was the first scientist to focus on carbon dioxide as opposed to water vapour (the dominant greenhouse gas) as the most prominent influencer. He recognized that water vapour cycles depend on temperature whereas carbon dioxide is not affected by the weather and remains in the atmosphere for centuries.

Taking this into consideration, he realised that increasing or decreasing CO2 would change the Earth’s temperature, in turn changing the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere, which would then affect the temperature again. This cycle places carbon dioxide as the central source of global warming.

He published his research in The Philosophical Magazine and Journal of Science in 1896. He concluded that if the carbon dioxide emissions were halved then the existing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere would decrease causing a drop in the planet’s temperature of between 4 and 5°C. Such a large decrease in temperature, he concluded, would cause a

significant cooling of the Earth’s surface which would trigger an ice age. He then concluded that if the atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide should double, then the Earth’s temperature would increase in the same way.

A true pioneer of scientific research, Arrhenius laid the foundation of climate change science. His climate model has helped scientists in their research into all types of areas; ranging from the way that weather patterns will be altered, to genetically modified plants that can withstand the dramatic future temperature changes.

Cardiff University is playing a part in the fight against climate change; it is part of an organisation called the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformation (CAST) along with the University of East Anglia, the University of Manchester, the University of York and Climate Outreach. This global hub is currently working on a range of different projects, one of which includes rethinking transport methods. Transport accounts for one quarter of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions, linking in with Arrhenius’ theory that fossil fuels are one of the largest contributors of greenhouse gases.

There have been few signs of progress in the attempt to reduce climate change in the travel sector, with car usage increasing every year and airplane usage similarly increasing. The official government advice is that all cars should be electric by 2030 or soon after which will be a major change to the status quo: in 2017 only 2% of vehicles were electric.

The CAST transport project is looking at ways to combat society’s reliance on cars and airplanes; they are working with Cardiff City

Council to test interventions with households that recognise the importance of physical infrastructure in influencing people’s choices. For example, the improvement of bike lanes and places to lock your bikes could have a considerable effect on the number of people comfortable cycling instead of driving.

Their research looks at the lessons learnt from towns and cities that have already taken the leap into more sustainable approaches.

CAST is also working to examine workplace initiatives in order to reduce air travel.

Reducing pollution is important not only because it impacts the planet and our future, but also the influence it has on our health.

There is no positive for maintaining high pollution levels, which leads us to question why more has not been done.

Arrhenius was aware of the impacts climate change would have in the 1900s, and yet more than 100 years later we, as a society, have changed very little – instead we have increased our consumption of fossil fuels.

The unfortunate reality is that, while there are organisations like CAST which are attempting to reduce human consumption of fossil fuels, there is still not enough being done.

There is a strong sense of complacency within society, and if our attitude, and that of our governments, do not change our futures are set to be very unstable.

We need more projects, more interest and more research being done to combat climate change.

That being said, we have hope that the work done by Cardiff University CAST centre will help in this effort, as well as directly challenging fossil fuel consumption.

Experts believe that the Arctic sea ice is melting at a rate of 9% per decade. By 2100, polar bears could face starvation and reproductive failure in all areas of their habitat Between 1900 and 2009, the average surface temperature of the Earth rose by 0.7 degrees Celsius 90% of scientists agree that this current change in our climate is caused by humans A deteriorating environment – due to climate change – is estimated to drive the migration of 150 to 200 million people In the last decade, more than 150,000 deaths were attributable to climate change each year. Shockingly, 9 out of 10 of those were children.

24

@CAERDYDD

YOUR America’s newfound Welsh Foundations @CAERDYDD How the people of Wales helped in the building of a modern-day America DESK F Fflur Trevor

@Caerdydd Editor

Natalie Graham

Fflur Trevor caerdydd@gairrhydd.com

or a country with a small population of about 3 million people it seems that Welsh Roots have been embedded across the world.

From Swansea, California to Llandudno, South Africa, they all tell a story of Welsh history.

Minister for International Relations, Eluned Morgan stated “Wales has a long historical, cultural and business ties with the USA and Welsh-Americans have made an important contribution to life in the USA- and continue to do so... It’s no exaggeration to say the Welsh helped build the foundations of a nation that has become the modern day USA.” Emmigration Emigration played a significant role in the spread of Welsh Heritage. Mass emigration from Wales is believed to have begun in 17th century. For example, though the number of Welsh people who emigrated to the United States is unknown, it has been estimated to range between 90,000 to 300,000 from 1820 to 1950. Additionally, many of the place names that were given are likely linked to the religious migrants who arrived in the 17th century. Further examples of place names are, Bala Clwyd, Pennsylvania and Bangor, Alabama.

Swansea University’s Gethin Matthews said, “It’s all about economics Irish emigration was much more about desperation, while Welsh emigration was driven by aspiration,” Moreover, the Welsh settlement in

Patagonia, Chebut province, Argentina is the result of welsh emigration in the 19th century.

Welsh people first arrived in Patagonia in 1865 on the Mimosa. They had migrated to protect their native Welsh culture and language which at the time, they felt was being threatened.

For example, by recent publications such as Treachery of the Blue Books (Brad y llyfrau gleision) and the Welsh not, to name a few.

Nearly 200 years later, there are still Welsh speaking regions in Patagonia also known as Y Wladfa, which has approximately 1,500-5000 welsh speakers.

Industry According to Swansea University’s Gethin Matthews, another reason why there are Welsh place names across the world is that Welsh skills in heavy industries were highly sought after.

Wales is known for its natural resources of Copper, Coal and Gold, which they took with them as they emigrated.

One story involves George Mitchell, a welsh man from Swansea who built a copper smelting plant in the Arizonan desert. Mitchell had emigrated to the USA in 1888 and established copper smelting plant in Arizona.

Subsequently, the new town would be named after his birthplace.

It seems during the 18th and 19th century welsh expertise, particularly in coal and iron, were highly sought after.

Professor Anne Knowles, a lecturer in Maine university, is of welsh descent and explained that Welsh workers brought the idea of organised labour and class identity which didn’t neces-

sarily bode well with Americans “People who owned the iron works - Americans - quite clearly didn’t want to put up with ‘uppity’ workers. Welsh workers were more independent and went on strike.”

She added that Welsh workers also refused to work with slaves. “ There was no feeling of anti-slavery. I certainly found no evidence of

other interruption to their daily lives Cardiff Council have declared a climate emergency in recognition of this. The One Planet Cardiff Strategy sets out a critical response to this emergency. One of the key aims is to become a carbon neutral Council and City by 2030. It proposes to do this in a way that will support green economies and the greater social wellbeing of Cardiff.

One Planet Cardiff believe the ambitions outlined in the project represent those they believe will deliver real impact, steering the city towards a “cleaner, greener and decarbonised future in Cardiff ”. The initiative also offers opportunities to build new sustainable jobs and economic sectors, ultimately resulting in improved social wellbeing and equity in the City and Region.

It has been estimated that the global lockdown events of 2020 could result in emissions reducing by around 8%, more than any other year on record. However the UN Environment Programme concludes that global GHG emissions must fall by 7.6% every year from 2020-2030 to keep temperature increases to below 1.5%.This is a blunt demonstration of the scale of the challenge and the need for urgent, coordinated action.

The development of the One Plant Cardiff strategy, unveiled on the 9th October 2020 coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s becoming cleart that the two emergencies, and the necessary response can’t be mutually exclusive. The One Planet Cardiff Strategy seeks to prioritise projects and initiatives that can stimulate a “green recovery” There are seven key themes that govern One Planet Cardiff ’s aims; Housing and Built Environment

The Council has already brought 9,500 energy-efficient measures into houses across the city, and has delivered award-winning, energy-efficient Council house developments.

To take this further the proposed plans for this sector are; A large scale housing refit, 1500 high quality, sustainable homes across the city, zero-carbon pilot, housing estate project. Developing a blueprint for all new schools so they are built to carbon neutral standards, and putting climate change at the heart of new local development plans.

Energy Cardiff Council has already implemented a hydroelectric scheme at Radyr Weir and supported a number of new innovations in renewable energy and the council has diverted funds away from fossil fuel companies into a fund which tracks the low carbon index. The key new projects aimed at this sector are; a new solar farm that will generate green energy. A new District Heating System which will provide low carbon heat to large buildings in Cardiff Bay Transport The transport strategy targets the improvement of public transport and improving routes and facilities for cyclists and pedestrians. Latest projects involve; a cross city traintram service, development of a cross city bus network, new park and ride facilities. The development of an integrated cycle network Green Infrastructure/Biodiversity The council has a partnership in place to increase the space in parkland for pollinators, and is working on raising awareness amongst school children about nature and biodiversity. They further plan to; build a network of environmen-

that - they were as racist as the rest.”

Legacy Arguably, there is a strong sense of Welsh Heritage in the USA. The 2008 census found that 1.98 million Americans have welsh ancestry. Moreover, several US presidents are allegedly from Welsh descent which include, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and Richard Nixon.

Nelson Welsh Congregational Church: Built in 1876 by Welsh immigrants who settled in the Nelson area during the 19th Century Credit: Beangus (via Wikimedia Commons)

Halloween pumpkin deA vision to the future; Cardiff ’s Canal Quarter liveries Natalie Graham

Head of @Caerdydd

H

alloween was over before it could even got started, cat ears gather dust in fancy dress boxes, carpets remain safe from splatters of fake blood stains and house parties completely off the cards.

This year Halloween is yet another casualty of lockdown.

We are told to embrace watching horror films in the front room only to look back nostalgically at meticulously planned costumes and drunken Halloween club nights.

Halloween festivities have become increasingly mainstream in Wales in recent years.

Halloween themed club nights, pop up cinemas and pumpkin patches are all staples in the October calendar, however this year local lockdown has seen all of these opportunities denied to us.

In light of this Gavin Fisher the owner of Spar in Ely, Cardiff has started selling and delivering pumpkins remotely from his van direct to your front door. In a last ditched attempt at getting in the festivie spirit, and lets face it we all need something to celebrate right now, you can send the aptly named ‘The Pumpkin Mobile’ a facebook message to place an order and delivery time.

Halloween may be uncharacteristically quiet this year, and distractions from lockdown are becoming increasingly few and far between, but the pumpkin delivery van makes sure you dont miss out on an opportunity to embrace your inner artist and carve a pumpkin, even if you are stuck in isolation.

Natalie Graham

Head of @Caerdydd

O

ne key threat Cardiff faces from climate change is flooding from heavy rain and the Severn estuary as sea levels rise.

In an attempt to fight back Cardiff Council has divulged plans to tackle climate change and build up flood defences on the river Rhymney, plant trees to soak up rainwater and reopen Cardiff city centre’s canals, The intention is to open up the Churchill Way Canal Dock feeder and restore the city centre waterway in pursuit of a more sustainable way to manage rainwater. The plans are all part of an extensive redevelopment of the area around Guildford Crescent, soon to be known as ‘Canal Quarter’. It was previously home to music venue Gwidhw which closed in 2019.

The proposal to restore the canal is one of many phases outlined under the council’s One Planet Cardiff, aiming to reduce carbon emissions to net zero by 2030. Other projects encompass city farms and a “major tree planting exercise”. Cardiff could soon grow significantly more food locally, installing drinking water fountains across the city and building zero-carbon homes and schools What is One Planet Cardiff?

One Planet is Cardiff Council’s strategic response to climate change.

Cardiff continues to experience key symptoms of man-made climate change, including erratic weather patterns, air pollution, heatwaves and changes in biodiversity. This has come hand in hand with economic and social costs for businesses and citizens dealing with issues like flood damage, poor air quality and

tal volunteers, deliver biodiverse habitats through Sustainable Urban Drainage systems (SuDs) and implementing research on how to increase tree coverage across the city from 19% to 25%.

Developing low-cost, healthy foods It’s accepted that Cardiff will never be able to be self-sufficient in its food production, there are clear opportunities to increase the amount of food that is grown locally. Under One Planet plans, the council aim to plan for space to grow local food, transforming Cardiff Market into a sustainable and local food market, increasing commercial opportunities for growing local food in the city on new housing developments. And a hydroponics growing unit will be set up in Bute Park using a shipping container Waste Management Since 2001 Cardiff ’s recycling and composting rate has increased from 4% up to 58%, with Welsh Government targets in place to reach 70% by 2025. Cardiff is currently the best core city for recycling. The key projects in this sector are; removing all single use plastics from council venues, the implementation of a new reuse centre by working with the third sector. Exploring new ways to manage green garden waste, reforming kerbside waste collections Water The implementation of the Rhiwbina Flood Defence project, protects 200 homes. Going forward the aims are; making drinking water refill station available across the city to avoid single- use plastic bottles, opening up Churchill Way Canal Dock Feeder, implementing river flood defences and ensuring sustainable drainage systems.

FOR CARDIFF STUDENTS NOT FOR PROFIT OWNED AND RUN BY CARDIFF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION cardiffstudentletting.com 029 2078 1525

26

SPORT

YOUR Six Nations final day show down preview SPORT DESK A The final round of Six Nations fixtures are finally here after being postponed in Febuary Ben Lovell-Smith Sport Editor

Tom Walker

Freddie Bennett

fter the coronavirus pandemic dramatically suspended the Six Nations Championship in March, the tournament will finally conclude this Saturday with three consecutive blockbuster matches.

Wales will take on Scotland first at Parc y Scarlets, followed by Italy vs England in Rome.

Everything is certain to depend on the final match under the Parisian lights with France vs Ireland playing the tournament decider. Whilst Wales, Italy and Scotland have only pride to play for, Ireland, France and triple crown winners England could all end up taking the championship trophy home.

Looking forwards

Last weekend’s warm up matches were the beginning of a jam-packed series of international fixtures for all six of the championship sides.

The Autumn nations cup will commence on Friday 13th November and will conclude, after four rounds, with just two months before the 2021 Six Nations.

International coaches have begun to rebuild too, at this point each nation is at most five matches into the four year cycle between world cups.

Especially experimental selections are to be expected.

Not to mention that each match will be amplified by the added pressure of the watchful eye of Warren Gatland and the potential to be selected for the 2021 Lions tour.

Weird, wonderful and especially experimental selections are to be expected.The context of these fixtures is simply fascinating.

Wales vs Scotland

Ella Fenwick

Ben Lovell-Smith sport@gairrhydd.com

Wales have beaten Scotland in the last three encounters between the two. However, notoriously so strong in front of a home crowd at the Principality, Wales will have neither this Saturday when they step out to face Scotland in Llanelli.

Their loss against France last weekend was another blot on Wayne Pivac’s copybook, especially considering the team was at near full strength. This leaves Wales and Pivac in an interesting position, having lost their last four matches.

Though with little to play for, both sides can afford to be somewhat experimental.

Wales need to establish who their best centre partnership is. Jonathan Davies is nailed on to start at 13, but

Up for grabs: England, Ireland and France are all in contention for the Six Nations Title. Source: Neil Schofield (via Flickr)

will be 35 by the next World Cup and Nick Tompkins is not a natural 12.

The size of uncapped Scarlets centre Johnny Williams could be a better option to compliment one of the two. Depth also needs to be found in a number of other positions.

Notoriously so strong in front of a home crowd at the Principality, Wales have neither this Saturday when they step out to face Scotland in Llanelli.

Equally worrying for Wales is the fact that Finn Russell is back in the Scotland squad, in form and fresh from spurring Racing 92 to the European Champions Cup Final. Scotland came off the back of a convincing 48-7 victory at home to Georgia.

In which they showed a grunt in the forwards, which we have yet to see from any recent Scotland side, against a side renowned for powerful forward play. Wales’ experience should be too much for a Scotland side that are still developing under Gregor Townsend.

But pressure is mounting on Wales and Pivac, and Scotland will certainly take no prisoners.

Italy vs England

England came into this Saturday’s

fixture without the best preparation. Their warm up fixture against the Barbarians was cancelled unexpectedly, whilst a number of key players were involved in last weekend’s Premiership final. Manu Tuilagi has also suffered a long term injury, leaving a space in the centre up for grabs.

Despite these setbacks, most of the World Cup squad remains available and the spine of the side has been in camp for the full period.

England will look to dominate the territory and then unleash their ball carriers when the time is right.

Italy’s defeat to Ireland was their 26th in a row and there does not seem to have been much change under Franco Smith.

Smith has tended to opt for the double pivot at 10 and 12, which enables a much more developed kicking game. Whilst distribution is good, the lack of a real heavy carrier in the back line leaves the Azzuri with little dynamism off set pieces.

If England can exert the same control as Ireland did, then their power game should be too much for Italy. However, playing in advance of the Ireland game, and requiring a points margin of at least 24 points to maximise their chances of glory, means there is added pressure for England to cope with.

England will also be disadvantaged by the lack of a warm up match, and this could benefit the

Italians who can build from their match against Ireland.

The performances of both Ireland and France were completely convincing. Ireland displayed a remarkable element of controlled power against Italy, guided expertly by the experience of the half back partnership of Connor Murray and Johnny Sexton.

Ireland coach Andy Farrell will opt for the same combination this weekend and will look for the same controlled chaos again. If Ireland are to beat France, it would not be pretty.

France had cantered into what had seemed an unstoppable start defeating England and Wales consecutively before tripping up to Scotland at Murrayfield.

They returned to action last weekend, defeating Wales in style.

The back line combination of Antoine DuPont, Romaine Ntamack, Virimi Vakatawa and Teddy Thomas offers so much flair as well as rugby intelligence. With the front foot ball that the forwards provided, these boys picked the holes with ease. It will be much harder to achieve such dominance against Ireland, who have a much stronger pack.

With England almost guaranteed a bonus point victory, both sides require victory in order to grasp the title.

If France can grab an early lead, then it could be game for the ages.

Is the future of the EFL and non league football in danger?

Nicko Barber Contributor

M

uch of the English Football League clubs are already facing financial crisis. Sparked by the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and its ensuing restrictive measures.

Such economic despair is plunging the football pyramid into greater polarity and political tension, which is spiralling out of control and may fast become irreparable.

Many lower-league clubs have been left scrambling for survival due to government restrictions, which still prevent fans from attending matches.

Ticket sales provide an integral source of income for clubs throughout the football pyramid. Preston North End

FC advisor Peter Ridsdale revealed the savage truth of the situation, claiming that a number of clubs “may well fold or go into administration”, even by Christmas.

All of which has contributed to calls for the far wealthier, self-sufficient Premier League clubs to provide a financial package to help support struggling EFL clubs. Premier League clubs have managed to sustain themselves despite also being devoid of matchday income. This is mostly a result of television revenue, as well as shirt sales, sponsors and wealthy ownership.

In response to this crisis Liverpool and Manchester United proceeded in proposing ‘Project Big Picture’. This was a controversial plan to restructure the football calendar: Which

proposed scrapping cup competitions such as the EFL Cup and Community Shield while reducing the number of Premier League clubs from 20 to 18.

Not only would there have been significant changes to the football calendar, but it would have ensured an even smaller share – 25% of all future TV deals – of money for EFL clubs.

In addition, and as a result of such a shift in the distribution of money, the EFL would be provided with a £250m bail-out. imously rejected by Premier League clubs, signifying the disregard for the EFL by the Premier League clubs during a time when meaningful action is needed most. Further demonstrating this disregard is new reports that Premier League clubs, amongst other top clubs throughout Europe, are pushing for a new

multi-billion pound funded European league. This tournament would see the strongest sides on the continent compete against each other consistently. The league would involve as many as 18 teams with a knock-out round included after a round-robin campaign. It is fair to say this competition could fast become the largest tournament in Europe and make the Champions League a thing of the past. Yet, these plans could also ostracize many smaller clubs and increase the gap between the top teams and the EFL. The Premier League has pledged its support in the “financing of English football”, while a £50 million rescue package has been proposed. This comes as much of the EFL feels as though the Premier League has be-

come too greedy and selfish, ignoring the needs of the crippled, football leagues, so central to our national history and culture. Attempts to repair the damage appear to be underwhelming still, charting the growing disillusionment among the English football community at the Premier League’s lack of dedication to ensuring the existence of many clubs. The rescue package has been rejected by the EFL, as any settlement “must meet the requirements of all 72 clubs”.

Football clubs are the beating heart and respiring lungs of communities throughout the UK. COVID-19 has already left people suffocated under isolation and lockdown. If support doesn’t reach these dying clubs, then the very heartbeat of communities may cease to exist.

CHWARAEON

Harris back to winning ways whilst Selby aims for the ultimate glory

Fight Mode: Welshman Jay Harris in sparring action (Source: Sash Shots)

Tom Walker

Head of Sport

T

he return of professional boxing has seen some fruitful opportunities for welsh boxers Jay Harris and Lee Selby.

Selby, the Cardiff born Lightweight, faces George Kambosos Jr on the Derek Chisora vs Oleksandr Usyk undercard in a world title eliminator on October 31. Harris on the other hand got back to winning ways against Marcel Braithwaite on Octo-

ber 17.

Back in February, Harris finally got his title shot when he faced Julio Cesar Martinez for the WBC flyweight title. Harris put in a gutsy effort, but the quality of Martinez shone through.

The Welshman managed to go the full 12 rounds, but his Mexican opponent won by unanimous decision Harris started the Braithwaite fight well, but in the fourth got clocked with a heavy left hook that knocked Harris to his feet. It did not take long for Harris to get back on

top, seeing out the remainder of the fight in a controlled fashion.

The 29 year old acknowledged he would have to fight better than that to get another title shot: “I’m looking to push for more world titles, but I have to perform better than that to mix with world level,” Meanwhile, Lee Selby is one win away from Harris’ desired world title fight, with the victor of Selby’s upcoming fight with Kamboss is in line to be the IBF mandatory challenger for current holder Teofimo Lopez.

Both fighters feel the pressure on this fight, and there have been some strong words exchanged in the build-up. “If you listened to him talk, you’d think he’s the next Muhammad Ali which he’s not.” Selby said, “Looking at his record, it’s difficult to gauge how good he really is.

“This fight has been a long time coming… I’m one step away from a shot at the IBF Lightweight World Title and my dream of becoming Wales’ first ever two-weight World Champion.”

Selby did hold the IBF title from 2015 to 2018, before losing by a controversial split decision to Josh Warrington at Elland Road.

Despite what Selby claims, the quality of his opponent has set up a thrilling bout for Halloween night.

Kamboss Jnr is undefeated in 18 professional contests, but also has almost 100 amateur fights under his belt and several sparring sessions with Manny Pacquiao.

With all his top-level experience, Selby will obviously back himself heavily and rightly so. The opportunity to fight for a world title is not one that comes around often and Selby will know that more than most, having to fight off challengers who had worked so hard to get a shot at the crown for almost three years. He himself is now having to go through that same process to retain his belt, so do not expect him to go out on a whimper against Kamboss Jnr come October 31.

The effect of the second lockdown on Welsh Sports We explore how the newly announced circuit breaker will impact sports and wellbeing Ella Fenwick Sport Editor

W

ith a stunning coastline that covers 1,370 miles and absorbs the brunt of Atlantic waves, Wales is a hotspot for surf. During this 17-day period all community and amateur sport will be put on standby as the government closes public tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres.

During this 17-day period all community and amateur sport will be put on standby as the government closes public tennis courts, swimming pools, gyms and leisure centres.

The gym debate

The particular decision to shut gyms and leisure centres has been met with some backlash, with the argument that closing these facilities will contribute to the detriment of people’s mental health during another period of isolation.

Gym owners across the country and the locations in the UK under the tier three restrictions have been vocal in their dismay, stressing the implications to their businesses and customers wellbeing.

The Welsh Government released evidence explaining that by closing gyms there could be a potential reduction of 0.1 in the R rate.

Drakeford addressed the importance of exercise in his decision, combating the closure of these facilities by placing no restriction on the amount of exercise people are able to undertake outdoors.

Leave it to the professionals

With the long awaited Six Nation matches around the corner and key football fixtures in the calendar, sports fans have been left on edge as to what the appearance of a new lock-

The Welsh Government released evidence explaining that by closing gyms there could be a potential reduction of 0.1 in the R rate. down could do to the future of these professional leagues.

Fans are not to worry though as Drakeford confirmed that all Wales’ leading professional sports teams can continue to compete and will be left unaffected by the imposed measures.

Fixtures will remain behind closed doors and follow the strict health and hygiene protocols in place.

Rescheduled Six Nations fixtures have been given the all clear to progress, with Wales facing Scotland on October 31. Completing their remaining match at home, the Wales women’s team will go head to head at Cardiff City Stadium against Scotland on November 1.

For further relief to rugby fans, the Pro14 games will also be left unaffected by the new rules set in place where the likes of Cardiff City Blues, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets will continue to compete.

The Welsh Rugby Union however have acknowledged the pause in play for amateur and community rugby clubs and how the closure of facilities

Empty: Gyms out of action for two weeks. Source: Wikicommons is bound to have a knock-on effect on the state of numerous clubs. WRU have stated they will be using an emergency fund of £450K and with a further £280,000 from Sports Wales to support local rugby clubs who own or manage facilities that will be affected during these uncertain times to get back on their feet for the return of rugby.

The Cyrmu Premier has had majority of fixtures postponed and the suspension of the Welsh Premier Women’s League announced due to return once the lockdown has drawn to a close.

This currently leaves last year’s league winners Swansea City Ladies in the dark about the future of their position facing the possibility of being thrown out of the Women’s Champions League if unable to play their tie.

The team are still currently eagerly waiting on confirmation of these fixtures and what could be at stake.

On the brighter side of things, the women’s national football team European qualifying match on October 27 against Norway at Cardiff City Stadium will commence as planned.

As for Welsh teams that appear in the English Football League and National League will also find themselves to be lucky enough to continue with their fixtures, with Cardiff City, Swansea City, Newport County and Wrexham all playing multiple matches over the 17-day span of the circuit breaker lockdown.

With Welsh football and rugby international leagues still in play, it begs the question as to how the other neglected sports and amateur teams will survive the closure of facilities and suspension of leagues during the circuit breaker lockdown.

As many athletes remain positive, raring to bounce back with the same response to this next 17-day break as they had to the previous national lockdown.

27

TEAM TALK

T

aekwondo is new to the BUCS scene for university clubs to enter in, and with that the last season was in fact CUTKD first time stepping up to the plate to compete.

This didn’t hinder the team’s confidence as they finished the season third overall against all the opposing university teams, with many of the members walking away with medals, this even included one of the representing fighters coming top of his category across the series of competitions.

Taekwondo is new to the BUCS scene for university clubs to enter in, and with that the last season was in fact CUTKD first time stepping up to the plate to compete. This didn’t hinder the team’s confidence as they finished the season third overall against all the opposing university teams, with many of the members walking away with medals, this even included one of the representing fighters coming top of his category across the series of competitions.

Sports Editor, Ella Fenwick took the opportunity to talk to CUTKD captain Daniel Hannah about their amazing achievement last season.

“Our performance last year was nothing short of exceptional in my opinion. We attended three Openstyle Competitions throughout the year, providing a strong showing at each, with an all too familiar flurry of medals for many of our competitors.

Our debut BUCS performance also complemented our showing at these competitions, however we were unable to follow up on our success at the English Open or the Welsh Varsity events due to COVID-19.

The rest of the year remains uncertain while CUKTD are unable to compete and train using pads due to the coronavirus guidelines, however Hannah stays positive while talking about what the future has ahead for his team.

“This year, it has been hard to plan solid expectations in the form that we would normally do so, as we are limited in many ways with the aspects of training and competition that are available to us. However, with the prospect of a return to competition in 2021, we are preparing all of our students for a return to winning ways that we are so accustomed to and working towards a tenth straight Varsity win over Swansea in the Spring Term. We’re also working towards sustaining the health of the club for future years and, most importantly, looking to have plenty of fun along the way!”

Hannah talks about his own experiences as being part of the team and what it has meant for him to grow with the team throughout his time at Cardiff University.

“Personally, I started at the club as a beginner in my First Year of University, with no previous experience in any martial art. I decided to start Tae Kwon-Do due to the club’s focus on self-defence, as I was victim to a knife attack before starting at University. After some research, I discovered that the Tae Kwon-Do Club was the most successful martial arts club at Cardiff University, and that following a growing interest in watching martial arts in films, UFC, or in the Olympics, that I wanted to join.

Hopefully we will be able to see this thrilling team’s performance again when they are next due to compete in the BUCS Winter Championships February 21 2021.

Reporting by Ella Fenwick

Super Saturday Preview:

Six Nations comes down to the last game with three teams in contention page 26

SPORT CHWARAEON The effect of a second lockdown on Welsh sports FITNESS

Ella Fenwick

Sport Editor

A

s Wales prepares for its second national circuit breaker lockdown, many have been left wondering what this could mean for the short term future of Welsh sport.

The debate surrounding the closure of gyms during lockdown has been met by some outcry, though politicians suggest it could lead to a small but important decrease in the R rate. There is some hope for sports fans however as Drakeford has said that this lockdown will not affect the international sporting calendar., meaning professional Welsh teams can continue to compete in leagues.

Continued on page 27

Is the future of EFL and non-league football in danger?

FOOTBALL

Nicko Barber Contributor

Raring to go: Team resumes training ready for the season. Source: Cardiff University Badminton Club

Back on court: Cardiff University Badminton Club’s overdue return Sports Editor, Freddie Bennett speaks to badminton captain William Hughes about the club’s faltering return to the court

Freddie Bennett Sport Editor

A

fter their near promotion campaign was cut short last year, Cardiff University Badminton Club are looking to cement their success this year as badminton returns to the court.

Over the off season, the badminton committee headed by captain William Hughes have been busy ensuring that ‘’everything was in place for people to come back and play,’’ as he told Sports Editor Freddie Bennett in an interview.

Before the Welsh lockdown was announced the team were able to start training, for what looks to be a packed year for the club.

However, with lockdown around the corner, the season will be put on hold until January. With new players coming through and all of the captains building strong teams ready for this upcoming year, Hughes still remains confident about their chances for success and has ‘’high

hopes for what we’ll manage.’’ That is not to say that they are not always on the lookout for new players as well as including a less competitive and more social aspect to the club.

For those who want to get involved, social sessions take place every Tuesday and Sunday outside of lockdown and will run throughout the year.

This is a great chance for people who want to be involved in a team but may not be so interested in competitive tournaments and instead prefer a more casual drop-in session where any level of ability is welcome.

Hughes would ‘’love for anyone interested to come and join us’’ and more information about the club can be found on various social media applications as well.

In terms of competition this year, the members of Cardiff University Badminton Club are known to compete in the BUCS Badminton League each season.

With no matches able to happen until the new year, hopefully the

teams will be able to go and show off their skills against other universities in the coming months.

Currently, more restrictions are placed on doubles events due to the proximity of the players and social distancing guidelines. Singles matches will still be able to go ahead as Cardiff look to for success in BUCS this year.

The club has five teams who compete regularly in BUCS competitions, three male teams and two female teams. Hughes is confident that assuming that ‘’the BUCS League goes ahead, all five of our teams have been entered, and all five are looking to be at the top of their division.’’

This is encouraging to hear for supporters of Cardiff University sport and hopefully the team will be able to get back playing competitively as soon as possible.

Furthermore, as well as their BUCS division, each year the badminton club takes their best players up to Sheffield for the BUCS national tournament, facing teams from all

over the country.

This year plans for this tournament are currently not finalized but the team is hopeful that they will be able to get to the tournament and prove themselves against the best in the country.

This looks to be an exciting time for Cardiff University’s Badminton Club who are looking to compete against the best around and are confident in their talent.

Yet, for those of us who want to play the game less competitively, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved and work on your skills.

The club is lucky in that they have coaches who will be able to help you improve and maybe in time you could be heading up to Sheffield to face off on the court against some of the best players in the country.

This year looks set to be a difficult year for Cardiff University sport.

However, there is a lot of hope surrounding the Badminton Club who are looking to go further than they were able to achieve last year and gain regional and national success.

For more breaking sports news, visit www.gairhydd.com/sport

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he English Football League is in financial turmoil due to the Coronavirus pandemic. The vast wealth of the Premier League seems the obvious first point of call, but the power hungry and financially selfish nature of the Premier League clubs has pretty much left the EFL for dead. ‘Project Big Picture’ is a horrorshow and little alternatives have been offered.

Something must be done before the damage is irreparable, these clubs are too important to the culture and communities of the nation.

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Harris back to winning ways whilst Selby aims for the ultimate glory Boxing Tom Walker

Head of Sport

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fter a long eight months off Welsh boxers Jay Harris and Lee Selby return to the scene of professional boxing. Selby is due to make a stand in the ring on October 31 against George Kambosos Jr on the Derek Chisora vs Oleksandr Usyk undercard in a world title eliminator. Meanwhile Harris returned to the plate with his winning ways. Despite his previous loss in February against Julio Cesar Martinez for the WBC flyweight title, he came back with a strong start bringing home a win against Marcel Braithwaite on October 17.

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