Issue 1176 - Monday, 22nd November by Cardiff Student Media

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rhifyn 1176 issue 1176

22 tachwedd 2021 22 november 2021

gair rhydd Cardiff University’s student paper | Established 1972

Inside: Gair Rhydd breaks down the new 'Save a Dead' society scheme at the Students' Union (Page 12)

Gair Rhydd speaks to Lee Waters, Deputy Minister for Climate Change Beth Williams News Editor

s the COP26 summit drew to a close, Gair Rhydd had the opportunity to talk to the Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters. On his way back to Wales, he discussed his experience at the summit, the impact of the climate crisis on Wales and why we should all play our part. GR: How was your experience at the summit? Lee Waters MS: We weren’t a part of the formal negotiations but we were all ready to learn and share. Wales are doing stuff that other countries are very interested in. Wales was pointed at several times for being a great example of what they call a sub-national government, for doing good. GR: What discussions did you take part in or listen to? Lee Waters MS: Two particular experiences stand out for me, personally. I met with a coffee grower from Uganda, in which Wales has supported through the Welsh Government’s Wales for Africa project, to plant trees and form a Fairtrade co-operative of coffee farmers. The frontline of the climate emergency is now directly affecting the slope hills in the Mbale region of Uganda. That was very powerful. I also met a tribal leader of an indigenous tribe from the rainforests of Brazil who are facing the direct impact of the way we’re using soy in animal foods. Their lands are being cleared by loggers for that. So two people who directly as a result of things that we are doing, are feeling the impact of climate change now. That made an impact on me. GR: Wales have just joined the Beyond gas and Oil Alliance. What exactly does that entail? Lee Waters MS: It’s a really important movement and we are one of the founding members of it. The idea is that it will grow and influence others. We’ve started off with ten members including Denmark, who are the biggest producer of oil in Europe. It’s a significant commitment for them to pledge to move away from oil and gas.

Wales has been leading the way with this agenda. We’ve banned franking a number of years ago and then we stopped issuing any new licences for coal. As part of this agreement, we’re saying that when the last coal and gas licences run out in 2035, we won’t be renewing any of them. That is significant. GR: Do you believe that COP26 has been a success? Lee Waters MS: We don’t know if the summit was a success yet. In terms of Wales’ point of view and my personal view before I arrived was whether the outcome of the summit was a success was out of our hands. We have no control over others. That doesn’t change what we do. We need to de-couple the negotiations and netzero targets as they are two separate things. Negotiations will continue, it’s permanent and works by consensus. Unless all 197 countries agree, there is no agreement. In practice, it means you move at the pace of the slowest and we can’t let our actions be determined by the pace of the slowest. It’s good it’s going on and I hope that positive things come out of it. There have already been positive announcements but our focus is on how we deliver the net-zero target in Wales because the science isn’t going to change. GR: How is climate change impacting on Wales? Lee Waters MS: We see it happening to us now. Climate change is locked into the atmosphere. We’re going to see sea levels rise by 0.5 meters, bearing in mind that most of the largest Welsh towns and cities are on the coast. That will have a real impact that we can’t stop so we need to learn how to adapt to that. We’ve been seeing more extreme weather, having wetter, wilder winters and hotter, dryer summers. That’s already killing people. So there are real impacts of climate change now and those are just going to get worse. To read Beth's full interview with Lee Waters MS on climate change and Wales' efforts at COP26, turn to page 3. 3

Article 16: The UK Government may be considering triggering Article 16 in order to suspend parts of the Northern Ireland Protocal. Source: Number 10 (via Flickr)

Will the UK consider triggering Article 16?

Ella Lloyd

Politics Editor

Ymgyrch 'Free Britney' yn ennill Nel Richards

Pennaeth Taf-od

r ol bron i 14 mlynedd o dan geidwadaeth, mae'r gantores wedi ei rhyddhau tad. Mae ‘Free Britney’ yn ymgyrch ar lawr gwlad a oedd yn brwydro i’w rhyddhau o’i gwarchodaeth. Fel mae llawer yn gwybod, cantores byd enwog yw Britney Spears sydd wedi cyrraedd y siartiau sawl gwaith - gyda phum sengl rhif 1, chwe albwm rhif 1, a 150 miliwn o recordiau wedi’u gwerthu ledled y byd, mae Britney yn cael ei hystyried gan Billboard fel yr wythfed artist mwyaf 2000-2010. I ddarllen erthygl lawn Nel ar gydgyfeiriant y canwr, trowch i dudalen 6 6

Lord David Frost on November 12. Triggering Article 16 would mean suspending parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, although it’s not clear which parts yet. The Article was written into the protocol for use in emergencies, and to prevent unnecessary suffering. The UK believes that the EU is taking too robust an approach to implementing the protocol, and that it is not sustainable in its current form. The EU refutes this claim, pointing out that the protocol isn’t even being enforced in

full yet due to extended grace periods, and that the UK agreed to the deal in full knowledge of how it would be implemented. Former government Advisor Dominic Cummings has suggested that the UK always intended to ‘ditch’ parts of the protocol which were disagreeable to them. To read Ella's article detailing the potential impacts of triggering 9 Article 16, turn to page 9.

Keeping motivated Wales beat Figi 38 - 23 in through Neurodiversity Autumn Internationals Alexandra Austin

Tom Hawkins

Contributor

Sport Editor

his weekend marked the third week of rugby's Autumn Internationals, where Wales faced a Fijian side looking to reinvent themselves and prove their durability against larger nations. The match proved entertaining for all and was a tight contest. It was the Fijians who got off to the better start, striking with their first attack as skipper Waisea Nayacalevu sprinted over the line after a slick move to score the first try of the game in the fourth minute. Ben Volavola converted this and a penalty shortly after giving Fiji a 10 - 0 lead. To read Tom's full breakdown of Wales' recent match against Figi, turn to page 20.

EDITORIAL Gair Rhydd 2021/22 Coordinator Elaine Morgan

Editor-in-Chief Jack Robert Stacey

Deputy Editors Tom Kingsbury Vicky Witts Zoe Kramer

News

Zoe Kramer Alex Hughes Beth Williams Shivika Singh

Features

Jasmine Edge Eva Rodericks

A note from the Editor Nodyn gan y Golygydd Will ‘The Metaverse’ transform the way we live?

A fydd ‘The Metaverse’ yn trawsnewid ein bywydau?

Taf-od

Nel Richards Gracie Richards Nansi Eccott Steffan Alun Leonard

Politics

Tom Kingsbury Ella Lloyd Luthien Evans Manal Ahmed

Comment

Vicky Witts Catarina Pinto Vicente Katherine Wheeler Megan Evans

Advice

Harriet Lowbridge Megan Shinner Ruth Hoey

Review

Iris Knapman Jessica Clifford-Jones

Science and Technology Mia Becker-Hansen Elie Gould Jemma Powell Theodore Tadros

Sport

Anurag Hegde Tom Hawkins

Head of Digital Media Sophia Grace

Social Media Manager Ella Lloyd

Digital Media Editors Cinzia Appetecchia Emily Smith Joseph Liu

Copy Editors

Beca Fflur Williams Bonnie Wileman Emily Bryant Jess Henderson Libby Griffiths Lois Campbell Maisie Granger Sam Joseph

Write to the editor editor@gairrhydd.com

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. You can view our Ethical Policy Statement and Complaints Procedure at cardiffstudentmedia.co.uk/complaints. 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 Metaverse: Zuckerberg’s ‘Metaverse’ is aiming to blur the line between virtual reality and the real world. Source: geralt (via Pixabay)

Jack Robert Stacey Editor-in-Chief

arlier this month, Mark Zuckerburg, CEO and co-founder of Meta (formerly Facebook), outlined his intentions to begin developing the so-called ‘Metaverse’ – a seamless, three-dimensional world that blends virtual reality and the real world together in an immersive experience where people can work, shop, or even play games together. According to Zuckerberg, this development will cost the company upwards of USD $10 billion this year and, perhaps unsurprisingly given the infancy of the concept, is not expected to generate a profit for the forseeable future. Meta promoted one of the key features of this new platform, ‘Horizon Home’, at a recent conference. As the “home base for the metaverse”, people will be able to use this virtual space to create and interact with each other from anywhere in the world. The concept of the ‘metaverse’ was first coined by Neal Stephenson back in 1992, referring to a space where computer-generated simulations and reality merge together. This idea was later popularised in Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One, a science fiction that was adapted to film by Stephen Spielberg in 2018. Several other Silicon Valley-based companies are also planning to develop their own ‘metaverses’; specifically, Mi-

crosoft, Amazon, and even the online game platform Roblox are reported to be working on spaces where “people can come together within millions of 3D experiences to learn, work, play, create and socialize.” Whilst Zuckerberg maintains that the ‘Metaverse’ will bring people closer than ever before, critics have suggested that this recent announcement merely acts a distraction from a number of controversies facing the company. The most significant of which is the ongoing so-called ‘Facebook Papers’ scandal, a series of in-depth reports conducted by the Wall Street Journal which allege that the company chose not to act on the knowledge that its products were contributing towards worldwide violence and contributing to mental health issues – Meta has previously denied the validity of these claims. Imran Ahmed, Founder and CEO of the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), said that Zuckerberg’s new focus on virtual reality “just goes to show how out of touch Facebook [sic] is with real people” and actively ignores “the myriad harms caused by his platforms” to users worldwide As a new platform that Meta claims will be “the next frontier in connecting people”, the continued rise of virtual reality and the ‘Metaverse’ will undoubtedly have an impact on our day-to-day lives over the next decade. The manner in which it will, remains to be seen.

The Metaverse: Zuckerberg’s ‘Metaverse’ yn anelu at gymylu’r llinell rhwng rhith-realiti a’r byd go iawn. Tarddiad: geralt (via Pixabay)

Jack Robert Stacey Prif Olygydd

n gynharach y mis hwn, amlinellodd Mark Zuckerburg, Prif Swyddog Gweithredol a chyd-sylfaenydd Meta (Facebook gynt), ei fwriad i ddechrau datblygu’r ‘Metaverse’ – byd di-dor, tri dimensiwn sy’n cyfuno realiti rhithwir a’r byd go iawn gyda’i gilydd mewn profiad trochi lle gall pobl weithio, siopa neu hyd yn oed chwarae gemau gyda’i gilydd. Yn ôl Zuckerberg, bydd y datblygiad hwn yn costio hyd at $10 biliwn i’r cwmni eleni ac, efallai nad yw’n syndod o ystyried y cysyniad newydd, ni ddisgwylir iddo gynhyrchu elw am nifer o flynyddoedd. Mewn cynhadledd diweddar, hyrwyddodd Meta un o nodweddion allweddol y platfform newydd, ‘Horizon Home.’ Fel “sylfaen gartref ar gyfer y metaverse”, bydd pobl yn gallu defnyddio’r gofod rhithwir hwn i greu a rhyngweithio â’i gilydd o unrhyw le yn y byd. Cyhoeddwyd hefyd bod y nodwedd hon yn dod i’r ap ‘Messenger’. Mae nifer o gwmnïau eraill sy’n seiliedig yn Silicone-Valley hefyd yn bwriadu datblygu eu ‘metaverses’ eu hunain; yn benodol, dywedir bod Microsoft, Amazon, a hyd yn oed y platfform gêm ar-lein Roblox yn gweithio ar fannau lle gall pobl ddod at ei gi-

lydd o fewn miliynau o brofiadau 3D i ddysgu, gweithio, chwarae, creu a chymdeithasu.” Er bod Zuckerberg yn honni y bydd y ‘Metaverse’ yn dod â phobl yn agosach at ei gilydd nag erioed o’r blaen, mae rhai beirniaid wedi awgrymu fod y cyhoeddiad diweddar hwn ond yn tynnu sylw oddi wrth nifer o broblemau sy’n wynebu’r cwmni. Y mwyaf arwyddocaol ohonynt yw’r sgandal ‘Papurau Facebook’ parhaus, cyfres o adroddiadau manwl a gynhaliwyd gan y Wall Street Journal sy’n honni bod y cwmni wedi dewis peidio â gweithredu ar y wybodaeth bod ei cynhyrchion yn cyfrannu at drais byd-eang ac yn cyfrannu at faterion iechyd meddwl – mae Meta wedi gwadu dilysrwydd yr honniadau hyn o’r blaen. Dywedodd Imran Ahmed, Sylfaenydd a Phrif Swyddog Gweithredol y Ganolfan ar gyfer Gwrthsefyll Casineb Digidol (CCDH), fod ffocws newydd Zuckerberg ar realiti rhithwir “yn dangos sut mae Facebook [sic] allan o gyffwrdd gyda phobl go iawn” ac yn mynd ati i anwybyddu “y niwed a achosir gan ei lwyfannau” i ddefnyddwyr ledled y byd. Fel llwyfan newydd y mae Meta yn honni fydd “y goror nesaf wrth gysylltu pobl”, bydd y cynnydd parhaus mewn realiti rhithwir a’r ‘Metaverse’ yn sicr o gael effaith ar ein bywydau o ddydd i ddydd dros y degawd nesaf.

GOLYGYDDOL

Gair Rhydd speaks to Lee Waters, Member of the Senedd Gair Rhydd sat down with the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to talk over Wales’ recent involvement in COP26 and the importance of taking action against climate change

Beth Williams News Editor

Wales was pointed at several times for being a great example of what they call a sub-national government, for doing good.”

Lee Waters MS: The Deputy Minister for Climate Change. Source: Lee Waters AM/National Assembly for Wales (via Wikimedia Commons) GR: Wales have just joined the Beyond gas and Oil Alliance. What exactly does that entail? Lee Waters MS: It’s a really important movement and we are one of the founding members of it. The idea is that it will grow and influence others. We’ve started off with ten members including Denmark, who are the biggest producer of oil in Europe. It’s a significant commitment for them to pledge to move

away from oil and gas. Wales has been leading the way with this agenda. We’ve banned fracking a number of years ago and then we stopped issuing any new licences for coal. As part of this agreement, we’re saying that when the last coal and gas licences run out in 2035, we won’t be renewing any of them. That is significant.

GR: Do you believe that COP26 has been a success? Lee Waters MS: We don’t know if the summit was a success yet. In terms of Wales’ point of view and my personal view before I arrived was whether the outcome of the summit was a success was out of our hands. We have no control over others. That doesn’t change what we do. We need to de-couple the negotiations and net-zero targets as they are two separate things. Negotiations will continue, it’s permanent and works by consensus. Unless all 197 countries agree, there is no agreement. In practice, it means you move at the pace of the slowest and we can’t let our actions be determined by the pace of the slowest. It’s good it’s going on and I hope that positive things come out of it. There have already been positive announcements but our focus is on how we deliver the net-zero target in Wales because the science isn’t going to change. GR: How is climate change impacting on Wales? Lee Waters MS: We see it happening to us now. Climate change is locked into the atmosphere. We’re going to see sea levels rise by 0.5 meters, bearing in mind that most of the largest Welsh towns and cities are on the coast. That will have a real impact that we can’t stop so we need to learn how to adapt to that. We’ve been seeing more extreme weather, having wetter, wilder winters and hotter, dryer summers. That’s already killing people. So there are real impacts of climate change now and those are just going to get worse. GR: Are you confident that Wales can hit their net-zero target? Lee Waters MS: I can’t be confident about it as it’s something we have to put our shoulder to the wheel on. We have identified a way to do it, through setting targets in five year chunks. That means we know what we need to do in the next five years in order to get to that point and to put us on track to hit net zero, but we haven’t done it yet.

The majority of people realize there’s a problem and want to do something about it and the job of the government is to make the changes that are needed.” We’ve already seen the reaction to cancelling bypasses or rejecting coal licences. There is significant opposition to it. So the jury’s out on whether we will achieve it or not. GR: You’ve discussed potential opposition there. Do you believe that the people of Wales, as a whole, are taking the climate crisis seriously? Are a few climate sceptics impacting on how society perceives the crisis? Lee Waters MS: Inevitably, that’s true. There will always be a bunch of people who say it’s not a threat. There will never be complete agreement on that. The majority of people realize there’s a problem and want to do something about it and the job of the government is to make the changes that are needed. GR: You’ve discussed the need to lower meat consumption, do you have any other advice for students on reducing their carbon footprint? Lee Waters MS: So the UK Climate Change commission said 60% of needed changes are to do with people’s choices. So, choosing to fly less, choosing an electric car, making fewer journeys and buying less stuff. They are practical things that we can all do. GR: Now that you’re on your way back to Cardiff, what is the next step after COP26? Lee Waters MS: There are a series of things that we’re working on and hopefully some further announcements in the next few weeks and months. We have COP Cymru coming up at the end of the month, which is a week of Welsh climate action and discussion. This is an ongoing effort and it will be really hard to do. Society has never dealt with something like this before so it’s going to take all of our efforts on an ongoing basis to tackle it.

Nextbike shuts down Cardiff operations due to vandalism Aruni Deraniyagala Contributor

extbike has announced that it will be temporarily suspending its OVO Bikes scheme in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan starting from the 15th of November after what they have called months of vandalism, theft, and threats against staff. Nextbike is the world’s most extensive bike-sharing provider, with fleets in more than 300 countries across the globe. It launched its fleet in Cardiff in 2018 and in the Vale of Glamorgan in 2020 with the aim of providing a more sustainable and affordable mode of transport across the city. It is reported that since its introduction the scheme has attracted nearly 136 000 customers making up to around 1.2 million rentals in

this city alone. Riders have covered an area of up to 3 million km, meaning that the scheme has prevented around 351 tonnes of carbon from entering the atmosphere. Cardiff Council has reported that, since its launch date, 300 bikes have been stolen, with 130 of those going missing since this August. Additionally, 260 bikes had to be scrapped as a result of vandalism - bikes had been set on fire, broken in half and even dumped in rivers. Nextbike’s managing director, Krysia Solheim, has stated that “The amount of vandalism and theft that we have seen is simply staggering and not something we’ve experienced to the same extent anywhere else in the UK. Our teams simply cannot keep up with the level of damage and theft being carried out. We are temporarily removing bikes while we repair those that can

be repaired and investigate what safeguards are in place around our bike stations - for example, CCTV and street lighting - and how this can be improved. We will be readjusting the network to move stations to safer areas where needed. We will also be providing our staff with body cameras for their own protection.” The company has hired a private investigation firm to monitor their bike docks and they were able to retrieve 16 stolen bikes over a two-day period. Inspector Darren Grady of the South Wales Polie has stated that “Abuse of nextbike employees, theft and vandalism will not be tolerated and our Neighbourhood Policing Teams are extremely proactive in arresting those responsible. In the city centre alone, nine people have recently been convicted at court for

Nextbike: The bicycle hire company is closing down in Cardiff. Source: Thomas Nugent (via Geograph) such offences resulting in prison sentences, fines and community work.” Nextbike hopes to repair as many bikes as possible and replace those that have been stolen in the hopes that will be back on the streets of Cardiff next year. However, they

have warned that if the current level of vandalism persists, they will be forced to stop the bike-sharing scheme permanently. Nextbike is working closely with the South Wales Poice and Cardiff Council in the hopes of solving this issue.

NEWS

NHS staff in England required to get jab

Vaccines will not be necessary for Welsh NHS staff, Welsh Gov says Shivika Singh News Editor

T Zoe Kramer

Alex Hughes

he Welsh Government has made it clear that it will not make Covid vaccines mandatory for NHS staff as Covid rates continue to rise. However, on the contrary, NHS staff in England will have to be double jabbed against Covid 19, if they want to work in Frontline roles. As Wales is presently recording high infection rates, with the seven-day infection rate now being at the highest rate ever at 717 cases per 100,000, with almost a quarter of tests coming back positive, strict measures were being expected. When asked whether they would take this step a Welsh Government spokesman said: “Take up of the Covid-19 vaccine has been high among health and social care staff. Over 90% of staff in care homes for older adults have received both doses of the vac-

cine, with nearly half already receiving their booster jab, and we want to thank them for embracing vaccination – it helps protect them and the vulnerable people they care for. “While Covid vaccination rates are at such high levels in these groups, we do not see the need for compulsory measures.” In England, the UK government has confirmed that it will require all frontline NHS staff to be fully vaccinated against Covid. It follows on from a decision earlier this year to make jabs for people working in care homes mandatory in England, which came into force on Thursday. Wales, however has extended vaccine passes to ensure the infection rates slows down but the proposal for mandating Covid-19 vaccination has been turned down. Defending this decision at The Welsh Government Press Confer-

Covid vaccine: NHS staff in England will be required to receive the vaccine. Source: Arne Müseler (via Wikimedia Commons) ence, health minister Eluned Morgan has said that she doesn’t see the need to do the same in Wales. “We know that in Wales 95% of our healthcare workers have taken the opportunity to have both doses of the vaccine. We think that those levels are very high and we’re content with those levels. We’re still trying to persuade that final

5% but we know that within that some people have medical reasons why they can’t have both doses of the jab.” At present Covid passes – which show people have been fully vaccinated, have tested negative for coronavirus, or have recently had the virus – are used to allow people to enter large events and nightclubs in Wales.

Covid passes required for cinema and theatre in Wales

Malgorzata Rudnicka Contributor

Beth Williams

Shivika Singh news@gairrhydd.com

he temperatures in Eastern Europe are dropping down, even below zero at night. Meanwhile, thousands of asylum seekers from Iraq, Syria, and Yemen are stuck on the Kuznica border between Poland and Belarus. At least nine people have lost their lives already. In the last week, the crisis on the Poland-Belarus border has been escalating. According to the Polish authorities, thousands of migrants from the Middle East are stuck between the Polish and the Belarusian forces, not being able to go back or move forward. After arriving in Minsk, people are led to the border with Poland. From there, there is no way back to Minsk, and the way to-

wards Western Europe is closed by the Polish forces. Most of them want to get through Poland and go further, to Germany. The Polish government has militarised the area and put up a razor-wire fence. The presence of armed forces remains heavy. The government has been accused of pushing people back into Belarusian territory after Poland passed legislation legalising pushbacks. On Monday, 15 November, hundreds of migrants moved from the camp to the border gates on the Belarusian side. They are being blocked by the Polish forces. To stop the influx of migrants from the Middle East, several airlines have banned passengers boarding flights to Belarus. The last major airline from the Middle East to Belarus has been shut. The world is looking at President Lu-

kashenko’ regime, condemning it for the orchestrated transport of would-be migrants to Minsk. Lukashenko has been accused of engineering the conflict and using the migrants as political instruments to destabilise the situation in Europe. The European Union shows support in opposing the actions of the Belarusian regime. President von der Leyen called the situation a “cynical instrumentalisation of migrants” and a hybrid attack. Besides it being a security threat, it is, importantly, a humanitarian crisis. Temperatures are falling, and there are many children among asylum seekers. November nights in the region are cold, and most people on the border do not have more than small tents and sleeping bags. Journalists and doctors have been banned from entering the restricted

zone near the border. Anna Chmielewska, a coordinator of the Help Centre for Foreigners, said “[...] we cannot enter the secure zone [a militarised zone created by the government] which means we cannot help people there.” The EU is said to be considering imposing sanctions on Belarusian officials as well as other parties involved in organising the movement of people. Aleksandr Lukashenko has already threatened to cut gas delivery to Europe in case of imposition of sanctions. Many fear an escalation of a security crisis, standing up to Belarus and its ally, Russia. NATO, in their statement, “strongly condemns the continued instrumentalisation of irregular migration artificially created by Belarus as part of hybrid actions targeted against Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia for political purposes.”

What COP26 means for the future of climate policy

Alex Hughes News Editor

arlier this month, twenty-six years after the UN’s climate policy framework was devised at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, world leaders met in Glasgow for the annual Conference of the Parties (COP26). Several key developments stand out in the wake of the conference. The final agreement, the Glasgow Climate Pact, is a pledge to strengthen national emissions targets earlier than previously agreed, to attempt to achieve the goals of the 2015 Paris accord, which are in jeopardy. As things stand, by 2100, global emissions targets imply a rise in the global average surface temperature of 2.7°C, relative to the pre-industrial baseline. As well as the main Pact, more than half of the parties present signed the Global Methane Pledge, which aims to reduce the release of methane by 30%, and in doing so prevent 0.3°C of warming by 2040. China, India and Russia, three of the largest methane emitters, did not sign on. As the most CO2-rich fossil fuel

source, coal combustion is still the dominant means of generating electricity worldwide. A ‘phase out’ agreement was reached, although representatives of the two emerging Asian powers, China and India, are reported to have insisted on the use of the weaker term ‘phase down’ in the final wording. Although as developing countries they emit much less CO2 per capita than the developed world, China and India are responsible for much of the growth in fossil fuel emissions. Their reluctance to control these emissions is unsurprising – switching to more expensive fuels slows down their growth process, curtailing their international clout, not to mention the fact that as they use cheap fossil fuels to hasten their growth, they walk a path welltrodden by the US and Western Europe, the key architects of all climate policy agreements. Globally, fuel emissions are still growing – mostly due to a surge in the Chinese economy’s use of coal – but the latest data suggests that net CO2 emissions have remained stable for the last decade, with the rise in fossil fuel combustion having been offset

by downward revisions in estimates of crop expansions. This has led some observers to suggest that global greenhouse gas emissions are now at their all-time peak. This remains to be seen, since climate agreements of this kind lack any formal mechanism to enforce their targets. The reluctance of developed states to overhaul their economies in order to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions can be understood in several ways. Major private oil producers, for instance, often use lobbying and public relations strategies to halt or dilute policies that endanger their business model. In a recent undercover investigation by Unearthed, for example, a senior director in Exxon Mobil’s government affairs team detailed how his company loudly supports policy ideas like carbon taxation – which they know to be a deadend, politically – while quietly opposing workable measures, like parts of the Biden administration’s American Jobs Plan, through their access to receptive centrist politicians, like Joe Manchin, who wield a lot of leverage due to their role as legislative tie-breakers. More fundamentally, a shift in en-

ergy policy of the scale being discussed is an expensive endeavour for any state to embark on, in the context of the economic damages projected to result from climatic change over the next century. In simulations used by the IPCC that assume no effective policy action is taken, these effects are relatively small – 2.6% of world GDP by 2100, with lower estimates for temperate regions like the United States and Western Europe. The difference between the 1.5°C and 2°C scenarios is also relatively minor, at around 0.6% of world GDP by 2060. These aggregate projections obscure the differences between countries, discount future economic value at a rate chosen by the modellers, and abstract from low-probability scenarios in which critical Earth System thresholds are reached. Some researchers argue that they could underestimate the probable material damages by failing to properly account for the impact of large-scale extreme weather events. Still, as things stand these estimates are all politicians have to go on, and the IPCC reports’ ‘Summary for Policymakers’, which is what they read, sacri-

fices depth for clarity. Inertia in the climate system means that it takes many decades for global weather patterns to adapt to a change in CO2 concentration, mostly because of how long the deep ocean layers take to absorb heat. If human civilization ground to a halt and emissions ceased overnight, temperatures would rise for decades to come. Another factor is simple geographic fortune. Quantitative projections from both climate and climate-economic modeling are highly uncertain, but it’s clear which regions will bear the brunt of the impact. Low-lying developing states like Bangladesh and island nations like Fiji are the most vulnerable, and on the global stage they have no political leverage. Whatever world leaders eventually choose to prioritise, it won’t be the fate of these states. One way or another though, developed economies – which have sourced their energy from hydrocarbons for more than two centuries – will have to effectively subsidise developing countries’ transitions into renewable energy, and their adaptation to now-inevitable climatic changes.

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Monday 22nd to Friday 26th November

If you ran the University, what would you keep and what would you change?

TAF-OD

TAF-OD Ymgyrch ‘Free Britney’ yn ennill Nel Richards

Pennaeth Tafod

A Nel Richards

Gracie Richards

Nansi Eccott

Steffan Alun Leonard taf-od@gairrhydd.com

Nansi Eccott

r ol bron i 14 mlynedd o dan geidwadaeth, mae’r gantores wedi’i rhyddhau o freichiau ei thad. Mae ‘Free Britney’ yn ymgyrch ar lawr gwlad a oedd yn brwydro i’w rhyddhau o’i gwarchodaeth. Fel mae llawer yn gwybod, cantores byd enwog yw Britney Spears sydd wedi cyrraedd y siartiau sawl gwaith - gyda phum sengl rhif 1, chwe albwm rhif 1, a 150 miliwn o recordiau wedi’u gwerthu ledled y byd, mae Britney yn cael ei hystyried gan Billboard fel yr wythfed artist mwyaf 2000-2010. Beth ydy ceidwadaeth (conservatorship)? Statws cyfreithiol ble mae’r llys yn penodi person i reoli materion ariannol unigolyn neu berson o dan oed neu anghymwys yw ceidwadaeth. Gall person o’r fath hefyd wasanaethu fel gwarcheidwad sy’n gyfrifol am fonitro gofal corfforol a threfniadau byw yr unigolyn. Wrth i Spears wrthsefyll cyfranogiad ei thad yn y geidwadaeth breifat, defnyddiodd ei harian i ymladd yn ôl. Mae dogfennau llys diweddar yn dangos bod cyfreithwyr Jamie wedi bilio bron i $900,000 am bedwar mis o waith, rhwng mis Hydref, 2020, a mis Chwefror, 2021. “Mae hi’n teimlo bod y geidwadaeth wedi dod yn offeryn gormesol sy’n rheoli yn ei herbyn,” ysgrifennodd ymchwilydd llys mewn adroddiad yn 2016, yn y Times. Dywedodd Britney wrth y llys yn 2019 hefyd ei bod yn teimlo ei bod yn cael ei gorfodi i fynd i adran iechyd meddwl. Yn y llys ym Mehefin, 2021, rhannodd Britney ei phrofiadau yn byw o dan yr hyn y mae’n ei ddisgrifio fel ceidwadaeth “ymosodol”. Dywedodd Britney nad yw hi wedi cael fawr ddim o breifatrwydd a’i bod yn aml yn cael ei gorfodi i weithio a pherfformio yn erbyn ei hewyllys. “Roedd yn

rhaid i unrhyw beth a ddigwyddodd i mi gael ei gymeradwyo gan fy nhad,” meddai. “Ni chefais lais erioed yn fy amserlen dyddiol.” “Rydw i eisiau fy mywyd yn ôl,” esboniodd. Ymgyrchu Ar Fehefin 23ain eleni, siaradodd Britney drosti ei hun am yr achos am y tro cyntaf erioed. Cafodd yr achos llys ei ffrydio’n fyw, gan roi cipolwg i’r cyhoedd ar bersbectif a phrofiad y gantores am y 13 blynedd diwethaf. Siaradodd am 24 munud, gan ddatgelu brwydrau iechyd meddwl, gwaith gorfodol, a cholli rheolaeth ar ei bywyd yn gyffredinol. Daeth rhyddhad ddydd Gwener 12fed o Dachwedd i Britney Spears wrth i’w cheidwadaeth o bron i 14 mlynedd ddod i ben. Roedd hefyd yn fuddugoliaeth i’r mudiad #FreeBritney, yr ymgyrch dan arweiniad cefnogwyr. Mae cefnogwyr Britney wedi bod yn wyliadwrus ers amser maith o’r telerau ceidwadaeth ac yn aml wedi cwestiynu a’i dyma’r peth gorau iddi. Ysgrifennodd FreeBritney.net, a lansiwyd yn 2009, ddatganiad cyffredinol ynghylch pam eu bod yn credu nad oes angen cadwraethiaeth llym ar ei bywyd a’i gyrfa. Cyflwynwyd swyddi amser llawn a thîm trefnu proffesiynol, i ymchwilio i’r trefniant a oedd yn rheoli bywyd Spears, gan gadw llygaid ar ei chyfryngau cymdeithasol ar gyfer cliwiau, archwilio dogfennau llys, trefnu digwyddiadau ar-lein a chynnal gwrthdystiadau y tu allan i wrandawiadau llys a chyngherddau i godi ymwybyddiaeth o’r hyn oedd yn digwydd. Effeithiau tymor hir y mudiad Dywedodd Jasmine E Harris, athro cyfraith ym Mhrifysgol Pennsylvania ac arbenigwr mewn ceidwadaeth, fod achos Spears wedi dangos pŵer pwysau cyhoeddus, ac y byddai Spears yn debygol o fod yn sownd yn y trefniant pe na bai wedi cael y cyfle i siarad yn y llys. Tynnodd y mudiad #FreeBritney sylw at fater hawliau anabledd, meddai Harris, gan nodi bod llawer o bobl ag anableddau yn parhau i fod yn gaeth yn y

Britney Spears : Wedi rhyddhau ar ol i bron a 14 mlynedd. Tarddiad: Glenn Francis (via Wikimedia Commons)

trefniadau hyn: “Bydd yn parhau i fod yn anhygoel o anodd i bobl sydd mewn ceidwadaeth i adfer eu gallu cyfreithiol.” Dywedodd fod angen buddsoddi mwy mewn dewisiadau amgen i geidwadaeth sy’n caniatáu i bobl gael cefnogaeth wrth gynnal eu hymreolaeth: “Mae hyn yn effeithio ar bobl ifanc ag anableddau ledled y wlad. Ac felly mae hyn yn haeddu ein sylw parhaus. ” Nid yw ymdrechion y mudiad wedi gorffen gyda Spears. Mae eiriolwyr wedi troi eu sylw at y system geidwadaeth yn ehangach, gan frwydro dros ddiwygio neu ddiweddu’r system warcheidiaeth yn llwyr, gan weithio gyda grwpiau hawliau anabledd yng Nghaliffornia i noddi deddfwriaeth. Beth nesaf i Britney? Bydd y seren yn cychwyn pennod

newydd o’i bywyd, gan gynnwys priodi â’i dyweddi Sam Asghari heb fod angen cymeradwyaeth ei chadwraethwyr. Mae’r anghydfod cyfreithiol gyda’i thad yn debygol o barhau ar ôl i’r geidwadaeth ddod i ben, fodd bynnag. Ym mis Gorffennaf, dywedodd Spears ei bod yn barod i “bwyso cyhuddiadau” yn erbyn ei thad. “Rhaid i mi gael gwared ar fy nhad a’i gyhuddo o gam-drin ceidwadaeth,” meddai. Gall cam-drin cadwraeth gynnwys manteisio’n ariannol neu osod cyfyngiadau personol gormodol ar rywun yn eich gofal. Felly, yn wir, mae’r ymgyrch #FreeBritney wedi rhyddhau Britney Spears o flynyddoedd o geidwadaeth - ac mae hi’n blasu rhyddid yn fwy na dim byd.

Rali: Nid yw Cymru ar werth

Golygydd Taf-od

r ddydd Sadwrn y 13eg o Dachwedd, cynhaliwyd rali ‘Nid yw Cymru ar werth’ ar risiau’r Senedd er mwyn tynnu sylw at yr argyfwng tai sy’n digwydd yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd. Mae’r cynnydd yn niferoedd y tai haf ac ail dai yng Nghymru ac ardaloedd eraill o’r DU wedi achosi pryder i nifer dros hyd a lled y wlad wrth i’r farchnad tai droi’n gystadleuaeth gyflog. Yn sgil y pandemig a’r cynnydd ym mhrisiau tai yn ddiweddar, golyga ei bod hi bron yn amhosib i’r genhedlaeth ifanc neu’r rheiny sydd yn ennill cyflogau is gallu fforddio prynu tŷ yn eu cymunedau genedigol. Yn ôl Stats Cymru Gwynedd yw’r Sir gyda’r nifer fwyaf o ail dai yng

Rhoi blaenoriaeth i bobl leol yn y farchnad; Dod â thai gwag ac ail dai i mewn i ddwylo cyhoeddus.’’

Nghymru (8.15%) gyda Sir Benfro yn ail (6.45%) ac Ynys Môn yn drydydd ar y rhestr (6.11%.) Golyga hyn felly bod 1 o bob 10 tŷ ar draws y tair sir yma yn ail gartref. Dengys ffigyrau bod prisiau 95% o dai ar draws Cymru gyfan yn uwch na lefelau lwfans tai lleol sydd sy’n golygu eu bod yn anfforddiadwy i’r rhai sy’n derbyn credyd cynhwysol. Yr ymgyrchu Cafodd y rali yn y brifddinas ei threfnu gan Gymdeithas yr Iaith – “Cymdeithas o bobl sy’n gweithredu’n ddi-drais dros y Gymraeg a chymunedau Cymru fel rhan o’r chwyldro rhyngwladol dros hawliau a rhyddid.” Bwriad y rali oedd sicrhau gweithredu brys gan Lywodraeth Cymru i daclo’r problemau anghyfiawnder tai sydd yn wynebu pobl Cymru a thrwy hyn sicrhau cartref i bobl y wlad er mwyn i gymunedau Cymraeg allu ffynnu ledled Cymru. Cafodd y gynulleidfa o dros fil o bobl eu hannerch gan Rhys Tudur o’r ymgyrch Hawl i Fyw Adra, Ali Yassine, a Chadeirydd Cymdeithas

Mae’r cynnydd yn niferoedd y tai haf ac ail dai yng Nghymru ac ardaloedd eraill o’r DU wedi achosi pryder.’’

Y Rali: ymgasglwyd trigolion tu allan i’r senedd i brotestio. Tarddiad: Nansi Eccott.

yr Iaith- Mabli Siriol Jones. Roedd yr ymgyrchwyr yn galw am Ddeddf Eiddo fydd, yn ôl Cymdeithas yr Iaith, yn cynnwys: “Rheoli prisiau tai a rhent a newid y diffiniad o dŷ fforddiadwy; Rhoi blaenoriaeth i bobl leol yn y farchnad; Dod â thai gwag ac ail

dai i mewn i ddwylo cyhoeddus; Gosod cap ar nifer yr ail dai a llety gwyliau mewn unrhyw gy -muned; A democrateiddio’r system gynllunio.” Mynychodd Gwion Llwyd, Cadeirydd Plaid Ifanc Caerdydd, y rali gyda’i ffrindiau er mwyn codi

ymwybyddiaeth dros y sefyllfa “annheg” sydd yn eu gwynebu fel pobl ifanc yng Nghymru. Dywedodd Gwion ei fod yn pryderu am y dyfodol “gan fy mod yn ansicr os gaf i’r un cyfleoedd a fy rhieni, a’u rhieni nhw i brynu tŷ, nid yn unig yn fy nghymuned leol, ond yng Nghymru o gwbl.” Yn ôl y myfyriwr “y cam nesaf buasai i Lywodraeth Cymru gyfarfod gydag aelodau o’r mudiad sydd yn cefnogi deddfwriaethau llymach ar ail dai/tai haf, er mwyn cyd-weithio i ddatrys yr argyfwng hwn.” Awgryma Gwion y bydd modd cyflwyno “trethi uwch ar ail dai, neu wahardd tai newydd gael eu defnyddio fel ail dai” er mwyn sicrhau tegwch i bobl leol Cymru.

CHWARAEON

Marchnadoedd Nadolig Caerdydd

Gyda’r wyl yn nesau, cawn gip olwg ar beth sydd gan y ddinas hon ei gynnig. Haris Hussnain Cyfrannydd

leni bydd marchnadoedd Nadolig Caerdydd ar agor yn yr awyr agored. Dyma gyfle gwych i gael hwyl nadoligaidd gyda theulu a ffrindiau. Mae’r farchnadoedd ar agor bob blwyddyn ac maent yn un o nifer o lefydd y mae pobl yn mynd i ddathlu tymor yr ŵyl. Er gwaethaf llawer o ddigwyddiadau, roedd marchnadoedd y Nadolig wedi rhedeg y llynedd ac maent yn parhau i redeg eleni.

Mae’r marchnadoedd wedi bod yn rhedeg ers tua 20 mlynedd.”

Bydd marchnadoedd y Nadolig yn agor ddydd Iau 11 Tachwedd tan ddydd Iau 23 Rhagfyr. Bydd y stondinau wedi’u lleoli ar Stryd John, stryd gweithio, Stryd y Drindod a’r Hayes. Bydd arddangosfeydd newydd a rhai sy’n dychwelyd yn ymddangos ym marchnadoedd y Nadolig. Mae’r marchnadoedd wedi bod yn rhedeg ers tua 20 mlynedd sy’n gwneud siopa’n brofiad unigryw. Y rheswm am hyn yw y gallwch brynu’r eitemau’n uniongyrchol gan y sawl a’u gwnaeth. Mae’r farchnadoedd bob amser wedi cefnogi gweithwyr celf a chrefft Caerdydd. Bob blwyddyn mae dros 200 o fusnesau unigol yn gwerthu eu celf a’u crefftau. Eleni bydd elusennau fel yr Ymddiriedolaeth Coetiroedd a’r a’r Ganolfan yn gwneud ymddangosiad yn cynnig aelodaeth i ymwelwyr. Bydd rhai stondinau yn gwerthu

bwyd fel cacennau Cymreig, teisennod a diodydd fel gwin a siocled poeth. Ynghyd â diodydd eraill wedi’u gwneud â llaw. Bydd eraill yn gwerthu addurniadau Nadolig dosbarth wedi’u gwneud â llaw. Bydd rhai yn gwnïo a bydd rhai yn gwau. I’r rhai sy’n hoff o luniau bydd rhai stondinau yn gwerthu printiau a lluniau o lefydd yng Nghymru tra bydd eraill yn gwerthu lluniau llaw portread. Y rhan orau yw nad oes rhaid i ymwelwyr dalu unrhyw ffioedd mynediad. Ar gyfer aelodau o’r cyhoedd sydd angen mynediad i’r anabl. Mae gan Ganol y ddinas wasanaeth sy’n gallu eich cludo o amgylch yr ardaloedd prysur i’r marchnadoedd. I gael rhagor o wybodaeth am gael gafael ar gymorth anabledd, ffoniwch 029 2039 9355. Bydd marchnadoedd y Nadolig yn yr awyr agored ac mae canl-

lawiau Covid 19 llywodraethau Cymru yn berthnasol a rhaid eu dilyn pan fyddant yn yr awyr agored. Ynghyd a’r arcedau atmosfferig, ceir stodinau wedi’u lleoli ar draws y ddinas - yng ngerddi’r castell, rhai yn ‘winter wonderland’ a’r mwyafrif yng nganol y ddinas. Ydy, mae’n gyfle i wneud ychydig o siopa, ond yn fwy na dim ceir gyfle i gefnogi busnesau annibynnol a lleol wrth arwain i fyny at y Nadolig. Beth am fanteisio ar beth sydd gyda ni ar ein stepen drws? Mynnwch siocled poeth, crepe, a ewch am dro o gwmpas y farchnad er mwyn wir teimlo hwy yr wyl.

Bydd marchnadoedd y Nadolig yn agor ddydd Iau 11 Tachwedd tan ddydd Iau 23 Rhagfyr.’’

Pryd o Daf-od Sara Elan Jones Sara Jones Cyfrannydd

eb os nac oni bai, mae cychwyn bywyd fel myfyriwr am y tro cyntaf bob amser wedi bod yn gam enfawr; yn gymysgedd o gyffro, pryder ac hapusrwydd. Dros y ddwy flynedd ddiwethaf, mae ychwanegu’r sialensau yn sgîl Covid yn sicr wedi ategu at ofidiau llawer o unigolion. Ond er gwaethaf y rheolau, y profion, yr hunanysysu, y golchi dwylo bondigrybwyll, y mygydau, y trwyddedau Covid, y brechiadau a’r dysgu cyfunol, gallaf ddweud heb flewyn ar dafod fy mod wedi mwynhau anturiaethau’r hanner tymor cyntaf ym Mhrifysgol a dinas Caerdydd. Bu wythnos y glas yn un hwyliog ac yn gyfle gwych i wneud ffrindiau newydd o bob cwr o’r wlad a thu hwnt, yn ogystal ag ailgysylltu â hen ffrindiau, wrth gwrs. Yn bendant, mae’r cyfle i ymuno â amryw o gymdeithasu

a chael profi sgiliau newydd e.e. y Gymdeithas Gymraeg, Undeb Myfyrwyr Cymraeg Caerdydd, Aelwyd y Waun Ddyfal, Xpress Radio a Chymdeithas Iolo i enwi ond ychydig, wedi bod yn brofiad gwerthchweil ac yn sicr wedi fy nghynorthwyo i a nifer o fy ffrindiau i deimlo’n gartrefol yng Nghaerdydd ac i gymryd pob cyfle posib sydd ar gael i ni fel myfyrwyr y flwyddyn gyntaf, gyda diolch i fyfyrwyr gweithgar yr ail a’r drydedd flwyddyn sy’n ofalgar iawn ohonom. Yna cael cyfuniad o ddarlithoedd wyneb yn wyneb a rhithiol yn fonws yn dilyn y cyfnod cythryblus a fu. Er fy mod wedi hen gyfarwyddo a chyfarfodydd ‘zoom’ a syllu i’r sgrin erbyn hyn, braf yw cael profi’r wefr o normalrwydd unwaith eto, wedi’r adeg gymhleth a fu. Pa le gwell na Chaerdydd i ddarganfod y ffasiynau diweddaraf gyda’r dewis eang o siopau o bob math yn y Brifddinas yn amrywio o frandiau enwog, i siopau’r stryd fawr, siopau ‘vintage’ a siopau elusen? Ac i fod yn hollol onest,

mae dysgu hunan reolaeth yn wers bwysig pan fod cymaint o demtasiwn o’n cwmpas! Mae prynu dilledyn newydd yn sicr yn codi’r galon a dyw’r rhan fwyaf ohonom ddim yn hoffi gwisgo yr un peth ddwywaith, fodd bynnag, does dim dwywaith na fydd fy nghyfrif banc yn cytuno â mi! Un peth dw i wedi dysgu dros y cyfnod clo heblaw am y ffaith bod ‘pyjamas’ yn dderbyniol i wisgo drwy’r dydd bob dydd, ydyw sut i ailgylchu dillad, a hynny drwy eu gwisgo mewn ffyrdd gwahanol er enghraifft gwisgo ‘bandana’ hefyd fel crys-t. Os oes awr neu ddwy gennych i’w sbario, yna mae’n werth i chi bori yn y siopau elusen oherwydd gallaf eich sicrhau y mae’n debygol iawn y cewch afael mewn bargen! Yn aml iawn, bydd yna ddillad gan gynllunwyr enwog yno ac nid yn unig mae’r dilledyn yn ychwanegu at bwer eich wardrôb ond ar yr un pryd r’ych chi’n cefnogi elusen ac yn helpu’r am-

5. Beth yw dy hoff brofiad? Bod yn fasgot i Gymru ar gyfer gem olaf Shane Williams.

9. Pam dewis Caerdydd? Eisiau byw mewn dinas ac aros yng Nghymru.

2. Beth yw dy hoff ddiddordeb? Rygbi.

6. Prosecco neu champagne? Prosecco.

3. Beth yw dy hoff albwm? Definitely maybe - Oasis.

7. Beth sy’n cadw ti’n effro gyda’r nos? Canlyniadau’r Sgarlets.

10. Beth fyddet ti’n gwneud yn ystod dy noson ddelfrydol? Mynd i wylio gem rygbi a chael oryd o fwyd Indiaidd.

4. Oes hoff ddiod feddwol gyda ti? Staropramen.

8. Disgrifia dy hun mewn 3 gair. Angerddol, balch, anrhefnus.

11. Celebrity crush? Madelyn Cline. 12. Hoff glwb nos? Clwb Ifor Bach.

Barn y Bobl: Perfformiad Cymru yn y Rygbi Aled Biston Cyfrannydd

Pedwaredd flwyddyn Cwrs: Newyddiaduraeth brint weddol yw sut bydden i’n disgrifio gemau Hydref Cymru eleni. Roedd y gêm yn erbyn Seland Newydd yn embaras llwyr, ond roedd adegau positif cyn i Beauden Barrett â’i dîm mynd ati i sgorio’n ddi-ri. Roedd y perfformiad yn erbyn De Affrica llawer gwell a chredaf fod Cymru yn anlwcus i golli’r gêm hynny. Rhaid cyfaddef nad oedd y perfformiad yn erbyn Ffiji o safon dda, yn enwedig wrth ystyried bod ei asgellwr wedi derbyn carden goch fyd. Ond roedd Cymru wedi cymryd mantais o sefyllfaoedd gosod yn dda, ac roedd perfformiadau Ryan Elias, Ellis Jenkins a Louis Rees-Zammit yn dda iawn. Bydd y ddau dîm eisiau cael diweddglo da i ymgyrchoedd lle byddent wedi gobeithio am well.

Sali Wheway Cyfrannydd gylchfyd. Oes angen mwy o annogaeth arnoch? Yn bwysicaf oll, os ydych chi’n berson cymdeithasol sy’n hoff o gerddoriaeth a noson fythgofiadwy fel fi, yma ym mhrifddinas Cymru ceir cyfleoedd di-ri i flasu bwydlen eang o gerddoriaeth Cymraeg, a ble gwell i brofi hyn na Chlwb Ifor Bach? Awyrgylch dda, cerddoriaeth da, cwmni da – gallaf eich sicrhau na chewch chi eich siomi! Felly, er gwaethaf Cofid a’i holl ddiflastod, mae bod yn fyfyrwraig yn y brif-ddinas arbennig hwn wedi codi calon ac wedi rhoi gwên ar wynebau pob un ohonom wrth i ni sylweddoli bod bywyd cyffredin yn dawel ddychwelyd... o’r diwedd!

Bu wythnos y glas yn un hwyliog ac yn gyfle gwych i wneud ffrindiau newydd o bob cwr o’r wlad a thu hwnt.’’

Trafod gyda’r Taf-od Ifan Davies 1. P wy wyt ti a beth wyt ti’n astudio? Ifan Davies - Cymraeg ac Hanes.

13. Hoff lyfr? To Kill A Mockinbird 14. Y wlad neu’r ddinas? Y wlad 15. Pwy fydd yn trafod gyda’r tafod wythnos nesa’? Nel Edwards Clarke

Yr drydedd flwyddyn Cwrs: Cymraeg a Newyddiaduraeth ywedodd prif hyfforddwr Cymru, Wayne Pivac, ei fod yn “falch” ar ôl iddyn nhw guro Awstralia i ddod â’u hymgyrch hydref i ben gyda dwy buddugoliaeth o bedair gêm. Ers olynu Warren Gatland yn 2019, mae Pivac wedi canolbwyntio ar wella cryfder Cymru mewn dyfnder wrth baratoi ar gyfer Cwpan y Byd 2023. Cyfrannodd ei awydd i ddatgelu chwaraewyr ifanc a dibrofiad i’r gem wrth ddechrau ei flwyddyn gyntaf anodd wrth y llyw, lle collodd Cymru saith allan ddeg gêm. Fe wnaethant gipio teitl y Chwe Gwlad ym mis Mawrth ond, ar gyfer yr ymgyrch hydref hon, dychwelodd y pwyslais i ddatblygu ac ehangu’r gronfa dalent sydd ar gael i Pivac. Roedd anafiadau, fodd bynnag, yn golygu bod mwy o arbrofi nag y byddai Pivac hyd yn oed wedi’i hoffi. Yn amlwg, Liam Williams fu’r ymgeisydd sydd yn sefyll allan yn ystod y blynyddoedd diwethaf, tra bod Leigh Halfpenny yn parhau i fod yn ddibynadwy cyn anaf ofnadwy ar ei ganfed cap yr haf hwn. Yn fy marn i, y perfformiwr mwyaf cyson y tymor yw Taine Basham. Ar ôl perfformiad arbennig yn erbyn y Crysau Duon, cefnogodd Basham wibdaith gadarn arall. Nid oedd ei berfformiad yn erbyn De Affrica mor drawiadol â’r wythnos o’r blaen, ond gweithiodd yn galed dros ben. Mae ganddo glec aflan o amseru ei hun ar y bêl yn berffaith, sy’n golygu ei fod yn cyrraedd cyflymder terfynol erbyn i’w gorff daro i gysylltiad. Mae Cymru wedi gwthio’i hun gan frwydro yn ôl, a dwi’n ffyddiog o’r tymor nesaf sydd o’n blaenau. ei gohurio yn dweud y cyfan!

POLITICS

POLITICS Belarus accused of orchestrating migrant crisis at Polish border

After dispute between the EU and Belarus, Belarus has been accused of creating a migrant crisis at its border with Poland George Gourlay Contributor

Tom Kingsbury

Ella Lloyd

Luthien Evans

Manal Ahmed politics@gairrhydd.com

elegates from the European Union and the US have urged the UN Security Council to take action against Belarus for what they believe to be an orchestrated attempt to destabilise the EU border. Lukashenko’s government has been accused of mobilising over 2,000 migrants out of Belarus and into Poland, seemingly in response to earlier sanctions placed on Belarus by the EU. Last week, the EU, alongside other Western delegates, issued a statement to the security council in New York, strongly condemning Belarus for “the orchestrated instrumentalization of human beings whose lives and wellbeing have been put in danger for political purposes by Belarus”. They continued: “It demonstrates how the Lukashenko regime has become a threat to regional stability.” According to the EU, Lukashenko has allowed refugees from the Middle East to fly to Belarus’ capital, Minsk. From there, they have journeyed to the Polish border in a desperate attempt to reach the EU and its protection. The Belarusian state airline, Belavia, has denied any such activity and has ceased allowing citizens of Iraq, Yemen, and Syria onto its flights between Turkey and Belarus, in line with requests from Turkish authorities. Regardless, thousands of migrants, consisting mainly of Kurds from the Middle East, have been put in danger upon arriving at the Polish border. To the backdrop of an ominous looped recording blasting out: “Attention! Attention! Crossing the Polish border is legal only at border crossings”, the migrants have been met by border

guards and the army as they cut through barbed wire fences to enter EU territory. With overnight temperatures dropping to freezing in recent weeks, at least seven have been reported to have died from hypothermia. Polish authorities have issued a state of emergency which has blocked any aid reaching the migrants who are now trapped in refugee camps along the border. Tension between Belarus and the EU was already high following sanctions placed on the Lukashenko regime as a result of his crackdown on protestors in 2020. The country became the subject of international condemnation last year following the Belarusian government’s rejection of the country’s election results which saw the opposition candidate win a majority of the votes. Now, the EU and its allies have alleged that the crisis at the border is a tactic by Lukashenko with whom they charge of having “the objective of destabilising neighbouring countries and the European Union’s external border…”, going on to claim that the president’s trafficking of migrants across the EU border is all in an effort of “diverting attention away from its own increased human rights violations”. Standing in Lukashenko’s defence is Russian President Vladimir Putin. The Kremlin rejected the claims thrown at Belarus though made clear that there was no partnership between Moscow and Minsk in regard to creating a migrant crisis. Russia has, however, been showing its support through staged military practice operations, sending two nuclear-capable strategic bombers into Belarus’ airspace, an unsubtle hint to the EU of the consequences of further actions. However, actions were taken by

Retaliation:: Lukashenko’s government has been accused of intentionally mobilising over 2,000 migrants out of Belarus and into Poland, seemingly in response to earlier sanctions placed on Belarus by the EU. Source: President of Ukraine (via. Wikimedia Commons)

the EU on Monday with the issuing of new sanctions, their fifth set against the country in the last year, despite Lukashenko’s threat to cut off gas deliveries to the bloc. Poland’s hardline response has contradicted the EU’s usual humanitarian rhetoric. The situation has appeared to highlight the challenges of a unified response between

members of opposing values of which Poland has made clear in recent months with talks of its secession from the union. With the EU’s already strained relationship with Poland, it seems that a solution to the current situation is unlikely to emerge for the foreseeable future as neither the EU nor Belarus show any signs of backing down.

Deng Xiaoping, demonstrating the kind historic status that Xi Jinping is looking to attain. Like with the two previous resolutions, it looks to overrule the previous resolutions as a way to cement power. However, with the latest resolution, it looks towards a continuation of action and power, as the trajectory of China’s power and economic and military power has only been rising in the face of modernity, instead of criticising the past resolutions. “By pushing through a historical resolution that puts himself at the centre of the grand narrative of the Party and modern China, Xi is demonstrating his power. But the document is also a tool to help him retain this power,” Qu Qingshan continued. The resolution looks to stamp out critics of the party by focussing on the ‘major achievements and historic experiences’. This will be doesn’t though enshrining Xi as a historic

and major part of modern Chinese political era-defining history, alongside Mao. The newest document will control how authorities teach Chinese modern history both in classrooms and in the media. More powers will be given to police officers, who will be able to use enhanced laws against any who “mock, or even question, the communist causes and its ‘martyrs’”. With this resolution focussing on the future of historic retellings and the continuation of Xi’s successes and national strength being enshrined. The harder times of the party’s history will exist but will not be the prominent message of the history, and instead will focus on the successes. It was passed at the sixth plenary session and was the last major meeting of party leaders before the national conference, which is to be held next year, with Xi Jin Ping being rumoured to be running for an historic third term.

Chinese Communist Party passes ‘historical resolution, cementing Xi Jinping’s power Luthien Evans Political Editor

‘Cemented power’: The resolution cements Xi’s hold on power, as well as his position in Chinese political history, a senior Communist Party official claims. Source: UN Geneva (via. Flickr)

n ‘historic resolution‘ has been passed by the Chinese Communist Party, one of only three of its kind, with the last being passed in 1981. It has been reported that this resolution ‘cements Xi’s hold on power’ by enshrining him as ‘a pivotal historical figure critical to China’s growing wealth and power’. Senior party official Qu Qingshan stated, “Just like the previous two resolutions, [this resolution] will play an important role in helping to unite the theory, will and action of the party - to achieve future progress and in realising the second centenary goal and the great Chinese dream of rejuvenation.” The previous leaders who have passed similar ‘historic resolutions’ are prominent figures within Chinese politics, Mao Zedong and

GWLEIDYDDIAETH

Will the UK Trigger Article 16? Ella Lloyd

Politics Editor

here has been significant speculation that the UK may trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol before the end of November, due to ongoing difficulties in negotiations with the EU. Although Maroš Šefčovič, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator, did welcome a ‘change in tone’ of negotiations after a meeting with the UK’s Brexit minister Lord David Frost on November 12. Triggering Article 16 would mean suspending parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, although it’s not clear which parts yet. The Article was written into the protocol for use in emergencies, and to prevent any unnecessary suffering. The UK believes that the EU is taking too robust an approach to implementing the protocol, and that it is not sustainable in its current form. The EU refutes this claim, pointing out that the protocol isn’t even being enforced in full yet due to extended grace periods, and that the UK agreed to the deal in full knowledge of how it would be implemented. Former government Advisor Dominic Cummings has suggested that the UK always intended to ‘ditch’ parts of the protocol which were disagreeable to them. The Northern Ireland Protocol is a part of the Brexit deal which keeps Northern Ireland in the EU single market, to maintain an unhindered flow of goods to and from the Republic of Ireland. If Northern Ireland were not a part of the single market, a hard border would have to be put on the island of Ireland. Instead, checks between Britain and Northern Ireland have been implemented, known as the Irish Sea Border. Many of the checks are on food and animal products, dubbed the ‘sausage wars’, however they also concern medicine, where the EU has acknowledged a need to change the protocol. The protocol means that Northern Ireland must still follow the EU’s pharmaceutical regulations, but continues to supply much of its medicine from Great Britain, which no longer conforms to these regulations. The complications in supply this creates means many companies may stop supplying Northern Ireland. The extension of Grace periods

Contributor

he husband of the imprisoned Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe has just finished a 3 week hunger strike. Richard Ratcliffe camped outside the Foreign office in protest of his wife’s imprisonment and the imprisonment of other British and Iranian dual nationals. He has been protesting for the government to take action, saying: “I guess I’m looking for some kind of breakthrough”. Nazanin was first imprisoned in 2016 in Tehran on charges of plotting to topple the Iranian government. She has always denied these claims. Whilst Nazanin’s case is the most well known, there are other British-Iranians in the same situation. Despite negotiations for Nazanin’s release the UK has stated

IN OTHER NEWS On Saturday, November 20, the Lebanese army informed the public that they had stopped a boat carrying 91 refugees from departing the country. Security forces raided a ‘tourist resort’ in Beirut, after they were tipped off. Most refugees who depart Lebanon for Europe are Syrian and Palestinian, due to the unsettled situation in their respective states, but the number of Lebanese individuals attempting to make the dangerous crossing have increased since the country’s financial crisis began in 2019.

Relationship issues: The UK may trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol before the end of November, due to ongoing difficulties in negotiations with the EU. Source: Tumisu (via. Pixabay) means this has not come to fruition yet, but it remains a concern. Šefčovič has outlined medicine as a top priority in negotiations, hoping an agreement in this area could act as a ‘blueprint’ for other issues. Unionist Politicians in Northern Ireland are largely opposed to the Irish Sea Border and the protocol, as they believe it symbolically separates Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK, undermining the Good Friday Agreement. Edwin Poots, Northern Ireland’s Agricultural Minister and DUP MLA, has told his officials to begin preparing for Article 16 to be triggered, something he believes is necessary to allow negotiations to continue. By Contrast the Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Sinn Fein’s Michelle O’Neill has asked the UK to ‘remove the threat’ of triggering Article 16, saying it would cause instability. It’s unclear yet in what capacity the UK may trigger the Article. It could mean that checks are suspended for goods travelling from Great Britain

which are only intended for Northern Ireland and not the Republic of Ireland, or more dramatic measures affecting VAT and customs checks. This, in the EU’s view, would effectively create a back door to the single market. If the UK does trigger it, then the EU can be expected to introduce ‘rebalancing’ measures, proportionate to the suspended protocols. Suspending checks on food and animal products entering Northern Ireland may require a response, but some analysts have suggested that further suspensions would “in effect dare the EU to either enforce a border between Ireland and Northern Ireland or between Ireland and the rest of the EU”. There is also the possibility that a trade war ensues, and the collapse of the Brexit deal. This could have significant economic consequences for both parties, exacerbated by economies still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. A UK Government spokesperson

has said that they are still looking to ‘find a consensual way forward’, as talks seemed to make progress this week. However, they also remarked that Article 16 remained a ‘legitimate safeguard’, and said talks would be ‘intensified’. The shadow Northern Ireland Secretary Louise Haigh has opposed triggering Article 16, saying it would ‘prolong’ uncertainty and create ‘poisonous instability’. Former Conservative Prime Minister John Major has said the move would be ‘colossally stupid’ from the UK. Ireland has also made contingency plans in the event that Article 16 is triggered. The Tánaiste (literally ‘Secondary’, Irish Deputy Prime Minister) said on RTE’s News at One programme that he hoped the UK would not trigger Article 16, “The prime minister spoke about wanting Brexit done but this potentially undoes it - I don’t see how it would be good for us, Great Britain or Northern Ireland”.

Husband of imprisoned Nazanin ZaghariRatcliffe holds three week hunger strike Haris Hussnain

that it cannot pay a £400m debt to Iran, which is seen as a precondition to Nazanin’s and other dual nationals’ release, due to bank restrictions caused by international sanctions. On the 19th day of his hunger strike Richard Ratcliffe met with the Middle East Minister, James Cleverly. Ratcliffe commented that “it felt like, you know, perfectly nice, sincere, caring, everyone in the room was caring. But you know we are still stuck in the same status quo. We’re still stuck in the same problems that led us to end up on hunger strike”. Ratcliffe’s meeting followed talks with the Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister, Ali Bagheri Kani, who said “that now what the UK government are bringing up is the limitations on banking interactions, saying it’s a difficulty and finally they cannot do it”. He was pressed on the need for Iran to release all wrong-

fully imprisoned dual nationals including Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Anoosheh Ashoori and Morad Tahbaz. Ali Bagheri Kani has stressed that the debt is not related to Ratcliffe’s release and has also stated that the debt is lower than £500m including the interest added to it. The British Foreign Office hasn’t commented on the reasons why an agreed debt cannot be paid. Ali Bagheri Kani was asked if he had a message for Ratcliffe. He answered: “we have Iranians that are in prison in the UK for more than 20 years. One man’s health is in danger and he is very weak. We work day by day with other countries for the swap of prisoners. This is not very unusual”. With Iran still recovering from the 2018 nuclear deal abandoned by Donald Trump, and the UK’s inability to pay debts it is unclear what the fate of Nazanin and other dual nations will be.

Three weeks: Richard Ratcliffe on day eleven of his three week hunger strike. Source: Garry Knight (via. Flickr)

On November 19, Kamala Harris was briefly given presidential powers as President Biden was placed under anaesthesia for a routine colonoscopy. Following the operation, Biden’s doctor stated he was ‘healthy and able to execute his duties’. Harris was the first woman to be given these presidential powers in US history.

The US and China are holding a virtual summit to address issues such as trade, cyber security and nuclear weapons limitations. The third meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden comes shortly after the two countries made a joint commitment to cooperate on climate issues at COP26, with Xi recently stating that cooperation is “the only right choice”, and the White House acknowledging the need to “responsibly manage the competition between the United States and the PRC”.

MPs have backed Conservative MP Pauline Latham’s Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill, which would raise the legal age for marriage in England and Wales to 18. Under the current law, 16 and 17 year olds may marry with parental consent, with no restrictions on religious and cultural ceremonies below this age. Latham argues the law currently allows children to be pressured into damaging unions.

politics@gairrhydd.com

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Looking for casual work? Here’s just a selection of opportunities currently available through Jobshop! AU Driver

Warehouse Assistants Pay: £8.36 p/hr (U23) / £8.91 p/hr (23+) Days/ hours of post: Various shifts until 01/12 Details & main duties: Working as part of a team in a busy fulfilment centre for an online beauty retailer. The role will include storing and retrieving stock and packing orders for dispatch.

Market Researcher (Welsh Speaker)

Pay: £8.91 p/hr Days/ hours of post: Approx. 15 hours’ p/week Details & main duties: An opportunity has arisen for a Minibus Driver to join the Students’ Union. The successful candidate will provide an effective, professional, and safe minibus service to both students and staff. The main working day is Wednesday with some weekend work as well (Saturday and Sunday).

Pay: £9.50 p/hr Days/ hours of post: Approx. 16 hours’ p/week Details & main duties: Opportunity available for a fluent Welsh speaking student – the role involves making outbound market research calls for various clients, including the public and private sector.

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COMMENT

What does the Simon and Schuster merger mean for publishing? Catarina Pinto Vicente Comment Editor

Vicky Witts

Catarina Pinto Vicente

Katherine Wheeler

it was only recently that Penguin Random House finalized the deal and announced the news of the 2.2 billion dollars deal.”

Megan Evans comment@gairrhydd.com

he publishing industry is heavily monopolized, with five companies – Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Macmillan, Simon and Schuster and Penguin Random House – dominating the market. But with the recent news of the merger of Simon and Schuster and Penguin Random House, this is likely to be reduced to four. What does the increasing monopolization mean for the future of books and publishing? The book industry used to have a big six, but in 2013, Random House and Penguin merged to become Penguin Random House. In more recent years, both Penguin Random House and HarperCollins had both expressed interest in buying Simon and Schuster, but it was only recently that Penguin Random House finalized the deal and announced the news of the 2.2 billion dollars deal. The merger of Simon and Schuster and Penguin Random would create a behemoth, to rival the current biggest bookseller, Amazon, but also to dwarf the other three, as well as all the smaller publishers that would find it more difficult to sell books. This move was highly controversial, inspiring criticism from official figures and the general public, and the US Department of Justice has sued the company, on the grounds that a merger would lead to ‘outsized influence’ on the book publishing

Reading into the merger: There is concern that the merger of two major publishers will reduce diversity, and negatively impact lesser-known authors. Source: Abhi Sharma (via Flickr) industry. If the merger were to go ahead, this move would affect established and emerging authors. A single company would be in control of the works of many wellknown authors, with Stephen King, George Orwell and F Scott Fitzgerald being some of the named few; for less established authors, this might mean “lower advances” and “less competition for author’s manuscripts”, and thus more difficulty earning a living from writing; lessknown authors would be negatively impacted, as acquisition editors might not take as many risks with emerging authors from underrep-

resented communities. This predicted loss of diversity and decrease in quantity of books published has been the cause of criticism from consumers internationally. Ultimately, it would also have an impact on the industry at large: many author groups got together to pen a letter to the Department of Justice protesting the merger, citing the risk of “democratic freedoms of speech” and emphasizing the importance of “anti-monopoly enforcement”. As of now, Penguin Random House alleges that the combination will not reduce competition but has failed to mention other aspects of the criticism. In an already monopolized

predicted loss of diversity and decrease in quantity of books published has been the cause of criticism.” industry, it is no wonder authors and consumers alike are worried about the future of book publishing, if it is left at the hands of a few behemoths of companies. It is left to be seen what will become of this merger, but whatever the case, it is likely that the publishing industry is about to face many changes in the near-future as a consequence.

Young people and climate change

How influential are young people, like Greta Thunberg, in climate change discussions? Robyn Pierce Contributor

uring the COP26 Summit meeting in Glasgow, Greta Thunberg had accused world leaders of conversing “blah, blah, blah”, as she addressed protesters at a climate change rally. The activist, 18, branded the summit as the “greenwash festival” and said countries in the Northern Hemisphere were “still refusing to take drastic action on the climate”. It came after she led thousands of young activists through the streets of Glasgow to demand action on climate change from leaders and politicians at COP26. In a “brutal attack” on the efforts of the world leaders, she claimed they regarded the conference as nothing more

it is clear that many young people are angered by the lack of progress made by the government.”

than a ‘PR event’, making speeches promising action but achieving nothing. Greta has capitalised on all her media exposure through being in collaborations with publications such as the Guardian, to address the immediacy with which we all, as citizens, need to act upon climate change. She also highlights the solutions that will be the most efficient- i.e growing trees and stopping money going to global fossil fuel subsidies instead of natural based solutions. Simpliifying it for the audience further she stated, “PROTECT, RESTORE AND FUND”. Greta is not alone in her protest for a better future for the next generation though. Sara Volz, for example, is a symbol of young people contributing to climate change conversations, as she has discovered an algae-based alternative to fossil fuels. Volz’s investigation, she had claimed, was “different and cheaper”. Her experiment relies on an herbicide that kills algae cells with low levels of an enzyme crucial to making oil. “The idea is, if you introduce this chemical, you kill everything with really low oil pro-

the sheer desperation to enforce change and contribute to a better future for all is evident.”

Speaking for the future: Young people are causing a rise in protests for more climate change action. Source: European Parliament (via Flickr) duction,” she explained. “What you are left with is a population of cells with very high oil production”. Volz is a prime instance of how young people are putting forward their own solutions to major climate change problems. Furthermore, in a YouTube video directed by AFP News Agency, insights

into young activists’ perspectives and emotions drew upon their prior “fear for the future” being utilised to drive action. The video exhibits a girl named Dominique Palmer, just one individual from a selection, who captures the determination of young people across the world for change; “Eco-anxiety for

me is what actually got me involved in climate activism in the first place”. She then goes on to say; “We’re looking at the slow action that is happening and it feels so frustrating and sometimes it can feel quite hopeless until I am back and organizing with my community”. Here, the sheer desperation to enforce change and contribute to a better future for all is evident. As well as her distress, in her eyes, as well as Greta’s, we all need to put in effort to help increase the speed of the currently “slow” movements towards a better future. Therefore, it is clear that many young activists are angered by the lack of progress towards enforcing climate-friendly procedures, efficient conversation, and are taking this anger and demonstrating it in their protests, rallies, speeches and activism.

SYLWADAU

The failings of health and saftey in Hollywood

What does Alec Baldwin and the death of Halyna Hutchins say about the film industry? Vicky Witts

IATSE is just one of many groups of Hollywood workers who have suggested that their 60,000 members will strike.”

Head of Comment

he glitz and glamour considered to be staples of the film and television industry can make becoming an actor or member of a film crew seem hugely desirable. However, behind the scenes, harassment claims, and a lack of safety measures are increasingly being brought to light, which are bringing into question just how well the industry treats its workers. Alec Baldwin is one of the most recent actors affected by errors in Hollywood, when on the 21st of October, while on the set of his upcoming film “Rust”, he fired a prop gun, (believed to be safe), which lead to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. The incident has sparked much debate online about who is to blame, with some accusing Baldwin for firing the gun unnecessarily, while others suggest that the armourers were to blame for providing the loaded weapon. Regardless of who was ‘to blame’ for this tragic event, the situation illuminates problems with the ways that the film industry attempts to protect its workers. This is not the first time that workers have been injured or fatally harmed while filming shows and mov-

the Alec Baldwin 'Rust tragedy is the 43rd fatal incident on a US film set since 1990.”

Hollywood horrors: Many Hollywood veterans have stated that conditions on film sets need to be improved. Source: GPA Photo Archive (via Flickr) ies either, with the Rust tragedy being the 43rd fatal incident on a US film set since 1990. Parallels have been drawn between Hutchins’ death, and the 1993 death of Brandon Lee on the film set of ‘The Crow’, when he was shot using a faulty gun that had an issue with a ‘dummy cartridge’. Not all incidents have been down to faults with props however, such as when stuntwoman Joi “SJ” Harris was killed in a motorbike crash in 2018, on the set for Deadpool 2. What needs to be done differently? As the majority of these tragic incidents were declared as accidental, it may seem that there is not much to be done to prevent these situations from occuring in the future. However, many individuals and members of the indus-

try are calling for changes to be made in law and safety protocol to be reviewed on sets. In response to the incident with Alec Baldwin, Neal Zoromski, a prop master with 30 years of experience in Hollywood, told the Los Angeles Times that there was more of a focus on saving money on the film than there was on enforcing safety protocols, which is one of the reasons why he turned down the chance to work on Rust. Attempts to place blame on individual directors, actors, or prop-workers is not productive in addressing the overall issue- that production companies need to ensure that everyone involved in the film-making process is safe, and that this takes precedence over other matters

that do not risk lives, such as budgeting. Whether this is by enforcing extra checks of props before they are used, or having harsher consequences for companies found endangering their workers, the responsibility of protecting workers’ lives shouldn’t come down to one individual, but the entirety of the film company as a whole. Can we do anything as viewers? With the world of Hollywood seemingly miles away, from our position sat behind television and cinema screens, it feels like, as viewers, we are helpless in protecting the people involved with the production of our media. Hollywood workers' unions have already proposed strikes and protests, if the conditions on movie sets are not improved to be safer for everyone involved. The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) is just one of many groups of Hollywood workers who have suggested that their 60,000 members will strike if conditions do not improve. Although, in terms of logistics, it is not particularly realistic for everyone to stop watching film and TV until conditions improve, some people have taken to writing to production companies, and showing support online for actors who have been injured on set. In short, saftey in Hollywood needs to be improved.

Cardiff University’s ‘Save a Dead Society’ scheme

How skydiving, drum and bass, and more, may be getting a revival in Cardiff Katherine Wheeler Comment Editor

he ‘Save a Society’ campaign is one of the Student Union’s best new schemes. Its goal is to not only make the form-filling and petition-signing process of starting a society easier but also to help societies bounce back after COVID. Under the new scheme, students can revive a ‘dead’ society- one that has shut down in the past three academic years. Gair Rhydd spoke to Chris Grieve, VP of Societies and Volunteering about the scheme and how students can get started with it. ‘We recognise that after COVID a lot of the societies were struggling to get committees and members,’ says Chris, ‘they were just struggling to carry forward into the next academic year.’ It’s an astounding truth, the COVID pandemic has seen more than twice the

It’s an astounding truth, the COVID pandemic has seen more than twice the number of societies than usual shut down .”

number of societies than usual shut down. It seems that online events and unpredictable University timetables have been an absolute killer for smaller societies struggling to find committee members. With students locked down in halls, societies have struggled to keep their members engaged with online only events. ‘Most of the societies we’ve had restart so far have been the coursebased ones… which is really good for academic communities,’ Chris explains, but there are many activity and culture based societies still lying dormant. Amongst those waiting to be revived are Skydiving society, Astronomy society and Drum & Bass society. You can find the full list of dead societies on the Students Union website by searching ‘save a society’. Chris says they’re ‘hoping to update the list soon’ with descriptions and that the scheme is undergoing constant development. With elements of lockdown still in place, it seems as if ‘save a society’ will be running for a long while yet. So, how easy is it to get the ball rolling? ‘All you need to do is email either (Chris) or societies@cardiff.

Taking the leap: A vast range of interesting and unusual societies may be seeing a revival with the new scheme. Source: Paul_Henri (via Pixabay) ac.uk’ and the Societies Team will set you up a website and a bank account. Chris and his team want to make the process as simple as possible, ‘it needs three committee members: a President, a Treasurer and a Secretary’ but unlike setting up a new society, it won’t have to be pre-approved through a submission form. If you’ve got everything sorted with the team,

you can be up and running straight away! With the Society Team’s expansion this year and a now full time VP for Societies and Volunteering, they’ve got even more time to help. If you’re badly missing a society in your life or fancy a new project, get in touch or come and visit Chris and his team on floor 3 of the SU.

Are we doing enough to keep Cardiff as a ‘green’ city? Catarina Pino Vicente

Comment Editor

recent study by the University of Southampton revealed Cardiff to be the third greenest city in the UK. This research matches other sources that have praised the city for its strides to become more environmentally friendly, but the question remains – is Cardiff doing enough? As of yet, the Welsh capital has a great track record. A 2016 study listed Cardiff as the fourth city with most renewable energy – with 16% of its energy coming from renewable sources - and a 2020 study had it among the three most sustainable UK cities (considering recycling rates, methods of travel and tendencies to thrift). The most recent study assessed 25 UK cities, according to different factors such as pollution and recycling, to name Cardiff the third three ‘greenest’ city in the UK. Cardiff ’s residents are similarly dedicated to this cause – the weekend following COP26 saw thousands of climate protesters march from City Hall to the Senedd, demanding serious action at the COP26 Climate Summit. The council has ambitious plans for reducing its impact on the environment. It aims to cut carbon emissions across the city to net-zero by 2030. To do this, the council proposed a plan for more green energy and heating schemes, as well as sustainable homes, a train-tram system and a total discard of singleuse plastics. One of the more recent decisions includes redirecting the wasted heat of the Viridor incinerator to be used efficiently.But some are doubtful that this will be achieved. Huw Thomas, a Councillor from the Labour party, has deemed this a “significant challenge” to tackle, and studies show that Wales and the UK are not expected to cut all their emissions before 2050. The Green Alliance has also stated that the UK government is failing to make sufficient progress in key areas. For now, officials urge the public to work with them to meet these goals, by taking small actions, such as recycling and avoiding car rides, to reduce their impact on the climate. No matter what action the council decide to take, we can take this advice as an opportunity to make our own contributions to making the city greener. This could be as small as recycling, as the council proposes, or something bigger like making moves to stop using singleuse plastics entirely.

a 2016 study listed Cardiff as fourth for the most renewable energy- with 16% of its energy coming from renewable sources.”

ADVICE

A Beginner’s Guide to Reading Classic Literature

A number of helpful tips to help you engage with iconic novels during your studies Ruth Hoey

Advice Editor

T Harriet Lowbridge

Megan Shinner

Ruth Hoey advice@gairrhydd.com

he term ‘Classic literature’ is bound up in the many connotations which it has collected over the centuries. To some people, it is an elitist list of texts designed to be referred to by educated people to make sure that you don’t understand what they’re saying. To others, they are works of incredible literary genius, which to even peep inside the cover would be far too intimidating. To others still, they are cryptic texts, written in a style of writing that is incomprehensible. Nevertheless, more than likely you have wanted to read a classic novel at some stage in your life. Maybe it was to finally understand the references. Or it could just be to see what all the fuss is about. Classic literature offers a wealth of profound social commentary and ground-breaking insight into humanity which transcends time. These novels retain their popularity because of their universal nature and the deep issues which they tackle. It is definitely worth your time to invest in reading a few. Whatever your reasons are, and however many classics you want to tackle, here are some tips to help you along in your exploration. Start simple and build up Reading classic novels is a skill to be developed over time. If you dive straight into Joyce’s Ulysses, you’ll most likely just end up lost and confused. It would be a good idea to start

Classic Literature: As part of your degree, it’s likely that your reading list will include a number of historical texts. Source: jarmoluk (via Pixabay) with simple, easy to read texts and settings will be somewhat familiar build up from there. to you however still decidedly not One way to do this would be to be- those of the present day. JD Salingin with children’s classics. Children’s ger’s The Catcher in the Rye is set in classics offer accessible language (as 1940s dealing with issues of teenage the target audience is children) and angst and societies superficiality. The have simple, easy to follow narra- familiar themes and social issues pretives. It may seem ridiculous at first sent make this an accessible classic to be reading children’s books such for beginners. Other modern classics as Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland examples include F. Scott Fitzgerald’s and The Secret Garden . However, The Great Gatsby, Harper Lee’s To reading these will help to situate you Kill a Mockingbird and Wide Sarwithin the (if somewhat simplified) gasso Sea by Jean Rhys. style of classic literature. After familiarising yourself with Modern classics would be a good the style of the Modern Classics, it’s next step in this approach. Novels time to try some earlier ones. Again, ranging from 1900 to the 1960s are as a general rule, the further back in easier to digest than earlier classics. time you go, the more difficult the This is because writing styles and texts will be to follow. So, work back-

wards. This may be a good time to try some of Austen’s works such as Pride and Prejudice or Emma, or Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. After these begin to get easier to comprehend, you can move further back to works of Shakespeare and then it may be possible to tackle Homer’s The Odyssey or The Iliad. Read what you like Classic literature spans a wide variety of genres. If you know that you like a particular genre, such as Science Fiction or Romance, then find Classics which fit those criteria. You will find that it is much easier to follow the narrative of the novels if you are invested in the plot. One way to do this is find lists of classics which are sorted by category or offer a description of the plot. There are many online resources available for this. Penguin Publishers offers a reader chosen top 100 classics list; the Guardian similarly lists ‘100 best novels’ and TIME Magazine follows suit. Draw up a list of novels which catch your interest from the lists in these articles and give some of them a try. You don’t have to finish them all To finish, this is your own personal journey through Classic Literature. You don’t have to enjoy all of the books that you read. Just because there are other people out there who value a particular text, does not mean it has to hold the same value for you. There is nothing stopping you from leaving a book mid chapter and finding another more suited to your tastes.

The importance of finding new hobbies and keeping old ones Harriet Lowbridge Head of Advice

he majority of people realize there’s a problem and want to do something about it and the job of the government is to make the changes that are needed. To de-stress and take a break The most commonly known benefit of hobbies is that they help you take a break from your tasks and to de-stress. Something which can be a big factor in reducing your risk of depression and dementia. Hobbies allow you to focus your mind on the task in front of you rather than whatever pressures that you may have in your life. De-stressing will have numerous physical benefits, such as lowering your blood pressure and allowing you to sleep better. It will also have many mental benefits, such as reducing your risk of depression, dementia, as well as improving your positivity and outlook on life. A break from reality The world has a lot going on right now. The climate crisis, global pandemics, the constantly increasing cost of living, to name a few. A lot of the time we need a break from our reality and that is okay. You are allowed to escape into a new book, or fun game, or maybe just the experience of getting lost in the woods for a few hours. Reality will be there for you to worry about when you get back. No one can fault you for want-

Hobbies allow you to focus your mind on the task in front of you rather than whatever pressures that you may have in your life.”

ing to escape for a little while. Building-up useful career skills Hobbies that use a physical action can improve skills such as your hand-eye coordination and patience. Such as crochet and juggling, both skills which require you to focus on what your hands are doing and will take a while to accomplish. While hobbies such as painting and writing will improve your attention to details, creativity, and self-discipline. Social hobbies such as board games and role-playing games can improve your teamwork skills and time management skills. Consider the factors you may want to improve on in your life and have a look to see what hobbies may help you make them stronger. Creating a space for ‘active downtime’ Oftentimes we lose ourselves in passive downtime such as watching television or endlessly scrolling through social media. Hobbies create space for you to take an active role in your time off, often creating something for you to appreciate at the end or simply developing a deeper sense of accomplishment within yourself. This again can have a positive influence on your self-esteem and productivity in other areas of your life as you are less likely to feel like you have wasted your days and nights off. Avoiding bad habits that breed out of boredom Many people will find themselves turning to binge eating, alcohol, and recreational drugs, among other things, to stave off bored. Taking up hobbies help to take up the time you could spend doing those things and provide you with a distraction from them. Whilst also taking up a different portion of your disposable

Hobbies: There are a number of positive benefits that you can gain from regularly taking part in hobbies and other recreational activities in your day-to-day life. Source: Ylanite (via Pixabay) income. If you want to spend twenty pounds on new hobby supplies, you are not as likely to spend that on things such as alcohol or junk food. Increasing your confidence Give yourself something new to talk about. Hobbies inherently give you more to talk about, as well as creating skills that other people will find desirable. An example of this is learning to play an instrument or sing. You now have a talent to feel good about as well as impress your friends and loved ones. Helping you to socialise Many hobbies are inherently social activities. If you struggle with

socialising or simply want to make new friends in your life, taking up a new hobby will bring countless new people into your life. Whether they are people you meet weekly to work together or simply just new shop workers that can help you into your hobby. Providing you with an extra source of income Many hobbies that you could pick up produce a physical result with enough practise. Baking, knitting, painting, sculpting and numerous others create food, art, and crafts for you to sell once you have finished. You can sell your knowledge as a tu-

tor of your hobby. Alternately you could perform and busk all as ways to bring in a little more money. Getting you out of your comfort zone New hobbies will also force you to come out of your comfort zone. Pushing yourself into new experiences is a great way to build up your self-esteem and confidence as you begin to understand that you can take on anything with enough time and practise. Whether new or old, hobbies are a great way to keep your mind and body healthy while creating a new you to present to the world.

CYNGOR

Keeping yourself motivated through Neurodiversity

Musings with Megan Advice Column

Alexandra Austin Contributor

Social Media Addiction: Whilst social media and our phones are a great tool to connect with others, it’s also important to recognise how this distracting and potentially addictive device can impact your everyday life. Source: Foundry (via Pixabay)

The perils of so-called ‘social media addiction’ The importance of balancing the digital world with the real world

Megan Shinner Advice Editor

ocial media for most of us is a prominent part of our everyday lives. A quick scroll through Facebook once you wake up, editing an Instagram post on the commute to lectures and responding to Snapchats whilst cooking your dinner. We may not realise it, but all these little things add up, and we end up spending a lot of time on our screens. Particularly with the pandemic, lots of people have dedicated a lot of their free time to endlessly scrolling through all sorts of content because we couldn’t engage with live sports, theatre, and so on. As I stated, we use social media quite regularly; you may be wondering I’m raising this as an issue. It’s not the actual act of using social media that’s the problem, it is the how and why we are using it. Smart Insights estimates that the average social media usage was nearly 2.5 hours per day. That’s 17.5 hours each week and very nearly 3 whole days per month that we give to social media. This is just your social media apps, let alone all of your phone calls, texts, emails, google searches, music streaming services, online shopping – the list goes on! When you think about it, 3 whole days is a decent bit of time. Can you believe that on average we spend over a month of our year scrolling through tweets or posts? I couldn’t quite believe this when I worked it out. I couldn’t tell you how I’d managed to spend a month of this year just watching TikToks, but I could

Smart Insights estimates that the average social media usage was nearly 2.5 hours per day.”

tell you many other things I would have liked to have done with that time. Social media, before I talk of reduced engagement with the online world, is also used for lots of good and practical things. Lost your Student ID at Juice? Someone will probably find it and share it on a Facebook group. What to spread awareness about a certain topic? There are loads of advocacy accounts on Instagram which you can engage with. Whether you’re looking for something from raising money for charity to sharing your successes, or even to simply engage with content to lift your mood; social media is a very good place to start! However, there is a fine line between positively engaging in content and just filling a void. Are we using social media and technology too much? Are we using it for the right reasons? When is it a good time to re-evaluate our relationship with the online world. Digital Balance Within our relationships, we must set boundaries between ourselves and others so that the relationship can develop naturally, healthily, and can coincide with each other’s personal needs. Finding a digital balance is the boundary between the real and virtual worlds. I’m not really one to talk as I’ve definitely checked my phone a handful of times whilst writing this! One thing I changed on my phone in the past 6 months was my push notifications. I just turned them all off. I found then that if I wanted to check social media, I was now doing this on my own accord. I had a bad habit of every time my phone pinged, I had to check it, regardless of what I was doing. Social media took over and left me feeling overwhelmed around assessments as I couldn’t dedicate a select time to something. My brain was rushing back and forward between several things at once,

and I lost all sense of priority and importance. I now also have time limits on apps. I set half an hour a day on my social media. If I go over, I get warned and there is a countdown to how much time I have left or am borrowing. This allows me to be conscious and realise the time I am either investing or wasting. The next step I took was deactivating my accounts. I only ever used my Twitter account to pass time when I was very bored. This was generally at 2am or when I was procrastinating something. I’d rather channel my boredom into something that I actually wanted to do or if I was going to procrastinate my assignment, procrastinate well by being productive in another way. Mindful Usage Regardless of how much you use or don’t use social media, it’s what you are looking at that counts. The content that we dedicate hours to is what determines whether our relationship is toxic or not. Some themed accounts I love are the ones that are spreading positivity, exam tips, book quotes, psychology, photography, music, and mental health awareness. We are often drawn to certain things as they may be relatable, there is a common interest, the content is particularly thought-provoking, or you just consider the things you are reading or seeing as mentally nourishing and is a good spending of your time. This is an example of mindful usage. When we are using social media, as long as the content is adding to our happiness and is not stealing too much of our time, it can be considered healthy. However, on the flip side of things, what isn’t too good for us? Sometimes negative content can creep up through a page or hashtag that we follow. Sometimes it only takes one comment to dampen our mood. Make sure to filter your content to avoid this from hap-

Remember your boundaries and remember what you feel is a good use of your time.” pening. Also, sometimes the accounts I enjoy engaging with can become an obsession after a while. The hours I’d spent reading quotes from books; I would have much rather actually read a book and found my own meaningful quote. The time I would have spent scrolling through beautiful pictures of different cities; I would have much rather spent my time exploring a new place and taking my own pictures. We are so invested in others’ lives that we forget to live our own. We must control this daily task to ensure it stays a task and doesn’t develop into an addiction. Just like you may take a break from studying, fitness, rehearsals - sometimes you need to take a break from social media. One of the frustrating things I find with social media is this unspoken obligation that you may or may not feel to get social media. We lived in a world without it before, so it isn’t imperative to your world now. Always remember - whatever is going on in the world will still be there when you log back on. At the end of the day, social media apps are literally designed to entice us, therefore being quite difficult to quit them. If you can’t bring yourself to deactivate your Instagram or Twitter account – that’s okay. It’s not that you have to do this; finding your boundary and sticking to it is what’s important here. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever been given regarding my technology usage; your devices should be a slave to you, not you a slave to them. Remember your boundaries and remember what you feel is a good use of your time.

he irony of writing a piece on motivation is not lost on me. Many people can find it difficult to keep themselves motivated. With 30 – 40% of the population falling within the neurodiverse umbrella, according to ADHD aware, there are many that need a little bit of extra help to keep motivated. The rise in cases of neurodiversity has seen many benefits in creating a world that is more user friendly to those of us that struggle. However, with more access to tools, apps, and easy to use methods, finding what works for you can be a ‘mind’ field. Across the board of advice for success the reoccurring idea is to work with your weaknesses as well as your strengths. If your attention span works against you, take advantage of timers with the Pomodoro Technique. Developed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 80’s the method has five steps. 1) Decide on your task, 2) Set the timer for 25 minutes (or more) and start working. 3) When the timer goes off, stop and take a break. 4) Repeat. 5) After 4 sets take a longer break. You can recreate this at home by simply setting a timer on your phone and sticking to the alarms. If, however, you have a limited attention span and feel yourself reaching for your phone, then there are some great apps that work by locking your phone or offering targets or rewards for sticking to your task. The Forest app is where a tree grows during your set timer and on completion is added to your own ‘forest’ but if you use your phone during the timer the tree ‘dies’ and you have to start again. If you have set interests, lean into them. Most people have areas of interest and disinterest, and for some this makes motivation all the harder, think watching your favourite film versus watching paint dry, you are obviously going to do one and avoid the other. Laurie Dupar suggests finding a way to make tasks interesting and exciting for you when you have no desire to complete it. For example, if you need to write an essay on bridges, get yourself motivated by researching a fact interesting to you, lets say the bridges featured in films, trick your mind into doing the research necessary for your essay. If you need the pressure of an impending deadline just to get started, why not try a reward system? Bargain with yourself. If there is something you want, agree to treat yourself to it once a big task or module is completed, or even once you get a certain grade. You could even set smaller rewards for smaller tasks if you find small goals more manageable. Joselyn Jelinek says that by rewarding completed tasks ‘you’re more likely to complete the task in the future.’ Stimming? Take advantage of the rise of the fidget toy and its easy availability. Many consumers are snapping up these toys due to a growing popularity through social media reels and an appeal to a younger audience. There is no shame in jumping on the trend when their original intention was to aid focus to those that are neurodiverse. Lastly, there are many helpful websites out there that are specific to your brand of neurodivergence, alongside more generalised sites for a wider range of advice to help you through studies and support you. There is also support in place within the University through the Disability and Dyslexia Service for you to make the most of.

REVIEW Marvel’s Loki - a series that “leaves much to be desired”

REVIEW

Iris Knapman gives her take on Marvel’s recent spinoff series featuring the God of Mischief Iris Knapman Review Editor

L Iris Knapman

Jess Clifford-Jones review@gairrhydd.com

In My Skin - “an instant comingof age hit” Matt Jones Ruiz Contributor

his instant coming-of-age hit written by Kayleigh Llewellyn was first brought to our screens in 2018. Now it has come back three years later and regaled its viewers with a second season. Based on Llewellyn’s own experiences growing up, In My Skin tells the story of 16-year-old Bethan (Gabrielle Creevy) and her life in a problematic ardiffian household. While Bethan’s mother (Jo Hartley) has bi-polar, her father (Rhodri Meilir) is an idle and unpleasant man who spends his days having too much to drink. This situation has teenage Bethan constantly juggling the burdens of her life at home with the hurdles she faces at school. As she navigates her first crushes, burgeoning love interests and her attraction to girls, Bethan finds herself lying about her family and her private life, even to her very best friends Lydia (Poppy Lee Friar) and Travis (James Wilbraham), in a bid to avoid what she deems would be profoundly shameful in the eyes of her peers. The deeply problematic qualities of her real life at home are plastered over with a convincing façade of lies — outings to the ballet with her loving other and conservatories being renovated in the house become some of the convenient cover-ups masking the tempestuous and troublesome realities of family life and of taking care of her mother. Through some amazing writing and spectacular acting (particularly on the part of Port Talbot’s very own Bafta winner Gabrielle Creevy), In My Skin manages to come across as both beautiful and gritty. It is dark and also comical at times. Much like Bethan’s life itself, it is a tale of complexity and of balance, where opposites meet to form a touching account of some very real struggles. In short, this tender autobiographical tale reminds us how fragile and delicate life can be while also managing to shine a light of hope at times when all seems lost and broken beyond repair.

oki is one of the many Marvel shows Disney+ has put out this year. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a long period of time without any Marvel Cinematic Universe content, something that felt unusual after years of non-stop releases. However, it became clear with the release of streaming service Disney+ that they intended to make up for lost time. The show follows villain turned antihero Loki (Tom Hiddleston), based off the trickster god Loki of Norse myth, as he discovers the Time Variance Authority, an organisation that tries to maintain one true timeline by policing and eradicating ‘variants’, things and people that cause changes to the timeline. Loki is first arrested by the TVA, before beginning an uneasy alliance with them, specifically Mobius (Owen Wilson). If this sounds confusing, then you’d be right, but it’s part of its kooky charm; rather than demand you keep up, the audience experiences that confusion with Loki. The actors do a phenomenal job at bringing the characters to life. Hiddleston, as always, shines as Loki, in

The show’s six-episode structure doesn’t allow for their relationship to be developed in any way, so it instead came off as random and rushed.”

Loki: This spin off series features Tom Hiddleston as Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief. Source: Gage Skidmore (via Flickr) turns funny and tragic, flawed but easy to root for. Despite being a secondary character, Tara Strong is wildly charming as Miss Minutes, the Southern cartoon clock serving as the TVA’s mascot. Owen Wilson was an unexpected casting choice but nonetheless an absolute joy to watch as the mild-mannered but reckless bureaucrat Mobius, and his chemistry with Hiddleston was one of highlights of the show for me. Sophia Di Martino plays Sylvie, a fierce and dangerous female version of Loki from an alternate timeline, whose banter and fight scenes I thoroughly

enjoyed but whose forced romance with the titular character I did not. The show’s six-episode structure doesn’t allow for their relationship to be developed in any way, so it instead came off as random and rushed. In a similar vein, the characters themselves, while likeable and entertaining, aren’t able to receive any substantial development due to the short span of the season; as I mentioned before, the problem is interesting concepts with poor execution. While the characters and concepts of ‘Loki’ are engaging and have potential, this potential remains unfulfilled due to

the short duration of the show and the slow pacing. Cinematographically the show is gorgeous. Because time-travel is a big focus of the show, there’s a lot of different, interesting settings, such as Pompeii or a cyberpunk future, and every one of them is aesthetically and conceptually fun. But again, the show’s structure and pacing mean that these fascinating and gorgeous settings aren’t given time to shine, rendering them pretty window dressing to an already shallow story. The plot also leaves much to be desired. There’s not much driving the story forward, so instead we follow the characters bouncing from place to place, arguing with each other and fighting enemies, but with no real stakes. The pacing and the structure are lacklustre, with no real consistent antagonist or threat; it feels like things just happen for no reason and I spent the entire show waiting for the plot to actually start. The pacing issues and disappointing plot is only highlighted by how short the show is, to the point where I wondered why they hadn’t made a movie instead. ‘Loki’ is a quirky and fun delight, but its high points – its characters, acting, and cinematography – for me doesn’t make up for its minimal plot, poor pacing, and lack of tension. In many ways, it felt as though the show served as an introduction and set up of future shows and movies, rather than a fleshed out show that can stand on its own. I hope that it’s confirmed second season has more substance and can fulfil the potential that ‘Loki’ has displayed.

Glass Animals Dreamland Tour - “a sensational show”

Emily Bryant takes a look at this recent performance as the band kick off their 2021 tour Emily Bryant Copy Editor

hile Glass Animals did not come to Cardiff this year, myself and my friends were able to get tickets to their show in the O2 Academy in Birmingham. Originally set to be in May, the pandemic led to the show being postponed for six months. Now, over a year and two COVID vaccines later, we were finally able to go to our longanticipated event. The show was opened by Irish singer and rapper, Biig Piig. Personally, I hadn’t heard of Biig Piig before attending this show and had no idea what to expect from her performance. Surprisingly, I was completely blown away. Offering a more alternative approach to her soft-spoken vocals, Biig Piig provided a gentle, fun energy that matched perfectly with the crowd. Her music, in a mixture of English and Spanish, had a combination of softness and base that created a dynamic pace to her performance with changing energy levels. Her engagement with the crowd was consistent and heart-warming, showing an appreciation of the crowd and her fellow bandmates. All of this, combined with multiple saxophone solos (curtesy of band member Daniel, pictured above) allowed Biig Piig to provide a strong, exciting performance that built up immaculately to the entrance of Glass

Offering a more alternative approach to her soft-spoken vocals, Biig Piig provided a gentle, fun energy that matched perfectly with the crowd.”

Glass Animals Dreamland Tour 2021: The band kicks off the England stretch of their new tour with a sensational show in Birmingham. Source: DeShaun Craddock (via Flickr) Animals. Following this entertaining opening, the long-awaited headliners made their way onstage. Kicking off their show with the powerful Life Itself, Glass Animals started as they meant to go on with an intense, highenergy performance. Lead singer Dave made complete use of their pool-shaped set to sing, dance and interact with the audience at every given opportunity. The ninety-minute set was packed with fan favourites and vibrant enthusiasm; each song built on the excitement of crowd and the band alike, highlighting everyone’s enjoyment of the concert environment after the

pandemic. Playing a plethora of tracks from across their three albums (as well as their new single), Glass Animals explored their discography to engage with listeners across their fanbase. Each member gave their performances everything they had from beginning to end, only taking a short break before coming back out for their encore of popular songs Tokyo Drifting and Heat Waves. Combine these with Dave’s almost album-worthy vocals provided us with an energetic show that was worth every second of the wait. Overall, this collection of performers gave an exciting, stand-out show, that briefly allowed respite from dayto-day life. Biig Piig and Glass Animals

As we slowly return to a semblance of normality, perhaps more performers will choose to take the approach these musicians did.” offered a chance to escape back to how things were, while still being mindful of crowd safety and enjoyment. As we slowly return to a semblance of normality, perhaps more performers will choose to take the approach these musicians did. Regardless, for a (almost) post-COVID show, I was reminded of concerts before the pandemic and thoroughly enjoyed my experience.

Palaye Royale

LISTINGS FOR ALL UPCOMING SHOWS IN Y PLAS & GREAT HALL

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SOLD OUT / WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN The Xmas Xtravaganze: 'Shantay you sleigh' 10/12/2021 Tickets starting from: £35.00 (+SBF)

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Stone Broken

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February/Chwefror Belle & Sebastian

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Knocked Loose | Terror

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10/03/2022

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March/Mawrth

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Pale Waves

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SOLD OUT / WEDI GWERTHU ALLAN Jake Bugg

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SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Earth’s Continents emerged earlier than first thought

SCIENCE

Continents may have emerged 700 million years earlier than previously estimated Aditi Girish Kallan Contributor

A Mia Becker-Hansen

Elie Gould

lthough it has been widely debated, geologists largely believed that the creation of continents began about 2.5 billion years ago due to the interactions of tectonic plates, a process known as plate tectonics. A recent study of ancient rocks in continental fragments of India, Australia and South Africa has revealed that the oldest known pieces of the continents began to form nearly 3.3 to 3.2 billion years ago, soon after Earth itself formed, and 700 million years earlier than what most models predict. The new findings reveal more about how the Earth’s earliest continents – or cratons – emerged from the primitive ocean that covered the earth. The research team, which includes Priyadarshi Chowdhury from Monash University in Aus-

The new findings reveal more about how the Earth’s earliest continents – or cratons – emerged from the primitive ocean that covered the earth.”

It was found instead that the emergence of Singhbhum Craton from the ocean was influenced by the thickening of volcanic magma under the ocean.” tralia, assessed igneous and sedimentary records of the Indian Singhbhum Craton from 3.6 billion to 2.8 billion years ago with a particular focus to the zircon grains in the Singhbhum sandstones. In their analysis, they found that these grains were deposited around 3 billion years ago, which not only makes them some of the oldest beach deposits in the world but also implies that the Singhbhum Craton in eastern India first rose above the ocean around 3.3 billion to 3.2 billion years ago, much earlier than previous estimates of 2.5 billion years ago. The scientists noted that sedimentary rocks of about this age are also present in the Pilbara and Yilgarn cratons of Australia and the Kaapvaal Craton of South Africa indicating that continental landmasses may have emerged during this period not just in India but around the globe. Jacob Mulder, the co-author of the recent study, explained that

Jemma Powell

Theodore Tadros science@gairrhydd.com

The geology of The Earth’s continents: Source: Majaranda (via Pixabay)

New Research: A new study has suggested that the Earth’s continents may have emerged much earlier than first thought by scientists and geolo“because oceans are so large, it may take tens or even hundreds of millions of years for their chemistry to change enough on a global scale to be recorded by the geochemical signatures preserved in the rocks studied by geologists.” “For example, Earth’s largest iron ore deposits formed in the shallow seas surrounding newly emergent continental crust. Our study will help towards developing the next generation of models for understanding the formation and location of metallic ore deposits that underpin modern society.” Though it had been theorized that continental material built up along the boundaries of tectonic plates during the subduction of the oceanic crust and magma under the earth’s primitive ocean, this study found that these plate tectonics were not essential to the rise of the earliest continent from the ocean. It was found instead that the

emergence of Singhbhum Craton from the ocean was influenced by the thickening of volcanic magma under the ocean. This magma which was buoyant due to its silica-rich composition floated on top of Earth’s mantle. The emergence of this continental crust not only contributed to the emergence of early life on land but also contributed to the weathering and nutrient runoff into the ocean which helped early photosynthetic life flourish that ultimately created the oxygen rich atmosphere we currently live in.

The emergence of this continental crust not only contributed to the emergence of early life on land but also contributed to the weathering and nutrient runoff into the ocean.”

Are psychedelics on the forefront of modern medicine?

Will the use of psychotropic compounds become a new form of treatment for a mental health disorders? Theo Tadros

Science Editor

sychotropic drugs will most likely give you images of the counterculture movement in the 1960s and underground raves in the 1990s, but research conducted since has started to show that psychedelics could be used in the field of therapy under controlled circumstances to treat things like PTSD, depression, or even a smoking addiction. The so-called ‘war on drugs’: a term first coined in the early 70s, has pushed the rhetoric that there is no medical value to any drugs; and this idea has slowed the potential medical benefits that these could provide under the appropriate settings. However, last month,

psychedelics could be used in the field of therapy under controlled circumstances to treat things like PTSD, depression, or even a smoking addiction.”

for the first time since the ‘war on drugs’ was introduced, the US federal government has issued a grant for research into Psycobilin, the primary ingredient in ‘magic mushrooms’, in order to treat tobacco addiction. This isn’t the first time that psychedelics have been used to treat major depressive disorders, certain states in the US have permission to treat veterans with PTSD with MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy, carefully monitored under the supervision of a therapist; with groundbreaking improvements in their condition. Imperial College London found in their research that two-thirds of their patients with treatment resistant depression were in remission within a week of treatment with Psycobilin. It’s an incredibly taboo subject, as these often highly illegal substances can provide us with some of the most profound understandings of the mechanics behind the human mind; making research using these drugs highly controversial and something that has been met with much concern from both

Certain psychotropic compounds allow people to tap into these memories and reflect on them with a positive outlook induced from the drugs.”

Psychedelics: The future use of psychotropic componds is an increasing debate in the UK and elsewhere. Source: Matryx (via Pixabay)

the general public as well as certain health officials. One of the main root causes of things like depression and PTSD, is thought to be suppressed memories, which act constantly on the subconscious and lead to the general feelings of anxiety.

Certain psychotropic compounds allow people to tap into these memories and reflect on them with a positive outlook induced from the drugs; which in turn can lead to long term improvements in their condition. Even outside of the medical

field, there has been a massive cultural shift in the West, with increasing usage of psychedelics to induce religious experience as well as creating a more grounded outlook on life. The Police frontman and pop-icon Sting said that his only true religious experience came from psychedelics, saying “For me, the meaning of the universe cracked open.” These anecdotes should be taken with a pinch of salt, especially given the fact that nearly all of these are illegal in the UK and carry prison sentences for both possession and distribution; but with governments allowing more leniency into controlled research into these compounds, it will be interesting to see how they begin to make an impact in the medical field.

GWYDDONIAETH A THECHNOLEG

How genome sequencing save the NHS millions

New research has raised the possibility of using so-called WGS to detect rare diseases Anna Thomas Contributor

new report has found that an increased use of whole genome sequencing has the potential not only to save lives but also millions of pounds for the NHS. The first completed sequence of the human genome was finished in 2003 after 13 years and £2 billion pounds was invested into the venture. Since then, the technology is so improved that we can sequence an entire genome in under a day for less than £1000. This colossal advancement has facilitated the sequencing of vast numbers of individuals’ genomes,

This colossal advancement has facilitated the sequencing of vast numbers of individuals’ genomes.”

enabling researchers to investigate myriad genetic conditions. In 2012, the 100,000 genomes project was announced and marked the beginning of a 5 year venture to sequence the genomes of NHS patients affected by rare diseases or cancers. Following this, the NHS became the first national healthcare system in the world to offer WGS (whole genomic sequencing) to people with undiagnosed rare diseases and cancer as a routine aspect of care. Whilst individually, rare diseases are infrequently seen in the population, when combined 1 in 17 people will be affected by a rare disease at some point in their lives. Of these, 8 out of 10 have a genetic cause meaning WGS may be instrumental in our understanding of their aetiologies and discovering potential treatments. In a recent report published in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers analysed the out-

comes for 4660 patients from the early stages of the 100,000 genomes project. This investigation found that following their participation, 25% of participants got a new diagnosis. This figure was even higher amongst certain groups such as intellectual, visual or hearing disabilities where the diagnostic yield was 40-55%. Diagnosis increases the likelihood of providing effective treatment which not only improves patient quality of life but also benefits the healthcare system. One 10 year old girl who received a curative bone marrow transplant following her genomic diagnosis provides a case in point. Prior to her diagnosis, her hospital admissions, visits and treatments cost the NHS £356,571, the need for which were all negated following her transplant which equated to £70,000. Furthermore, genomic sequenc-

The NHS plans to widen access to sequencing with a goal of 500,000 genomes being completed by 2023/24.” ing can be used to confirm that relatives of an effected individual are not carriers of the same condition. This acts to both appease patient concerns and also mitigate the need for precautionary check-ups which financially burden the NHS Of course, a diagnostic rate of only 25% is a far cry from perfect. However, the results from the 100,000 genomes project illustrates the huge potential WGS has to rewrite the way genetic diseases are approached by healthcare practitioners going forward. The NHS plans to widen access to sequencing with a goal of 500,000 genomes being completed by 2023/24.

The impact of the ‘rolling method’ on NES Tetris A new method, so-called ‘rolling’, has shaken up the competitive Tetris scene Elie Gould

Technology Editor

espite being around for almost 35 years, competitive NES Tetris has only had two viable playstyles. However, 2020 brought us the first update to this in over a decade with the invention of rolling. Instead of getting too carried with this new playstyle let’s go back over the traditional two ways for clarity. Firstly, the most mainstream technique for competitive NES tetris comes in the form of Delayed Auto Shift or DAS. DAS is the simple technique of holding down the D button. Once pressed the command fires once, then after a short delay the action carries on firing until the button is no longer pressed. The second playstyle is the infamous hypertapping. Now, this technique was much rarer than DAS due to its difficulty. Through holding the controller differently and vibrating your fingers on the buttons, hypertappers can avoid the small command delay that DAS users experience. Therefore gaining an advantage in their speed of shifting and placing the blocks. This being said, tapping the D pad 12 times per second is no mean feat. Meaning that until 2017 DAS players dominated the competitive scene. However, 2018 saw hypertappers come into their own. Since then this style has

Once pressed the command fires once, then after a short delay the action carries on firing until the button is no longer pressed.”

NES Tetris: The recent invention of the so-called ‘rolling method’ has created an entirely new way for Tetris professionals to compete against each other. Source: gerlos (via Flickr)

won almost every single tournament out there. The most recent world championship saw all eight competitors using this playstyle. One of these formidable players was Cheez or CheeZ_fish on Twitch. This same hypertapper was the first person to practice and use the new technique of rolling in NES Tetris. Being inspired by Hector Fly Rodriguez, who specialised in arcade cabinet games, rolling emerged out of his style which was to roll both hands over the arcade buttons. This technique proved to be much faster than any attempt to hit a button repeatedly with one hand. Obviously you can’t roll your hands across a NES controller, it’s too small. Coupled with the fact that

holding the controller in different ways is uncomfortable for long periods of time, many thought this style to be incompatible with NES Tetris. Instead Cheez began to roll his fingers on the bottom of the controller into his thumb which is held over the D pad. Therefore, effectively creating the back of the controller into a giant button to roll. This gave Cheez the ability to button press consistently over 20 times per second. A far cry from hypertappings 12. The first big breakthrough in this technique came on December 14th 2020, when Cheez uploaded the first ever completion of 195. Renowned for being the hardest mode in NES tetris since 1989.

[The ‘rolling method’] gave Cheez the ability to button press consistently over 20 times per second.” If you want to have a look at Cheez and rolling in action I suggest you go watch WPL classic Tetris opening #5. This was the first time someone had ever scored 4 Tetris’s past level 29, and the first 1.3 million score. This new technique is not only an exciting new feature in the world of NES Tetris but gives all the DAS players out there some hope to maybe one day be faster than the hypertappers.

Word of the week: Psychedelics

• ‘Psychedelics’ refers to a class of psychoactive drugs which change a person’s perception, mood and cognitive functions. • As set out by Anti-Drug Legislation in the UK, the use of psychedelics is illegal and carries harsh penalities. • Following recent research into the mental health benefits of psychoactive drugs, however, a number of scientists and medical professionals have supported the use of these substances in the treatment of some patients.

NASA’s return to the Moon faces another year of delays Mia Becker-Hansen

Head of Science and Technology

he first NASA mission to put humans on the Moon since 1972 has been pushed back by one year to 2025. The ‘Artemis’ lunar mission was previously aimed for running in 2024, hoping to send the first ever woman and the 13th man to the lunar surface. The delays are due to numerous reasons, including funding and a lawsuit over the landing vehicle. A US federal judge recently upheld a decision by NASA to award the contract to build a lunar landing vehicle (the Artemis Human Landing System) for this mission to Elon Musk’s company SpaceX. Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and his rocket company, Blue Origin, contested the decision, saying the contract was supposed to have been awarded to more than one bidder. As of last week, a federal court has now ruled against Blue Origin. This delayed SpaceX’s development with NASA of the lunar landing module by seven months. In announcing the delay to the moon landing, NASA administrator Bill Nelson said Congress had not provided enough money to develop a landing system, and even this problem alone made the 2024 date untenable. “The human landing system is a crucial part of our work to get the first woman and the first person of colour to the lunar surface, and we are getting geared up to go,” Nelson told reporters, “NASA is committed to help restore America’s standing in the world.”. It was also made note that China’s rapidly developing and ambitious space program could overtake the US in lunar exploration. The space agency also is requesting a bigger budget for its Orion capsules, from $6.7bn to $9.3bn, citing delays during the coronavirus pandemic and storm damage to Nasa’s Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans, the main manufacturing site for two of their modules. The first mission under the Artemis programme is due to fly in February next year, an unmanned flight test around the Moon lasting three weeks. The second Artemis mission involves sending astronauts onboard the Orion spacecraft, which will orbit the Moon and go farther into space than any humans have travelled before. The third Artemis mission will then be the lunar landing mission, set to land at the lunar south pole, which is thought to hold vast stores of water-ice in craters that never see sunlight. The ice in these craters have the potential to be used to make rocket fuel on the Moon, which would in turn bring down the cost of lunar exploration, as fuel would therefore not need to be brought from Earth.

The first mission under the Artemis programme is due to fly in February next year, an unmanned flight test around the Moon lasting three weeks.”

CHWARAEON 20

Wales beat Fiji 38 - 23 in Autumn Internationals Tom Hawkins Sport Editor

his weekend marked the third week of rugby’s Autumn Internationals, where Wales faced a Fijian side looking to reinvent themselves and prove their durability against larger nations. The match proved entertaining for all and was a tight contest until late in the game. Eventually Wales were able to make the most of a fourteen man Fiji side who had a man sent off earlier in the game to seal the victory 38 – 24. However, it was the Fijians who got off to the better start, striking with their first attack as skipper Waisea Nayacalevu sprinted over the line after a slick move to score the first try of the game in the fourth minute. Ben Volavola converted this and a penalty shortly after giving Fiji a 10 – 0 lead. The home side struck back in the eleventh when Wales brought the ball down from a lineout and formed a maul, allowing hooker Ryan Elias

[on Louis Rees] It’s great to have him in your side when he can do those sorts of things.” Wayne Pivac, Wales Head Coach

Rugby: Wales and Fiji have fierce competitors for a number of years. Source: jeanfrancois beausejour (via Wikimedia Commons)

to successfully get over the line from the powerful drive. A returning Dan Biggar then converted. It was at this point in the game when a lack of discipline from Fiji winger Eroni Sau meant he saw red. The number eleven had already made a tackle on Johnny Williams but a secondary hit with a swinging arm to the head of the Welshman gave referee Nic Berry very little option. To make matters worse for Fiji Albert Tuisue was then sin binned for a technical infringement. Wales capitalised on the two extra man advantage as scrum half Kieran Hardy deceived the Fiji backline from a scrum to put Wales ahead going in to half time.

Fiji showed resilience in the second half taking a penalty quickly with a kick and go, sprinting past and dodging a few tackles from on rushing Welsh players. Nayacalevu found himself clear of the Welsh defence on the far side of the pitch and sprinted over the line for his second try of the game. Wales were able to use the same tactic as in the first half, driving a maul over the line with the extra men from a line out to also get Ryan Elias his second of the game as well. This brought the score to 19 – 23 to Fiji. Wales, now with momentum on their side, launched an attack which saw Alex Cuthbert score a try on his return to the Wales side for the first

time in four years. The try meant Wales took the lead thirteen minutes until the end of play. But the best try of the match was from a superb individual bit of play from 20 year old Louis Rees – Zammit who kicked the ball into space from the wing, in behind the Fijian fullback before blitzing him for pace, winning the 60 metre sprint despite a significant head start for the Fijians and getting on the end of his own kick just before the ball ran out of play, leaving the principality in awe. “That’s what he can do, you can’t coach that,” said Wales Head Coach Wayne Pivac after the game, “It’s great to have him in your side when he can do those sorts of things.” Minutes later, Liam Williams then ran clear of the Fiji defence after the eighty minutes were up to seal the victory for the Welsh. Wales had lost their two previous games of the tournament, arguably facing the two toughest teams in the first in the world ranked New Zealand and the second rank in the world South Africa, so were in need of a positive result. Wales did benefit from players returning to the side who had been absent from the New Zealand game due to the match being outside the international window. Fiji put in a good performance but it was a lack of discipline that really separated the two sides.

New Zealand halt England’s run at WT20 Anurag Hegde Head of Sport

England were heading into the game on the back of 4 victories from their 5 group-stage games.”

Anurag Hegde

Tom Hawkins

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ngland’s near faultless run at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup came to a bitter end after they were bested in the 1st semi-final by New Zealand. England were heading into the game on the back of 4 victories from their 5 group-stage games and were considered favorites to at least make it to the final. Ahead of the game, England were dealt a blow after in-form opener Jason Roy was ruled out after suffering a tear to his left calf muscle. His replacement, Jonny Bairstow, who was playing his first game of the tournament, did not fare well and England got off to a sluggish start after being asked to bat first. However, middle-order batters Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali convened at the crease and steadied the ship for England. The duo shared a crucial 63-run stand for the 3rd wicket and brought their team back on track. While Malan worked the ball around and looked to consolidate England’s position, Ali scored at a brisk pace and ensured that England did not fall too far behind the ante. A few lusty blows from the bats of Moeen Ali and Liam Living-

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Morikawa claims victory The USA’s Collin Morikawa takes the DP World Tour Championship Source: Quique (via Pixabay.com)

Cricket: New Zealand halted England’s runs to claim victory. Source: Booking.com (via Wikimedia Commons)

stone saw England post a respectable 166/4 on the board from their 20 overs. Ali was England’s top scorer with an unbeaten 51 from just 37 deliveries and his innings was studded with 3 boundaries and 2 sixes. With the ball in hand, England seized the momentum early. Chris Woakes dismissed Kiwi opener Martin Guptill in the very first over and he came back to get rid of New Zealand’s skipper Kane Williamson in the third over of the game. However, a gutsy 82-run partnership between Darryl Mitchell

and Devon Conway steered New Zealand back on track and it had looked like they had all but sealed the game before Conway was dismissed in the 14th over. It seemed as though England had pulled things back after sneaking in a couple of quiet overs whilst also managing to dismiss Glenn Phillips. Unfortunately though, an expensive 23-run over from Chris Jordan shifted the momentum back in New Zealand’s favour and this time, Darryl Mitchell ensured that he took his team all the way home. Mitchell was adjudged the Play-

The Kiwis eventually went on to lose the final to arch-rivals Australia.” er of the Match for his outstanding 72 not-out from just 42 deliveries as New Zealand won comfortably by 5-wickets with an over to spare. The Kiwis eventually went on to lose the final to arch-rivals Australia, who lifted the coveted trophy for the first time on the back of some heroics from all-rounder Mitchell Marsh.

Crawford defends title Terence Crawford defended his WBO welterweight title against Porter Source: Jean Beaufort (via Public Domain Pictures)

New Women’s HalfMarathon Record Letesenbet Gidey sets new women’s half-marathon world record at 62 Source: Darwinek (via Wikimedia Commons)

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