Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – The decision by Dundee City Council to close the Kemback Street Adult Resource Centre is a watershed moment for the SNP administration.
In May this year the Dundee electorate gave the Nationalists a vote of confidence with a majority due to their, correctly, perceived competence in minority power.
Removing and reducing facilities available for the most vulnerable citizens in our communities displays ignorance to expert opinion and a complete failure by elected councillors to robustly challenge the proposals by social work managers.
Councillor Ken Lynn has defended the decision to shut Kemback Street with an argument for the ”personalisation of care”. He provides no evidence as to the benefits of this much-maligned style of care provision and he states that ”it’s not about cost”. Well, Councillor Lynn, it is about cost.
What cost does Councillor Lynn and his SNP colleagues place on the emotional impact their dreadful decision will have on the centre’s clients, carers and employees?
What cost do the 16 councillors place on the friendships and relationships lost due to their decision?
What cost do the SNP group place on the loss of services provided to our vulnerable communities?
The final cost should come at the ballot box when the electorate ensure these councillors are held to account.
Jim Malone.20 Hebrides Drive,Dundee.
Climate change fuelling Sandy
Sir, – The ferocity of Hurricane Sandy is directly linked to climate change. Man-made global warming has increased the temperature of sea surface around the world. This in turn leads to Hurricane Sandy having more energy to suck up so it in turn becomes more ferocious.
There is also a blocking pattern which is shoving Sandy back on shore. A blocking pattern is essentially when the jet stream gets kinked. The current kink is pushing Sandy back on shore where most hurricanes would keep veering out to sea.
A recent analysis showed that blocking patterns like this are more likely thanks to a warming Arctic. As Arctic sea ice keeps melting to new record lows, the darker water absorbs more heat, which it later releases to the atmosphere. The effect of all this is a weaker jet stream more prone to kinking.
A scientific study that uses accurate tide measurements since 1923 removes any doubt that hurricanes are stronger in warmer years. (The number of warm years has steadily increased over the past century and especially in the past decade).
For every increase of 1 degree Fahrenheit US hurricanes will likely get 2% stronger (ie they are already 5% stronger than two centuries ago). In hurricanes, a 5% increase in ferocity matters.
Those who talk about solar energy being ”more expensive” than coal or natural gas are not figuring in the expensiveness of climate change. In many markets, wind and solar are already competitive and if the damage hydrocarbons are doing to our economy were taken into account, they’d be the only game in town.
Alan Hinnrichs.2 Gillespie Terrace,Dundee.
A weekend of drunkenness
Sir, – The freshers’ foam fight in St Salvator’s Quad is a recent departure from St Andrews University’s ”traditional Raisin Monday celebration”.
In past centuries, a bejant/bejantine gave his/her senior man/woman a pound of raisins (or a bottle of wine) and in return was given a receipt in Latin.
Raisin Monday has in fact morphed into a weekend of the spectacular drunkenness one normally associates with the sun, sea and sex of Club Med.
The principal refuses to accept she has any duty of care for the undergraduate teenagers who were so recently school pupils.
However, it would be helpful if on occasion she emerged from her self-impose purdah and observed how this prolonged binge brings the university into disrepute.
Dr John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
A successful campaign
Sir, – I write on behalf of the pressure group Parent Voice. Throughout the last year, we campaigned to prevent the previous Fife Council administration proceeding with its ill-conceived plan to refurbish and extend the existing Kilrymont buildings as a single-site Madras College.
The Courier has been good enough to publish many of the letters submitted by Parent Voice members and we would like to thank you publicly for the high profile and balanced coverage given to the issue.
Fife Council recently conducted two meetings with representatives of the parent councils of Madras College and its many feeder primaries.
During those meetings the councillors clearly stated that the Kilrymont site would not be considered as an option for the new school and that other sites are being actively considered for a new-build school that will avoid any requirement for decant and temporary teaching accommodation.
As this outcome fulfils Parent Voice’s objective, the group will now be wound up.
On behalf of Parent Voice, I would like to thank the many members of the community who supported our campaign and in doing so, were instrumental in overturning the imposed views of the previous administration.
Mrs Lisa Williams.82 Crosshill Terrace,Wormit.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.