Wednesday, 24 December 2014

Eating right can help to counteract exposure

First published Friday 14 November 2014 in Letters

We all know that smoking tobacco and exposure to other pollutants such as diesel, benzene or PCB’s can cause cancer. However, there are also foods we can eat that help to counteract the risk.
Scientific evidence has established that cruciferous vegetables contain vital cancer-fighting components that offer powerful protection against carcinogens.
These compounds are found in the vegetables broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, brussels sprouts and kale. Eating these foods daily, steamed, supports the body’s natural detoxification process.
Broccoli, cauliflower, and other cruciferous vegetables uniquely contain health-promoting phytonutrients that help prevent the onset and halt the progression of colon, breast, prostate, thyroid, cervical, and many other cancers.
Finally, the pigment chlorophyll, found in all green veg, binds tightly to carcinogens found in burnt or barbecued meat and tobacco smoke.
SUSAN THOMAS
Magdalen Road
Oxford

It looks like we have dodged a bullet here

First published Monday 27 October 2014 in Letters

I was pleased to learn that Oxfordshire is to be an exclusion buffer zone that prohibits fracking permanently.
It seems that there are some definite advantages in having our own prime minister living right on our doorstep in this very wealthy county.
Oxfordshire has some very wealthy citizens living in very expensive houses.
A recent study into fracking showed that the value of a home or farm near to a drilling operation would be halved or worse.
Today’s letters

Seek to solve, rather than criticise councillor

Police should act on the boulders in road issue

Temple Cowley Pools and Gym is an asset

This road crossing panto has really been a joke

City centre car parking charges aren’t going up

The answer is for people to start showing that we have the power

Does this mean the club will not be using venue?

I would like to thank official for her honesty

This finding was quickly redacted or hidden in the report by civil servants, who were keen to avoid panic.
However, I have no doubt that this economic finding would have been observed and acted upon by our locally residing prime minster.
Prime Minister David Cameron would not have wished to upset the local apple cart too much.
Thus we serendipitously find ourselves in an exclusion zone.
Regarding the environmental concerns, shale gas is a low carbon energy source and we do need more gas.
However, the concomitant infrastucture associated with fracking is not so clean.
Diesel burning lorries will be needed and they will pollute the air with dirty carcinogenic emissions.
In theory there is no risk to our water aquifers.
In practice, water tables will be polluted if the sides of the well wall leaks.
This has happened in America and tap water could be set on fire.
So it looks like we have dodged an environmental bullet here thanks to the wealthy property found in Oxfordshire.
Susan Thomas, Magdalen Road, Oxford

Friday, 17 October 2014

A big thank you

10:00am Thursday 5th April 2012

I AM writing to say a big thank you to our local Pcso, Helen Duffield.
Community police officers like Helen work exceedingly hard and often do not get the recognition they deserve.
Whenever there is a problem in East Oxford, Helen is always available to resolve the matter amicably.
She has helped residents in Magdalen Road with an ongoing problem of antisocial and drunken behaviour by a regular cohort of middle-aged men who like to loiter and drink in the area.
Sometimes these people shout very unkind comments at Pcsos as they do their duty. This is completely unacceptable as they work extremely hard, walking miles every day.
Helen Duffield always has a lovely smile and is a real credit to her profession in every way.
So on behalf of local residents I would like to say a big thank you to Helen.
SUSAN THOMAS Magdalen Road Oxford

Back

Not enough power

First published Thursday 9 October 2014 in OXFORD TIMES

Sir – Recently there was yet another annoying power cut in Magdalen Road that affected a few homes and businesses.

Sadly some of the local small businesses, including the popular cafe Oxfork, had to throw away food as the fridge had no power.

During the previous power cuts I was assured that it was just a technical fault that would soon be fixed.

It looks increasingly likely that these power cuts are a direct result of our flawed energy policy to close down fully operational power stations such as Didcot.

We have lost a huge amount of generational capacity as a result of this decision. We should ideally have 25 per cent spare capacity but we are now down to just four per cent which is not enough to cope with peak demand.

It is not the case that Didcot Power Station was past its sell-by date, as is the case with our ageing nuclear reactors. Didcot had recently undergone expensive improvements to its chimney stacks to give clean air emissions.

Consumers are being encouraged to curtail energy use which is a good thing.

However there are plans to build a lot of new homes in Oxford. These homes will all require electricity and therefore the situation may become critical.

Susan Thomas, Oxford

Friday, 10 October 2014

High cost of shale gas

First published Friday 20 June 2014 in Letters

Sir – A while ago I wrote that shale gas may be better than nuclear energy as it is low in carbon and nil in plutonium. Indeed all of the main parties and even UKIP now say that we should embrace low-carbon shale gas to avert climate change.

However, I have since been conducting a great deal of my own personal research into the mining of shale gas and I now feel that my letter was very wrong and regret sending it. The extraction of shale gas will use harmful chemicals that will irreparably pollute our water table.

This in turn will destroy all of our thriving brewery businesses which require a lot of clean fresh water to brew tasty real ales.

The costs of cleaning the water will be enormous and our fine breweries may go bust. This fact alone will not make shale worth our while.

We only have four years of shale gas reserves in the UK also. It is worth noting that Shell and BP do not wish to get involved with shale.

The reason is that these business giants are aware that the costs involved in cleaning up the water supply will outweigh the gas profits.

Shale mining uses benzene which is proven to cause leukaemia. Therefore I find myself backing the Green Party here as they are the only party opposing shale gas. Susan Thomas, Oxford

High cost of shale gas

First published Friday 20 June 2014 in Letters

Exam results are more important than this

First published Thursday 2 October 2014 in Letters

AS A parent of a Cheney pupil I am more interested in the educational achievements of the school.
Instead of reading about school uniform infractions, I would prefer to know how well the school has done in its recent examinations.
I am even beginning to wonder if this uniform debacle serves as a convenient distraction from the Summer exam results?
Surely the school must realise that is has succeeded in making itself a laughing stock with all the publicity of ‘Miss Sexy’ trousers?
I hope the school rectifies this soon with some pleasing educational information instead of sartorial scandals.
Susan Thomas, Magdalen Road, Oxford
Today’s letters