She hopes Wales will become a high recycling country by 2025 with aims to reach a Zero Waste country by 2050.
There’ll be targets for local authorities to recycle and compost, with financial penalties if these targets are not met.
One in nine homes in Wales is at risk of flooding from rivers and the sea.
Whilst the Environment Agency announced plans to extend its flood warning system in Wales last week, we spoke to one man who is calling on Cardiff Council to do more to stop flooding in his area.
37-year old Anthony Cornick’s garden was damaged when Whitchurch Brook, which backs on to the house at Heol Waun Y Nant, broke its banks two weeks ago.
Flood water washed away land at the bottom of Mr Cornick’s garden, dislodging his fence and leaving a seven-foot drop.
Mr Cornick said: “I’m worried about my three children. They enjoy playing in the garden, in the Spring and Summer.
But obviously, I don’t allow them to play in the garden at the moment, with the condition it’s in.
“What I want to see is some action. I want to see the land put back, and see someone take responsibility for the land that was there. But I don’t seem to be getting any response from the local authority.”
Flood defence projects
Cardiff Council has told Mr Cornick that he must repair the damages himself.
A Cardiff Council spokesman said: “Council officers are eager to re-open lines of communication with Mr Cornick in order to work towards a satisfactory conclusion to this issue.
“The council is attempting to find out exactly who is responsible for the piece of land in question, but while this is in progress, we must stress it is Mr Cornick’s responsibility to secure his own ground and fence.”
The council will spend will spend £451,000 on the brook as part of a European scheme supporting eight flood and coastal defence projects in the local area.
Flood Warnings
From March, the number of properties who automatically receive free flood warnings will increase from 47,000 to 90,000.
Eligible homes and businesses will be notified by post, a phone call to their landline or a text to a mobile phone.
Alan Proctor, Flood Risk Manager at Environment Agency Wales said: “Last November’s devastating events in Cockermouth remind us that the dangers of flooding and how being prepared is crucial.”
“We urge everyone to check whether their property is at risk and taking steps to prepare, such as looking at ways to make properties more resistant to floods.”
We’ve all been there. Decisively walked into a room looking for something and almost instantly forgotten why or what you were in there for.
Or you’re having a chat and mid-flow suddenly lose your trail of thought and forget a specific word you want to use to describe something. It can be very frustrating.
But can you imagine living with constant memory loss and confusion? Or hitting a blank void every time you try to conjure someones name, an everyday object or place?
Figures from the Alzheimer Research Trust revealed this week that 820 thousand people suffer from Dementia in the UK, 37,000 in Wales alone.
I spoke with scientists at Cardiff University who say in order find a cure, remedy or learn more about this disease, more funding is needed for research.
The Welsh Assembly Government say they are committed to supporting dementia care but this does not necessarily mean more funding for research.
Alzheimer Research Trust predict Alzheimer’s sufferers in Britain will double by 2050.
Rebecca Wood, head of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said the true economic impact of dementia “has been ignored for too long.”
Dementia now costs the UK economy twice as much as cancer but gets a fraction of the funding.
On a more personal note, 25 million people, or 42% of the UK population, are affected by dementia through knowing a close friend or family member with the condition.
The hum of Scooters darting in and out of bumper to bumper traffic;
Street market stalls buckling with fresh fruit and seasonal veg and the aroma of zesty orange peel trodden into the road long after sellers have packed up and moved on.
Froth-topped frappes, sipped slowly in smoke filled cafes.
The zing of ouzo as it crawls down and thwacks the back of your throat.
The mouth watering smell of souvlaki drifting out of taverna’s;
People squeezed in shoulder to shoulder to savour plates brimming with tasty mezes;
Spicy cheese, bread dipped in olive oil, melt in your mouth meats and gooey honey and walnut baklava.
The clink of glasses amidst chaotic cheers of ‘Yamas’.
A slap on the back, two air kisses and a frantic whirl around the dance floor with your new best friends.
Shadows dancing around the ancient Acropolis as clouds drift slowly across the December full moon.
Can you think of a famous Bulgarian? No, neither could we. In fact we couldn’t think of much that Bulgaria is famous for as we drove up through Greece to reach the mountain resort of Bansko for our Christmas holiday. So as we emerged into the old communist town, we didn’t really know what to expect.
We stayed in friendly hotel run by a British man and his Bulgarian wife, ‘The Avalon’. Hospitality was tiptop, showers were hot and there was a sauna in the basement. Brilliant. But aside from our hostess, Vanya, the Bulgarians we met weren’t the warmest of people. In fact it became our mission to see how many we could make smile. To add to our cultural and language barriers, we soon discovered that they nod for no and shake their heads from side to side for yes – most confusing!
A selection of Bulgarian dishes
Food was very hit and miss. Think clear soup with a few bits of floating chicken…and dry meat on skewers. The milk had that UHT / gone off kind of taste, and the bread was rock hard. So, we were very grateful for a curry night in the hotel and an Irish Bar for our Xmas Roast! On the positive side – Bulgarian wine was lovely!
Bulgaria certainly has the potential to become a popular European destination. For a start, everything was half price – if you want to ski on a budget, 
Bansko is the place to go. However, it seems like they have not escaped the current economic difficulties, which became apparent as we passed hundreds of unfinished and empty apartments surrounding the slopes. All the shops had half empty shelves and Bulgarian women stood on street corners every morning illegally selling fresh milk in old plastic Coke and Fanta bottles.
Bulgaria undoubtedly has a long way to go in terms of development, (and tastier food).
Bulgarian Band playing in local Mekhana
But it did hold a certain charm; a raw and unpretentious beauty whose people, although a little serious, are ultimately unscathed by material greed and hold strong family bonds.
It made me think; has technology and modernity driven a divide between family unity? Would a more basic way of living or a blander food make us less greedy and materialistic? Think about it; we have adverts for Sky promoting the opportunity to watch a different programme in every room of the house. This essentially divides a family rather than uniting it.
Yet, adverts promoting junk food suggest a family unity.
It seems a bit of an oxymoron to me?
As we drove back to warmer climates, my dad had a brainwave – ‘Oh, I know a famous Bulgarian – Dimitar Berbatov!’
Who? ‘He’s a footballer who was much more famous last year when he played for Tottenham!’…
‘Oh and there’s Great Uncle Bulgaria from the Wombles!’ – my mum added.
As a journalist, you are the window between the picture and the viewer. You have the privilege of experiencing and witnessing a whole manner of events in order to convey the facts or the story to your audience.
Towards the end of term I had to put together a 4 minute radio feature. I decided to focus on alcohol-related crime in Cardiff after university researchers and South Wales Police received the Queen’s Anniversary Award. The Violence Prevention Group, founded by Professor Jonathan Shepherd, promotes a collaborated effort and information sharing scheme between the police, the NHS, Street Pastors and Cardiff licensees. Research shows that the amount of drunken crime in the city has fallen by 40% since 2002 so I wanted to find out how the group worked.
Trading in my heels and party dress for a woolly hat, wellies and about 4 layers of Michelin man padding – I joined Friday night revellers in the centre of Cardiff on the other side of the fence…the sober side!
I met up with the voluntary Street Pastors to follow them on their patrol from 10pm until 4am. The Pastors have been operating every Friday and Saturday night for just over a year now and the difference they make is incredible. 
Throughout my night with them, we reunited girls lost from their friends, helped people into taxi’s, gave flip flops to girls who had taken off their shoes, gave water to those who needed sobering up, gave a blanket to someone who was shivering in the cold and generally helped those that felt vulnerable, lost or too drunk. T
he Pastors were kind, helpful and friendly. They never preached or acted righteously, they were simply kind and eager to help those in need. I was humbled by their dedication and generosity and many were very grateful for their presence.
On Saturday night, yet again my heels remained in my wardrobe as I donned my Michelin man outfit and waterproofs for a night out with the Police. Arriving at the police station, I piled on more layers as I was presented with a stab proof jacket and a florescent coat! I spent the first 3 hours of the After Dark Patrol on the plod. I saw police break up petty fights, liaise with doorstaff, move on static traffic and stamp their presence clearly in the minds of revellers entering clubs.
From midnight until 5am I clambered into the immediate response van with two other officers. We darted around the city, pinging from fight to fight, making arrest upon arrest. I have to admit it was pretty exciting – flashing lights, sirens, dodging red lights!
However, it was also a shocking insight to a very chaotic and alcohol fuelled city. I witnessed about 20 arrests that night, saw 3 people admitted to hospital unable to even stand and one woman had blood gushing out of her head after another lady had hammered her heel into her during a fight.
Despite the chaos surrounding them, I was thoroughly impressed at the absolute professionalism of the police I accompanied. They did not have one break and they worked tirelessly to ensure the streets remained a safer place for those enjoying a night out.
Many thanks to those I interviewed and spoke to along the way, who enabled me to put my feature together. Enjoy.
In light of events surrounding the Copenhagen Climate Summit, there’s a growing public awareness of the threats posed by climate change.
So is this translating into effective action in Cardiff?
The city has been making a concerted effort to reduce CO² emissions and combat climate change through a project aptly named ‘sustainable Cardiff’. Selected as Wales’ first “sustainable travel city” by the Assembly Government, a £28.5 million scheme aims to reduce congestion and pollution and promote public transport.
Part of the money has already been invested into providing free cycle hire, bus travel around the city centre, and improved bike and walking routes. The money has also given a final go ahead for the Pont-y-Werin (translation: Bridge for the people) pedestrian and cycle bridge across the Ely river between Cardiff’s sports village and Penarth.
On your bike
Transport, particularly private cars are widely acknowledged as one of the biggest contributors to carbon emissions. Scientists say the need to change the way we travel is becoming ever more pressing.
Cardiff Council have introduced a ‘keep cardiff moving’ travel plan that aims to cut car journeys and encourage the public to use buses, cycle, walk, or share car journeys at the very least.
In terms of total impact on climate change, driving is thought to release around six times more CO² emissions than flying and seven times more than ships and boats. Cars alone create nearly half of our total transport emissions.
Changing perceptions
Lee Waters, Director of sustainable travel charity, Sustrans Cymru says achieving a sustainable travel plan in Cardiff will only be successful if people change their perceptions.
“People need to be shown that there are alternatives rather than using a car all the time. We need to encourage people to use their cars less and choose to travel in ways that benefit their health and the environment’.
Listen below to Lee Waters, Director of Sustrans Cymru on ‘False Perceptions’…
“We need to break down this car culture and realise that it’s quicker and healthier to get around the city on a bike or walk.”
Critical Mass is a peaceful gathering that wishes to see less car-dominated cities and more people cycling. On the first Saturday of every month, bikers depart from the steps of the Cardiff Museum at 11am and cycle en-masse around the city centre to raise awareness of cyclists in Cardiff.
‘Cardiff Cycling Campaign’ join the event every month – they are an organisation that promote cycling and are bidding for improved cycle routes and a cleaner transport environment.
Cardiff Council claim “Cardiff is becoming an increasingly cycle-friendly city with 80km of cycle routes”. However, Cardiff Cycling Campaign argue ‘some of these cycle routes are no more than lines on the map, with nothing but blue “cycling permitted” signs to show that bikes are allowed on the road.’ They are currently campaigning for cycling access through the new St Davids 2 development, the A470, the Cogan Spur, and the Western Cycling Corridor.
On Your Bike – Free Ride Scheme (OYBIKE)
Cardiff residents and visitors who register with the Cardiff Bike Scheme can hire a bike from bike stations in 10 locations in Cardiff city centre and Cardiff Bay.
Users have to register online and pay an £18 annual fee or £5 a week to use the bikes, which are free for the first 30 minutes and have a small charge after that. Delme Bowen, Councillor for Traffic and Transportation says the new OYBIKE scheme which started in September has so far successfully seen a monthly increase in usage within Cardiff.
Have a listen below:
I thought I would have a go at Cardiff’s new Bike scheme. Watch the video below to view my experience.
There’s mixed opinion in Cardiff. Some people think it’s a great idea whilst others need a little more convincing…
Lee Waters says ‘the OYBike scheme in Cardiff is still only on a very modest scale compared with similar programmes in Copenhagen or Paris. In Cardiff, there are only about 70 bikes and 9 drop off points. However he also points out that thirty years ago Copenhagen had the same level of cycling that Cardiff has today. Now, over a third of all commuting journeys in the Danish capital are by bike.
Let’s hope Cardiff has the potential to achieve the same.
How often have you popped into Tesco’s and been seduced by ‘buy 1 get 1 free offers?’ Or eaten at a restaurant purely because theres a 2 for 1 meal deal on? Or justified countless purchases because something was in the sale and just too good an offer to walk away from?
Everyone loves a good deal. We like a bargain and we love getting things for free if we can.
On the other hand, no one likes to be ripped off. We don’t like things to be overpriced and we hate to pay for things which are ordinarily free.
‘It’s just not natural’. This is the reason why Robert Andrew suggests paying for online news will not prove popular. As UK Editor of Paid Content, Robert’s job is to engage with, monitor and write about digital media news. But even he, whose career is ironically built online, questions whether publishers should charge for online news.
Extensive research over this debate suggests that most people would not pay for online news.
“Only 5% of readers would pay for online News”
Also KPMG found that 60% of people would rather sift through adverts than pay a charge to view articles.
In a previous blog I discussed Murdoch’s plans to defy the wishes of the masses and charge for online content as of next year. Whilst most people are irritated at his presumable greed to apprehend further wealth, Robert Andrew offers an alternative theory…
Perhaps Murdoch’s intentions are in fact to dissuade an online audience? Perhaps he believes that charging for online content will encourage more people to buy hard copies of his publications again? I for one would certainly make more of an effort to buy a paper if I couldn’t access news for free online.
If publishers want to charge their readers for online content, then they have to remember who their audience are. They are people who want a good deal. If we are paying for online news then we want to be offered something unique that can’t be found on other news websites. We like discounts and we love getting things for free.
PCUK Harris Poll - Paid Content Response to free/discount paper offering
Robert Andrew suggests we need a ‘new model’, so journalists earn money for their articles and we as viewers aren’t forced to pay for what we have so far enjoyed for free. Can such a model exist? Only time, improved advertisement rates and recovery from the recession will tell? It will certainly be interesting to see how Murdoch’s strategy plays out next year.
PS – If you are interested in brilliant deals – check out ex-Cardiff Journalism student, Martin Lewis’ website
“Are you profoundly concerned about climate change? No? Wow – you really should be!” These were the words of Mark Brayne, a reporter turned psychotherapist who believes issues surrounding climate change will be dominating news stories over the next 10 years. A dribble of hands punched the air in agreement and I’m ashamed to say that mine didn’t join the minority.
Why? Well – along with the majority of people in the room, I guess I can’t really comprehend how catastrophic climate change/global warming will really be. It’s not a tangible thing that affects me or has any immediate impact on my life. Naive, ignorant, careless you may think? Yes, maybe. Probably definitely!
But I’m not alone by a long way. See Cardiff school of psychology – where a report shows most people believe climate change will not affect them.
During a visit to Cardiff County Council this week, the issue of climate change was hotly debated ahead of the forthcoming Copenhagen Summit. Ralph Cook, Leader of the Labour Group, argued that an individual effort to reduce CO2 emissions would be negligible seeing as one city in China emits more CO2 in one day than the UK does in one year. These are hefty statistics and it does make me question, can turning electrical appliances off, re-using carrier bags and cycling and walking everywhere really make that much of a difference?
A poignant message expressed by another councillor was that tackling these huge concerns is significantly dependant on a change in culture and attitudes. So many people are still swept up in striving for material success. The gas guzzling 4×4 car, 1st class travel and weekend city breaks are still very much associated with a glamorous and successful lifestyle. Someone possessing such a lavish way of life would be envied, not scalded for treading such a large carbon footprint.
I do understand that reacting to climate change is important and recycling, turning off lights, using public transport etc is the right and moral thing to do. However, I fear that the majority of people (myself included) will not appreciate the magnitude of climate change until we are faced with its devastating consequences.
Potential effects of climate change on London
My blog has been somewhat neglected this week as things have been pretty hectic. We had our first production day on Monday. As a reporter, I dashed around the streets of Cardiff, collecting vox pops, interviewing Doctors about Swine Flu, meeting the manager of Jamie Oliver’s first Italian restaurant in Wales and reeling back to the newsroom to edit audio, write scripts and record voicers – all in time to meet our hourly bulletin deadlines.
We also produced our first 1 minute movie this week. Fun as it was to operate the Sony Z1 cameras and create our own short (and humorous- as we like to think) story, my course partner and I lost a fair few hours of our lives as we endeavoured to get to grips with Avid editing software.
Along with our regular Law and Public Administration lectures, we also had our dose of high calibre guests. On Tuesday Rory Cellan-Jones, BBC’s Technology correspondent came to talk to us. Although his lecture repeated much of what we have already heard so far this term – ‘its all about twitter twitter twitter’ he did offer some fresh perspectives on a journalist’s role.
He highlighted that as a journalist, you don’t necessarily have to be an expert on whatever you are reporting on. Your role is to be a communicator. To take a complicated concept or piece of information and report on it in such a way that the audience find it accessible and can understand it, or even better, enthuse about it. Rory himself does not profess to be a technological expert at all, despite it being his job. In fact, he spent most of his career with the BBC as a business and industry reporter.
For me, this opens several doors. It made me realise, I don’t have to study medicine to become a health correspondent, I don’t need to have been in the military to be a defence correspondent and I don’t need to have travelled the world in order to become a foreign correspondent. Of course I need to have a sound knowledge and interest as a journalist on any of the above subjects; but more importantly, I need to be insatiably curious, ask questions and ensure I have a well built network of contacts with the expertise to advise and inform me of the facts.
Fundamentally though, to be a credible journalist, I need to be able to communicate in a simple, clear and creative way. Rory underlined that not even the ever expanding online technologies or an extreme expertise will change the core skills of high-quality journalism and reporting.
Sky Digital Multiroo..
The AleX-Factor 
