I was glad that Helen Mead (The Press, April 3) reminded us of the suffering of livestock caught up in the Suez blockage.

Any international regulations about their welfare (pretty weak at the best of times, one imagines) must go out of the window in such circumstances. Live transport of animals destined for slaughter should be banned.

Janet Stankiewicz, Lasenby Close, York

 

Suez incident shows we shouldn't take consumer goods for granted

The plight of the touchingly-named Ever Given and the monumental effort required to free her from the Suez Canal has given me a new perspective on the way we treat consumer goods.

We focus mainly on whether such goods are recyclable, how they affect our carbon footprint and the energy required to produce them.

But the Ever Given was built by humans, humans loaded her, piloted her and freed her when she got stuck. It is ultimately thanks to them and many like them that we have these goods at our disposal. We do their providers a disservice if we treat them in a cavalier way.

People say the year of lockdowns has given them a new perspective on what matters in life. Let’s add gratitude for the things that make our lives possible, that are ‘ever given’ but taken for granted.

Fiona Crawford, Fulford, York