SURELY the devastating weather recently experienced in the US, Cuba and throughout the Caribbean should give the ‘electric-cars-at-all-costs’ brigade pause for thought.

There were huge losses of power in these countries when the power lines were brought down. The US will, doubtless, rapidly repair the damage and power will be re-instated. However, other countries may not be capable of repairing the damage so rapidly.

No power lines equals no electricity thus the electric vehicles would be as much use as the proverbial back-pocket in a vest!

Many people might say, “Just how often is that type of weather going to happen?”

Once would be enough!

Luckily, in this country, we rarely experience weather of that magnitude The possible devastation Mother Nature can wreak is often ignored but when it does happen Man, then, has to pick-up-the-pieces!

Another case where Mother Nature caused huge amounts of mayhem was during the Fukushima tsunami of 21/1/13.

The Fukushima nuclear power station’s main power-supply had been knocked out and the reactors were getting dangerously over-heated as their cooling water pumps had stopped.

The emergency generators, installed for just such an event, should have cut-in and the pumps restarted.

Unfortunately the emergency generators were situated at ground level and when the tsunami engulfed the emergency generators that was the power-supply for the cooling-water pumps null and void.

So what do these totally unconnected events have in common?

A total lack of foresight but with a common denominator - Mother Nature at her worst!!

Future dependence on electric vehicles should be avoided at all costs and situating emergency equipment should be well-above (possible) sea levels!

Philip Roe, Roman Avenue South, Stamford Bridge, York