Letters archive

The idea that humans evolved endurance and stamina to chase prey might have it backwards. Prior to the development of sharp tools, we were ill-equipped to consume prey animals, lacking, as we were, the teeth and claws of a carnivore. Our early ancestors were gatherers, not hunters. It was us who were the prey, and …

Again and again we read that some carbon emissions from agriculture are unavoidable. This view keeps resurfacing despite the best efforts of agroecologists, who will say that if we remove fossil fuel-intensive artificial fertilisers and farm in ways that support nature, instead of poisoning it, farming becomes carbon negative ( 25 May, p 12 ).

I disagree that a steady decline in world population will hinder progress, provided we reach and maintain a sustainable level. Population in the year 1905 for Albert Einstein's work was a fifth of today. In the 1960s, when we went to the moon, it was less than half its current level. It is quality and …

A 200-square-inch cake tin of the dimensions given by Keith Walters (14.14 inches per side) only allows 98 slices exactly 1 inch by 2 inches. Unless you somehow combine the bits left round the edges ( Letters, 25 May ).

Record-breaking temperatures in the air and oceans highlight two extremely urgent challenges ( 1 June, p 8 ). Despite the Paris deal for a 1.5°C warming limit and undertakings at subsequent COP meetings, total energy-related annual carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, approaching 37 gigatonnes in 2023. Drastic action to reduce our dependence on fossil …

Yes, there is a problem with salt addiction, but it is social rather than biological. A liking for salty food is far from universal and is probably acquired rather than innate. In family homes and in restaurants, the salt shaker is a ubiquitous presence on the table. Many people add salt to their food before …

James Wong needn't choose between drinking milk or using it as a plant fertiliser. Drink the milk, then, a few hours later, you can be fertilising plants with it – possibly in a way that makes it easier for the minerals etc. to be assimilated, especially if your efflux is diluted with soft water ( …

Graham Lawton delved into the many benefits of using wood in construction beyond its ability to store carbon, and I can vouch for some. Years ago, I designed an award-winning school using Japanese-style hybrid-timber construction, including a laminated timber frame with solid-timber decking ( 8 June, p 24 ). The real reason for the choice …

In your interview with Sophie Attwood, it was good to read about the simplicity of effective interventions to modify our unsustainable eating habits. However, the final quote that "8 billion people are eating three meals a day" is debatable ( 1 June, p 37 ). According to a recent UN report, close to a billion …

Your review of the book Eruption got me wondering if it is possible to dump anything into an erupting volcano? Could, say, landfill waste be disposed of in the gaping "incinerator"( 8 June, p 30 )?