IoS letters, emails & online postings (26 May 2013)

Planned mega-farms for salmon, pigs and cows would cause massive environmental damage, both in terms of their immediate environs and also the costs of shipping large amounts of food supplies into them, and waste away ("Health fears as huge livestock 'factories' arrive in Britain", 12 May). It is disturbing that the Defra spokesperson talked positively about this development in terms of the "efficiency of food production". This is a myth.

It isn't "efficient" to drive out of business small farmers, who care for their landscape, work with the ecology of their land and provide employment and local food supplies, replacing them with giant factories that can only be disastrous for human and animal health, abusive of animal welfare and greatly damaging to the environment. We should remember swine flu in 2009, linked to intensive pig farming in Mexico, and the serious concern about antibiotic resistance expressed by England's chief medical officer in March.

Natalie Bennett

Leader, Green Party

London W1

This is a moment of solidarity with Lee Rigby's family. Muslim youth needs to know that our armed forces fulfil the tasks entrusted to them, and that foreign policy is an expression of our national interests, which can be changed through national consensus, civic efforts and legitimate lobbying. The democratic values of Britain are here to stay, come hell or high water.

Dr Lu'ayy Minwer Al-Rimawi

Visiting Fellow, Harvard Law School

Peterborough, Cambridgeshire

Hampshire Police, who in 1989 reinvestigated the murder of Daniel Morgan in 1987, found that the original investigation was "pathetic" but not corrupt ("A shameful case...", 12 May). The remit of the new inquiry should be to examine the investigations into the murder of Daniel Morgan. Anything else betrays an agenda.

Richard Christie QC

Johnathan Lennon

London EC4

Parents looking at student contact time and fees are coming up with a hefty hourly rate for some university courses (Margareta Pagano, Business, 19 May). Some courses such as medicine seem to have a lot of contact time and are good value for money, but for arts-based courses, less than 10 hours' contact time per week is common. When we asked our daughter's university to replace a cancelled seminar, the response was very dismissive, giving the impression that contact time with students was an optional extra, and got in the way of academic life for the lecturers.

Bryan Cadman

Bristol

You ask what the EU has ever done for us, "apart from delivering nearly 70 years of peace" ("New poll puts Ukip in third place...", 19 May). But it was Nato who stood up to the supposed Soviet threat in the immediate post-Second World War world, while EU membership hasn't stopped Britain being involved in military activity overseas, such as in Iraq and Afghanistan. Nor will it stop future terrorist attacks, the main threat to world peace today.

Tim Mickleburgh

Grimsby, Lincolnshire

You refer to Wolves fans singing "Que sera sera, whatever will be will be, we're going to Shrews-bu-ry..." at their last game of the season as they faced up to life in League One next season (Sport, 19 May). But they were far from being the first fans to sing this version this season. It was actually first heard at Ashton Gate, home of the mighty Bristol City, on the night of Tuesday 16 April, when City needed to beat Birmingham City in order to have any chance whatsoever of staying up. Half time saw Bristol 1-0 down, and clearly heading towards the trap door. It was as the second half started that the fans on the East End – closely followed by most of the rest of the ground – started singing this song. This match was some four games before the end of the season, and played when Wolves still had chances of saving themselves!

Kevin Rawlings

Clevedon, North Somerset

Looking at the shift of audiences from Radio 1 to 4 with age, Katy Guest argues that listening to The Archers from the start is not essential ("Wear low-slung jeans? Radio 1 is your station, 19 May). But it is. Forget Today. If you want to discover the zeitgeist, it's in Ambridge.

Keith Flett

London N17

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Letters to the Editor, The Independent on Sunday, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Email: sundayletters@independent.co.uk. Online: independent.co.uk/dayinapage/2013/May/26