Hurricane Irma has devastated many Caribbean islands (Report, 6 September). Sadly, there is little that can be done about the tragic loss of life. However, there would be no better course of action than sequestering the billions in evaded tax residing in many of the territories to fund the vital reconstruction needed to rebuild indigenous people’s lives.

Jan Wiczkowski

Prestwich, Greater Manchester

• Lucy Mangan thinks nitric acid is enough on its own to dissolve a wedding ring (Last night’s TV, 6 September): it isn’t. But if you look carefully at the sequence in Doctor Foster, it’s clear that she is also using a second unspecified liquid, presumably hydrochloric acid, to make aqua regia, which will dissolve gold. At last, my training in chemistry has proved useful!

Dr Richard Carter

London

• While it is true that too many acres of rainforest have been destroyed for soybean crops (Letters, 7 September), it should be noted that the vast majority of those beans are used to feed the livestock that in turn destroy millions more acres. The merits of vegan junk food can be discussed ad infinitum, but there should be no mistake that a vegan lifestyle is better for the planet on every level.

Victoria Briggs

Los Angeles, USA

• I endorse the environmental case for veganism (Editorial, 6 September). But you should have acknowledged the case for supplementing or fortifying the diet with certain micronutrients (eg vitamin B12), especially for pregnant or lactating vegans.

Clive Coen

Professor of neuroscience, Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, King’s College London

• So car drivers are horrible to cyclists, cyclists are unpleasant to pedestrians and swift pedestrians are rude to slower pedestrians (Letters, 7 September). I think I’ll stay on my boat.

Ian Grieve

“Gordon Bennett”, Staffs and Worcester canal

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