We can all do little things to look after our British wildlife in this hot weather

Please send your letters to letters@independent.co.uk

In this heatwave, our wildlife is suffering terribly. We are in the middle of the hedgehog birthing cycle and the milk of very dehydrated animals will dry up, leaving their babies to die horribly through starvation. Starving and dehydrated animals are now desperately trying to find food and water, wandering about in the daytime at the mercy of flies. Anyone who sees baby hedgehogs out during the day should rescue them and take them to a wildlife rescue centre.

It is safe to say virtually all wildlife is struggling in this heat, badgers being another species in particular trouble. But you can help enormously in a very simple way. Put out bowls of clean water in your garden, both above ground and on the ground, 24 hours a day. Providing food, for example a bowl of cat food out at night for passing hedgehogs, is also an absolute lifeline. You can save the lives of many, many birds and animals in this simple way.

Penny Little, Little Foxes Wildlife Rescue
Great Haseley

This heatwave calls for urgent climate change action

The raging wildfires in Greece and the sweltering temperatures in the UK, Japan and other parts of the world are glaring examples of our own ineptitude in the face of mother nature. Global warming, rising sea levels and extreme weather episodes have become a defining challenge of our age and time and sceptics such as President Trump et al should take note of their debilitating political, economic, technical, human and social repercussions on ecosystems, agriculture and economies.

It is high time for governments, businesses, donor bodies and non-governmental organisations to facilitate the smooth transition to renewable energy efficiency, mitigate greenhouse gas emissions, reduce fossil fuel consumption and spur action worldwide for a better world.

Munjed Farid al Qutob
London NW2

There is no justification for supporting executions

I would object to Britain executing prisoners, although killing our enemies at large is a different matter. This opposition is not based on any notion of human rights but upon good taste and the irrelevance of the death penalty to any practical problem we face unless applied for a much broader range of offences than we are likely to countenance.

Having hung people as recently as 1964, it seems premature to expect a world with a cultural spread of centuries, if not millennia, to immediately fall into step with us on this or indeed any of the other changes of outlook dating from that era, or even to appreciate the excellent music.

Regarding former jihadi execution squad members, while we should not be encouraging their own execution, I doubt if our responsibility towards them (even formerly British ones) goes so far as requiring us to withhold information where this might result in their release.

Cooperation with the US in bringing about executions causes me far more concern in the case of the late Saddam Hussein and his associates. There we were (junior) partners in the invasion leading to his subsequent capture and handing over to his implacable religious, political and tribal enemies with inevitable consequences.

Is there nothing that we, as a nation, will not do to ingratiate ourselves with the Trump regime? Will the jettisoning of moral principles ensure the mother of all trade agreements? Will it make us appear as anything other than sycophants towards the US president?

Alan Mackay
East Lothian

Have I understood correctly that we don’t want to try the two jihadis in the UK because we are not convinced there is enough evidence to convict them? Instead we have agreed to the US prosecuting them because we think they are more likely to convict. And in order to facilitate this we have also agreed not to require a commitment not to execute the two men. Surely I have missed something important.

Hanne Stinson
Woking

Has it ever been disclosed what assurances, if any, were sought by the British government before the invasion regarding the treatment of any high ranking prisoners that might be taken? Was any intercession made prior to his handover? The appropriate procedure would have been for him to be handed to the International Criminal Court, which has no death sentence.

John Riseley
Harrogate

We need a majority on Brexit

It is my personal belief that Brexit will be a total disaster. However, when I discuss this with others a major comment is that the vote was so close. Is there no way the percentage required could assure us that a decision so momentous was made by a clear majority?

Merrill Johns
Dover

Leaving the EU doesn’t seem to be going too well

It now appears that food stockpiling is an official part of the government’s Brexit planning; why wasn’t this advertised on buses two years ago?

Richard Greenwood
Bewdley

I’m not sure if Tom Peck’s column is meant to be taken seriously or is meant as a (very good) piece of satire. Either way, it’s a great piece of writing, and sums up the position we’re in brilliantly. If it wasn’t so on point I’d feel much better about our collective future. As it is, I think we’re just rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.

Steve Mumby
Bournemouth

Regarding the possibility of lowering house prices

In response to David Buckton’s suggestions (Letters) for reducing house prices it would be easier to make house price gains subject to capital gains tax. The problem with any policy to lower house prices is the danger it would immediately put hundreds of thousands of families into negative equity and force most of them into bankruptcy. That is why the housing crises is so intractable and governments resort to ideas like helping first time buyers and shared equity.

As for £250,000 for a column in The Daily Telegraph, he’s right – it’s not worth it. Unless, of course, they want me to write it.

Martin Drew
Cardiff

Good job Robert Fisk

I pay my subscription because you publish Fisk. “Isn’t it time” is the man at his best.

Thank you, and thanks for the Fisk.

Matt
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