Inbox

Monday, Aug. 15, 2011

    • Fish Tales
    "The End of the Line" incorrectly suggests that land-based systems like ours mentioned in the piece are "more experimental than economical" [July 18]. Not only is ours a land-based, indoor facility, but it is also a fully contained, zero-discharge aquaculture system. We are a commercial-scale, economically viable operation that produces high-quality fish while using a minimal amount of water and continually reducing our consumption of electricity. Our technology, which re-creates on land the conditions that sustain a natural marine ecosystem, results in a reliable supply of healthy, fresh, ecologically raised fish protein. At no point does water or biological waste leave our facility. While we very much appreciate the attention to aquaculture, we felt it was important to make this clarification.
    Nadya Peeva, Vice President, Business Development, Local Ocean,
    New York City

    Congratulations to Bryan Walsh for his excellent article. At last, some needed perspective on how we domesticate the ocean. Yet Walsh perpetuates the incorrect view that salmon and bass are "a bit like ... tigers of the sea." Not even. Salmon have far greater reproductive potential and are not the oceans' top predators.
    John Marra,
    New York City

    Your story focuses on the devastation and pollution of the oceans and also on nutritional issues, but it overlooks the terrible welfare conditions imposed on millions of sentient animals. It will be so much better for the environment, for our health and for our ethical progress if more people choose to live without meat or fish.
    Manuel E. dos Santos,
    Lisbon

    The article suggests there are eco-friendly aquaculture methods that can mimic the ecosystem, but as cost of materials and equipments rise, which would inevitably pass on to the consumers, I can't see how such a system can be applied in masses in the near future. With the struggle between costs and sustainability, this is not a simple equation as to how many fish go into the pond and how many go out.
    David Hui,
    Taipei

    The Fans Go Wild
    Finally, someone who gets fan fiction right! ["The Boy Who Lived Forever," July 18]. Thank you, Lev Grossman, for doing your homework and writing a sensitive, nuanced, nonsensationalized piece that looks at all sides of the issue.
    Gwyn Harper,
    Tucson, Ariz., U.S.

    I was surprised to find some of the quoted authors so territorial. They chose to publish their stories, and the characters and worlds they created entered the hearts and imaginations of the fans who support their earnings. I would think they would be proud.
    Kathleen D'Auria,
    Flemington, N.J., U.S.

    I blame you, TIME, for getting me involved in Harry Potter fan fiction. Now I will never get around to my summer AP schoolwork and studying for the SATs.
    Sue Chang,
    Los Angeles

    Grossman's piece on fan fiction was interesting but contradictory. He claimed that sex was "only a small part of the picture," but sexual liaisons abound in the article. Kirk and Spock? Holmes and Watson? Sirius and Remus? If he was trying to correct a misconception, he failed magnificently.
    Stuart Cathrow,
    London

    Birth of a Nation
    Re "Born in Blood" [July 18]: Thank you for publishing Cédric Gerbehaye's stunning photographs, especially the two showing the grief of fathers in southern Sudan: one Nuba villager comforting his daughter, whose arm was amputated, and a refugee from Abyei taking shelter with his son in an unfinished building. As a social historian and photographer, I honor the deep humanity, sensitivity and dignity of his images.
    Véronique Cornille,
    Nelson, New Zealand

    Lost in Space
    Story Musgrave, a veteran of six U.S. shuttle flights, should know better than to blame President Barack Obama for the present loss of direction at NASA [10 Questions, July 18]. Projects in the space industry have a very long lead time — 10 to 15 years is not uncommon — and the reason for the present shameful situation lies firmly in the hands of Obama's predecessor. When the European Space Agency's astronauts reach the moon in a few years' time and find the Chinese already there — with no Americans in sight — the blame can only be assigned to George W. Bush's complete lack of interest in the U.S. space program.
    Robin A. Flood,
    Empuriabrava, Spain