I KEEP reading with some puzzlement letters in the Daily Echo about the possible effect on tourism of the proposed offshore wind farm.

Any detrimental effect would surely be very small compared to the present effects of global warming on our weather patterns.

Our recent summer weather and particularly last summer must have had far greater effect on tourism. Anyone wanting a sunny holiday would have had to go abroad creating more pollution.

Already global warming is almost certainly responsible for huge changes in the weather in many parts of the world, causing a big increase in flooding, droughts and now hurricane Sandy.

Those of us in low-lying areas are going to be inundated by the water from the melting of Arctic and Antarctic ice.

By taking our part in a worldwide effort to reduce pollution we can hope to slow down warming; digging for more oil and coal or tracking for gas is only a short term solution to our energy needs and will only add to global warming.

PHILIPPA LLOYD, Stanpit, Christchurch