YOUR correspondent Arthur Lawrence presents a poor case for branding the proposed Navitus Bay wind farm a ‘serious mistake’ (Echo letter March 12). This is not a great surprise.

Even the information from the company behind the scheme is not entirely helpful. Given the vagaries of the wind, the scheme (at a 1,200MW rated capacity) would deliver some 3,500GWh per annum.

This would be saving CO2 emissions after the first year of operation. The reductions in emissions are quoted by the company as equivalent to the electricity usage of 825,000 homes, a value that is likely as clear as mud for most people.

It represents one third of Dorset’s entire carbon footprint and about 0.33 per cent of national CO2 emission. The truly serious mistake would be to turn our backs on such benefits. Dorset’s emissions are as high as ever (higher by some counts), which is helping stoke up serious climate change for future generations. Our ‘do nothing about it today because there is always tomorrow’ policy of the last 20 years is rapidly becoming entirely untenable.

DR MARTIN RODGER Bloxworth Road, Parkstone, Poole