CAT Wilde (Letters, February 14) criticises the BCP Council for allowing last year’s Air Festival, suggesting it would take 40,800 trees to sequester the 240 tons CO2 of aircraft emissions. Of course, if the trees were allowed to grow, over the decades 40,800 trees would sequester many thousands of tons CO2.

Perhaps the issue of CO2 emissions should be seen in a wider context.

That 240 tons CO2 is one percent of BCP Council’s annual CO2 emissions, which is one percent of the conurbation’s emissions. And if we add in the rest of Dorset, that is one percent of the UK emissions which in turn are one percent of global emissions.

The planet certainly faces a climate emergency and we need to take action ASAP. I despair at our national Tory government patting itself on the back. Yes, we have nationally reduced our emissions by 40 percent and now insist we will be carbon neutral by 2050. But we remain almost wholly dependent on fossil fuels with no sign of any action.

I would thus suggest those councils declaring a climate emergency should not be so quickly derided as it may actually result in action, in contrast to the blatant ‘green-wash’ that has been served up to date.

DR MARTIN RODGER

Bloxworth Road, Parkstone