• THANK you for your excellent coverage of Camden’s declaration of a climate and ecological emergency, (Bid to close all Camden roads to cars for three months every year, October 10).

It was great to see the issues raised by global heating and mass extinction of species feature so prominently.

The New Journal has played an important part in informing us all about the extent of the crisis we face and I hope you will do more and more to engage our community as we come together to tackle it.

A plea however. Please, please, don’t use the language of violence and conflict to frame the debate.

Your headline “Car Wars: bid to ban polluters” reinforces the idea that tackling climate change requires confrontation, and risks creating (reinforcing?) an “us” against “them” culture.

Climate and ecological breakdown won’t distinguish between those of us who do and those of us who don’t drive cars.

We will all be affected by the rising of the seas, the loss of pollinators and will all find it harder to breathe because of heat-waves and pollution.

All of us will need to change how we travel, eat, shop and heat our homes. Surely now is the moment for us to come together, not to become more divided?

Let’s use the language of a common cause, not of division. Let’s have an open, respectful and peaceful debate about how to respond.

Time to listen to each other, not to shout across the aisles or twitter threads! CNJ, help us set the right tone.

DR JOANNA MACRAE
NW5