Martin Brown's letter (Gazette, 12 March) demonstrates perfectly why many of us have difficulty with climate activists.

Mr Brown does not express one word of sympathy for the victims of coronavirus and their families, those who face a period of separation from their loved ones, or those who are faced with losing their jobs and businesses. Instead he seems to be revelling in it.

He says we must reduce travel. Not the carbon impact of travel, but travel itself. It used to be said that travel broadens the mind, enabling us to experience and understand other cultures, see the wonders of the world or just have a well-deserved holiday. Only someone who is at best dull in spirit, or at worst a xenophobe, could be against travel. Perhaps Mr Brown would rather we reverted to inward-looking, war-like tribes, afraid of "the foreigner" (perhaps we are doing anyway......).

And only someone who thinks that because he has enough already then so has everyone else could want to reduce economic growth (rather than the carbon impacts of economic growth). Mr Brown happily disregards the spirit of invention and discovery that has created a world where so many live longer, healthier lives than before (even allowing for coronavirus). We won't deal with the unavoidable impacts of climate change by reducing economic growth.

Mr Brown's misanthropy is made apparent in his last paragraph when he talks about making human existence possible. Some of us want to live, Mr Brown, not just exist. Please keep your misery and apparent loathing of humanity to yourself!

Noel Wheatley

Thornbury