MADAM - The weekly column written by Karen Eberhardt-Shelton published in the Stroud News & Journal is both thought-provoking and inspiring.

On a recent bus journey to Gloucester Ms Eberhardt-Shelton’s column was the topic of conversation between passengers sitting near to me.

They were discussing Ms Eberhardt-Shelton’s column when they boarded the bus at Whiteshill, and were still talking about it when the bus pulled into Gloucester bus station.

We need writers like this to help drag us out of our reactionary ideas and attitudes, to cause us to question anything and everything we believe.

We need them to help us look at the world anew and, ultimately, to help us to save this planet.

Paul Kaill

Stroud