Should Cars Be Banned?

With and environmental crisis looming over us, and much of it caused by carbon dioxide emissions, many people have started asking what we can do about it. One of the most extreme questions to be asked is whether cars should be banned entirely from our towns and cities.
Unfortunately, we live in a vehicle-dependent society. We use cars to get to and from our work, our schools, our friends and all basic amenities. We often don't think twice about taking our car one mile down the road instead of cycling or walking. More than that, to many, the car is a status symbol that defines out position in society. To ban the car completely from our society would be a huge shock and many people wouldn't like it.
On the other hand, think of the benefits. If there were no cars we would live free of air and noise pollution, traffic congestion, parking problems and dangerous accidents. Naturally, we would be forced to live and work in a more local environment, but this would be good for communities. Let's not forget this is how people always lived before the car was invented. We would walk, cycle or use public transport more - perhaps we may even return to using horses - and the potencial benefits to our health and the environment are obvious.
So maybe it's time we bit the bullet and answered (with the exception of ambulances and the emergency services): Yes, let's ban cars and look forward to a brighter future for us