FREEDOM

After reading Rachel Carson’s epic book, Silent Spring in the early 1960s, I became concerned about the environment and the negative impact that human activity has on our home, Mother Earth. I looked for ways to do my part to walk lightly upon the Earth.

It started with the way I ate. From Zen Macrobiotics I learned to eat what is seasonal and local. From Diet for a Small Planet, I learned food combinations for high protein, meatless meals. I planted an organic garden and was awestruck by Earth’s abundance. I learned how to can and preserve food with that bounty.

I’ve lived on our Earth for a while and have seen the myriad changes she’s gone through during my life’s journey. Most of my years have been lived on the west coast. I’ve seen  the weather patterns change, creating the drought that is growing more severe in California, and extending to the Pacific Northwest, where I now live.

In my lifetime I’ve witnessed hurricanes and tornadoes, floods, large fires, and intense earthquakes, but possibly the most disconcerting event I’ve lived through was this past September when there were fires all along the west coast from California to Washington state, as well as a number of other western states. The smoke from these fires travelled half way around the world. Greta Thunberg says we must act as if our house is on fire. Because it is.

Always, I ask myself, what more can I do? I don’t buy what I don’t need. I recycle, repurpose, reuse. During the many months of lockdown and isolation, I realized that participation is part of the game of life, and once we are able to be with one another again, we will find new ways to live on the Earth. Our lives will be different than before, and I believe better days are ahead.

I am heartened by President Biden’s commitment to the climate crisis in ways that heal the environment, the economy, and humanity. His nomination of Pete Buttigieg as Secretary of Transportation shows actions that will be taken to solve this problem. As a presidential candidate, Pete Buttigieg had an infrastructure plan that prioritized improving and modernizing the country’s rundown infrastructure. It included adding thousands EV charging stations along our highways to aid the transition to electric vehicles.

Five Christmases ago, my sons made it possible for me to own a Nissan Leaf. I have loved that car. It’s wonderful to drive, there are no additional maintenance costs, and I felt good about having diminished my carbon footprint. There was one major drawback: range. Other than around the town activities, I was limited as to where I could go, unless I took public transportation.

This Christmas, thanks to a great trade in on the Leaf, the Oregon state rebate, and a most generous gift from my son, Paul, I am now the proud owner of this beautiful Tesla Model 3. I call her Freedom.

About five years ago, Paul became interested in Tesla and Elon Musk. He talked about it so much that I started to pay attention to all news stories about the business and the person. The corporate mission is, “To accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable energy.”

Tesla is more than an automobile manufacturer; it is an energy company. They make solar roofs that are not clunky panels, but aesthetic roofing tiles. This will make home energy more efficient and sustainable. Tesla is working on high-speed transportation with the Hyperloop. They are working on electric ships. SpaceX, another of Elon Musk’s projects, has perfected the re-entry and landing of rockets so that they may be reused. With this success comes plans for electric planes with vertical lift offs and landings.

Needless to say, I am a fan. Please watch for future blogs with more news  about Tesla, and my travels in Freedom.