Renewable energy hit a record high in March. The US generated 10% of its electricity from wind and solar for the first time. Cities, states and corporations from across the country are committing to the terms of the Paris Climate Accord. Eight states have banded together to promote clean cars.
It’s really not that hard to find a flood of evidence that the societal tide has already turned. We know what we want now. The technology is there and people, all things being equal, are buying it. Electric car sales are up. So is public interest in renewable energy overall. Besides the new Tesla is so sexy.
I remember when Massachusetts first banned cigarettes from restaurants and eventually bars as well. Business owners were certain that it would be armageddon. No one would ever come to a bar or restaurant again. Of course business was impacted, change is a bumpy road. But those who could adapt fared better. People got used to it. Just like seatbelt laws.
As society becomes accustomed to renewable energy we will find we really don’t miss the fumes, the filth or the expense. That shift is already happening. The fascinating part is that we are increasingly aware of the hard push by the fossil fuel industry against this progress. They sniff the end of the golden years and out comes the air freshener. Just like the tobacco industry. Both are making a habit of overplaying their hand.
There are still plenty of smokers, but fewer every year. The only reason tobacco is still making money is because they keep raising the prices as they lose customers. Addiction is an easy market. They can basically charge whatever they want. For now. But that business strategy has no long game. It’s a cash scramble. The writing's on the wall for tobacco and the fossil fuel industries both. You can see their panic in the recklessness of their actions. They already know. Take heart in that. The long game is in favor of Mother Earth.
If we’re being honest, we are all mostly lazy about committing to change. Like it or not, it’s up to dedicated visionaries, engineers and scientists to spoonfeed our progress to us in ways we are capable of complying with. Like the city giving me a recycle bin. We need a little help getting over the hump. It’s okay. Keep moving forward. Keep trying. It’ll make you feel better.
I had a therapist once who insisted I carefully hang up my coat when I entered her office rather than drop it on the floor beside my chair. For a while I thought it was because she was fastidious. But she had a different motive. She believes that how we treat our clothes is how we feel about ourselves. And she also believes that if you want to think better of yourself, treat your clothes better. The same could be said for how we treat this planet as being somehow connected with how we think of ourselves.
Interestingly, the fight for civil rights and our interest in the welfare of the planet have risen in tandem. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.
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