It’s almost midnight on the last day of my car-free year. I haven’t gotten in a car or on a plane for 366 days.
So what? Big hairy deal.
Maybe I”m feeling bad because I’m missing a really fine potluck with some good friends since it’s on Lake Blackstrap and I couldn’t do everything I needed to today — including a 5 o’clock meeting — and bike there.
Anyway I’ve gotten used to staying in the city and missing events in the country. To the point where maybe I don’t try hard enough.
Missing things is sad. Nonetheless I’ve had a super summer, with lots of meaningful human contact and rewarding work. It just wasn’t a traditional Canadian summer — heavenly warm days near cool water — and maybe I tend to think I’m entitled to that.
It’s the first summer in my life I haven’t been in swimming — but summer isn’t over yet thank goodness.
And I’m actually feeling hopeful for some reason. I think awareness about climate change is increasing, and that can only be good.
It’s easy to be discouraged here in Saskatchewan as the general sentiment seems to be so backwards. I spend a lot of time on a street where cars and trucks pass by endlessly, the vast majority containing just one person. Our transit sucks. Our per capita emissions are ridiculous: something like 74 tons per year of carbon dioxide compared Europeans at 4 – 9 tons per year and Africans at less than 1 ton.
And yet globally I think awareness is growing. And once the tide starts to turn the universe can transform surprisingly quickly. We may see amazing things once humanity really starts to put its brains to the task of saving ecosystems.
Where there’s life there’s hope.
And now it’s after midnight and I must go to bed. Will I get in a car tomorrow? Not a chance.
May we all do whatever we can to cut greenhouse gas emissions.
Amen.
Thank you Ellie, and to all those who read and commented. It’s been encouraging to encounter so many who empathize. Maybe we can turn this ship around!