You’ve probably heard this one: The wheel was man’s greatest invention until he got behind it. For more than eighty years I’ve been driving around, ticket and accident-free, in one vehicle or other, in one country or another. For increasingly obvious reasons, I’m seldom behind the wheel of my old Toyota of late. Discrete fossil fuel use is likely to remain in the works, on roadways and industry and I do not apologize for an occasional gas-powered drive on local roadways. Fossil-fueled vehicles and various devices have been vomiting pollutants into the earth’s atmosphere at an alarming rate. Toxic nitrogen oxide and particulate matter causes about 10,000 premature deaths yearly in the United States. Life on Planet Earth is threatened by the horrors of Climate Change.

I was surprised to learn, in the (Union of Concerned Scientists) Spring issue of the “Catalyst” that there are more than 70 different models of zero-emission trucks, vans and buses operating on our roadways today. Most commercial trucks travel less than a hundred miles a day and are parked much of the time, thus charging is not a problem. Electrified trucks are a sure way to reduce the negative impact on public health and the environment. One example of many!

Since building a new international school in East Africa, I have seldom used vans or trucks, however, there are many ways in which we as individuals can reduce the use of fossil fuels. You’re probably into re-using, repairing, and reducing, and even relaxing! In our household local products, free-range chickens and home-grown vegetables are preferred. If a hundred-million Americans were a little more economical and less wasteful, there would be ten-thousand fewer trucks on the road! Until recently, the United States lead the world in clean energy development. If you’ve got E-Power – More Power to-ya! Since last January, our president and his devotees have been denigrating renewable energy sources and can’t seem to figure out why cities flood and why vast reaches of North America burn. There’s a remedy for this sort of sickness? Revitalize Democracy! Vote!

John Wiebe is a resident of Arcata.