Sometimes despair and hope show up at the same time. Contrast two PBS shows. One on how cluelessly humans treat themselves, animals and the planet we live on versus spunky inventors providing a glimmer of hope for all.
The recent American Experience show on PBS Rachel Carson. provided a good look at our folly of using DDT in the 1950's and 1960's. Then considered a boon to eliminate insects, realities dark side reared its' ugly head in her book Silent Spring.
Another show on PBS's Nova : Search for the Super Battery is one of those fun to watch science docu-videos with perspective on examples of how battery technology is evolving. Take that leap of faith : our every day choices make a difference. Educating ourselves is where we really get hip and smart to what is coming in terms of how the technology we live and deal with every day is going to affect us now and in the long run. Some may accept self-driving cars, they sort of scare me a little bit. But driving an electric car could be something that would be a move in the right direction, supporting a cleaner healthier planet.
Some of my exercise buddies sparked up when I asked them what they thought of electric cars. Faces alert and eyes just a little brighter, they all opened up with thoughts and questions. "Can folks hear the cars coming if they have impairment issues?" http://www.theverge.com/2016/11/16/13651106/electric-car-noise-nhtsa-rule-blind-pedestrian-safety "How long does it take to re-charge the batteries?" (I just found a link that says 20 minutes)...
It's so "big picture" great to see, in the midst of so many frightening stories, such as thousands of acres in Utah of federal land sold off for mining and oil drilling - that we really are so past big oil and coal.... come on, it really is so yesterday. Scrolling thru facebook feed seeing friends commenting on their belief in truth and what is right, I am reminded there are just as many people with different beliefs and how much that seems to be like the opinions of people on different side of the DDT issue.
So, shop with conscience, remember life is short and that what really counts are the people and animals in our lives that we love and share time with. And yes, I think in the near future, I'll test drive an electric car.