This column is an imaginary correspondence between Maddie the Motorist, Byron the Bicyclist and Patty the Pedestrian. Today, we welcome Hybrid Herby.
Dear Byron the Bicyclist;
Hi, I am Hybrid Herby. I drive a hybrid car. Last week, I saw a jacked-up crew cab pickup at the grocery store. On the passenger side, it had in clear white letters: “Drive a Hybrid, I need the gas!”
First, I laughed. Later, it got me thinking.
Most of us are totally okay with using up way more natural resources that others. That even includes me driving a small hybrid car.
Signed; Hybrid Herby
Dear Hybrid Herby;
Congratulations, Hybrid Herby for driving a more efficient vehicle.
Yes, most of us in the developed world consume a lot more than is sustainable. I am reminded of a Swahili Proverb: “Do not borrow off the earth more than it requires back in interest.”
Recently I was in a Zoom conversation with a faith group. As homework, we were asked to go online to measure how much we consume. Once completed, it told us that if everyone lived that way, how many planet Earths we would need?
In the group of ten people, the results ranged from a low of two to a high of seven Earths. The lowest was a retired man in an apartment. The consumer of seven planets did not offer an explanation.
In Williams Lake, we use a lot of resources partly because it gets cold here.
But we have advantages too.
We can heat our homes with local firewood or pellets. Electricity in most of B.C. comes from dams, not CO2-emitting fossil fuels. With hydro-electricity, we can use heat pumps to heat or cool our homes at 300 per cent efficiency.
Driving a hybrid is good. Better yet, walk or pedal a bike and don’t use any gas.
Signed; Byron the Bicyclist
Bert Groenenberg has walked and biked in Williams Lake for over 30 years.
READ MORE: SHARE THE ROAD: Back to biking in Williams Lake
READ MORE: SHARE THE ROAD: Children on Cariboo roads
Do you have a comment about this story? email:
ruth.lloyd@wltribune.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on X.
