As retirees, my wife and I have been sharing one car. When there is a conflict, one of us may walk, ride our bike, or get a ride from a friend.  We live within a 10-minute walk from the Attleboro commuter rail station and sometimes use the train to visit Boston or Providence, and to connect with air and rail transportation for longer trips.

For the last 4 years, we have been driving a plug-in hybrid, which plugs into a regular outlet overnight and gives us 26 miles per charge. It increases our electric bill slightly but means we seldom need to fill the tank. When our gas water heater gave out a couple of years ago, we switched to an electric water heater with a heat pump. We have no air conditioner.  Our house benefits from the shade of an old beech tree, and we use an attic fan to suck cool air into the house on summer nights.

Nine years ago we became the owners of 8 solar panels through a community solar program. The panels are part of a large installation on land leased from a farmer in Rehoboth. Our solar credits are automatically deducted from our National Grid bill each month. Our investment has paid for itself already–sooner than expected.

My reasons for wanting to take care of the Earth began around the first Earth Day in 1970 when the greatest concern was pollution. While strides have been taken to curb the most obvious forms of pollution, other less visible, but even more serious threats have emerged over subsequent decades. I have tried to do my part through activism: writing letters to the editor; speaking at local and state public hearings on environmental matters; joining and sometimes starting activist groups; supporting candidates who share my views; campaigning for a recycling ballot initiative; organizing climate action rallies in Attleboro and North Attleboro; and marching in Boston, Providence, New York, and Washington.

While a day does not go by that I don’t fret for the survival of humanity and the intricate web of other species, I also feel a profound sense of wonder at the miracle of life on Earth. It is easy to find examples in nature of incredibly complex design and exquisite beauty, and I try to share the positive, spiritual energy which I derive from my Earthly habitat.

I have been driving a hybrid car since 2018. Our next car will be a fully electric vehicle.

I am eating red meat very seldom now. We enjoy ‘Impossible meat’ and are using that for burgers and meatloaf. We like their sausage as well. I also make sure I vote for candidates who support policies that address climate change.

Plastic bags are not allowed in most cities or towns’ all-in-one recycling because they jam up the recycling machines. Did you know that most supermarkets have a place to bring those bags so they can be properly recycled? I collect them and bring them with me when going to get my groceries.

I eat less meat, not only does it reduce my climate impact and I am healthier, but I also save some money. Buying local when I can helps to support area farmers.