I Love My Leaf, But…

Stopping emissions is important to me.  I spent years in China watching emissions grow.. 40% of CO2 emissions  in California come from transportation and this is why I advocate that for everyone to turn to public transportation or drive a ZEV.

I do – I have a Nissan leaf and love it.  I realize buying a new EV may not be as sustainable as extending the life of old  efficient vehicles or ride sharing. Part of that is because personal vehicles sit parked most of the day, the other is because new vehicles mean an carbon intensive manufacturing process. I own a car because there are many times I need the flexibility that RT doesn’t have. (I also got a great deal from working with several EV groups in town) But now, as I have been turning to Jump Bikes and my car sits parked on Sacramento’s streets attracting Parking Officers scrutiny and risking trees falling on it. (Trees have already dropped limbs on my poor Leaf–must be some kind of revenge.)

So, I am eyeing the new entrant to the ride share market in Sacramento. Gig Cars. They are everywhere. They are a perfect example of one Startup Weekend: Sustainability Revolution’s Second Challenge: Turn a consumer product into a service.

What does this mean? And why is it green? Because it is part of the Sharing Economy, instead of each person paying for 100% of a product they use 10%, people share cost based on use. It means more people per vehicle. So coming around this year, I am going to be selling my Leaf and moving to ride share. Saving money and the environment.

In the past 2 years Sacramento is leading in lowering emissions from transportation. It started with the activity from community groups like Sac EV and companies like Clipper Creek. Then with heavy support from regional Cities, SACOG and ARB, Sacramento became the lead for investment like Electrify Americas Green Cities program. Even with all of these groups, turning Sacramento into a Clean tech hub means talking a stand personally to reduce our Carbon footprint and support local initiatives, ride RT, and participate in the discussion.

Come learn about how SMUD is reducing its transportation footprint at our MeetUp on May 30 at Uptown Studios.  If you are really motivated to make a difference join the Sustainability Revolution and participate in Startup Weekend June 21 to 23!!

Thomas Hall

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas is the Executive Director of CleanStart. Thomas has a strong background in supporting small businesses, leadership, financial management and is proficient in working with nonprofits. He has a BS in Finance and a BA in Economics from California State University, Chico. Thomas has a passion for sustainability and a commitment to supporting non-profits in the region.

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