Wednesday, May 12, 2021

Name your EV Queen Elizabeth!

 


Dear you,

Let the panic buying begin!  Governor DeSantis has declared a state of emergency due to gas shortages caused by the recent Colonial Pipeline hack.  But then again, he says not to panic; there really is no shortage.  Just a state of emergency.  Whatever, Ron.  I am not panicking.  I have a fuel-efficient little Hyundai and I filled him up the day the story broke about the hack. No panic, just preparation.  And I am also, with a hopeful heart, preparing for a future of no gassing up, ever.

I started researching EV’s recently since I want to X-out fossil fueled choices for my next car buy.  I happily discovered there are charging stations in my zone (!) and when I leave the condo and live in a real house, I can charge the vehicle at home.  I unhappily discovered charging time is LONG, as in eight hours for a full recharge.  I am impatient and have tossed items like rechargeable shavers or Water Piks simply because I couldn’t endure their minimal charge times. Like even thirty minutes.  But I guess moving on to something Earth-saving is going to take a little patience.  And knowledge.  I am wading through all this information about kWh and Level 1 chargers versus Level 2 and distance per charge. The Hyundai Kona will carry me around 250 miles with a full battery.  How does that work for a long road trip?  Do I have to book a hotel stop every 250 miles and plug the car into my Holiday Inn’s bathroom outlet?  I guess I’ll need a really long charging cord and “frequent guest” discounts.

There is a lot to consider here.

But still, my next car will be “E”; I want to be part of something better, something new.  Perhaps in a year or so a lot of the difficulties will be worked out.  Perhaps not.  There will be reluctance and a lot of flailing around in the name of security, the economy, and even “god”.  And then, of course, there is politics.

The typical Republican is resisting the end of our fossil fuel life.  Big Oil owns them and probably a few Dems too.  But today, I’ll focus on the “R” side, specifically Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.).  Earlier this year she introduced bills to block Biden’s plan to pause leases for oil, gas, or coal on federal lands.  She did this to protect the “interests” (oh, that word again) of Wyoming, a huge producer of all three. She promised to (according to the Casper Star Tribune) “keep fighting for fossil fuels”. 

Fight away, Rep. Cheney.  I hope you lose. You are defending a dirty industry and holding us back.

But on the other hand . . .

There is today.  As you know, Cheney was removed from her leadership position in the House because she refuses to kiss Trump’s ring.  She will do whatever she can to stop that maniac from ever returning to the White House.  This woman is not going down without a fight and in this battle, I am on her side.

As the cancelling of Cheney unfolded, I kept thinking about the woman thing too.  Would her refusal to back Donald’s big lie be judged as cancel-worthy if she was a he?  Even today, minority leader Kevin McCarthy admitted the election was fair and Biden was President.  (I bet he is ignoring urgent phone calls from Mara Largo right now.)  He is still there and safe.  In the Senate, old Kentucky Mitch and Mitt Romney are still there too, and both have spoken against The Donald.  There are other dudes in the House and Senate who have survived their moments of mild-anti-Trump-speak too.  But this woman hasn’t, at least in terms of her leadership position. 

Another “nasty woman” takes a hit.  Deviating while female will cost you.  Virginia Woolf knew this:

“Across the broad continent of a woman’s life falls the shadow of a sword.”

Cheney understands this now.  I appreciate that she is not flinching as the blade approaches her political throat.  Today, after the punishment, she said “bring it on.”  Wow.

Bravo, strange ally. I would like to visit you in Wyoming and hear your stories, your political memories and hopes, but it will take me a while to get there.  I have to stop every 250 miles and spend the night because I am driving an EV, something you hate.  She’s a Hyundai Kona.  Give her a chance.  You might like her.  And besides, I’ve named her after you and another famous leader of men (and women): Queen Elizabeth!  The first one, quite a warrior, she.

Bravo, Liz.  Don't let the bastards get you down. Wish you were on my side in all things.

Thank you.

Joyce

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