In 2005, shortly after purchasing my new BMW, I asked my son why he hadn’t asked to take the car out for a test drive. He paused for a minute and then said, “Dad, you are worse than the ignorant.” My 19-year-old son saw the perplexed, irritated look on my face and he then said, “You know better and you have chosen inaction.” All through high school he had been lecturing me about the end of the age of oil and the issues of global climate change. Now, after his first semester of college, he came home for winter break and articulated a searing indictment that stung to the core. He had accused me of simply patronizing him for years when I pretended to understand and support the need for change. Ah, the worst type of criticism, I had become a hypocrite.
It was, indeed, time for a change. Within two years of that moment Far Niente became solar powered. We’ve been proud of our commitment to clean energy here at Far Niente and at our sister winery, Nickel & Nickel. This week a tangible reminder of our commitment arrived on my desk. I had to sign a check issued to PG&E for the two years of power usage that exceeded our own solar power generation. That check is posted here: $4.72.
Despite the fact that we generated more power than we could use, you know PG&E had to find a way to charge us something! Nonetheless, I’m very proud of our project and highly recommend solar power as an energy solution. It’s been great for us.
As for that BMW, it’s still my principle vehicle and I’m sticking with it but looking forward to test driving BMW’s soon-to-be-released all electric car.
