I've enjoyed your writing for years, and this piece really moved me. I found myself thinking about my visits to Disneyland and realized I've mostly just experienced it for what it felt like in the moment, missing the opportunity to reflect on the bigger picture, and even the possibility of getting them to make positive changes. You've got me thinking about ways that I can apply your "climate-colored goggles" frame of mind to my volunteer climate policy advocacy work, which I've increasingly come to realize is all about storytelling. Thank you!
Thank you Karl...this is exactly the kind of shift in thinking I'm trying to inspire! So I really appreciate your taking the time to say something. Please let me know if you end up trying anything new and different as a result!
Forever grateful to Sammy for prodding Disney about dumping the polluting gas cars of Autopia in favor of electric putt-putts and I can't wait for October. Think of it--when those gas-guzzlers go away, it'll be a full-throated endorsement of EVs and a repudiation of oil by one of the biggest, most beloved brands in the world--globally.
My teenager commented on what a yucky job to be one of the college students working in Autopia all summer long. The smell of gasoline was hard to take!
Yes! Did your son actually have the job? I've read that it's common for Autopia employees to include a doctor's note when they request transfers. It still amazes me that Disney keeps the ride open today. Marc Carrel of Breathe California, a lung-health expert, wrote a letter to Disney officials in 2024 informing them of "dangerous emissions....inhaled directly by guests and cast members" at Autopia that also impact people far outside of the park "in Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange and other Southern California communities." Employees stand just a few feet from those cars--with more polluting engines than automobiles--for eight-hour shifts. And tiny kids ride Autopia.
Great column, Sammy. I loved that ride too, and wow, how has 25 years passed so quickly? Disney's CEO would be wise to integrate climate goggles, lest we all be living in a Fantasyland, à la Butler's Parable of the Sower, soon.
Here's your friendly reminder to never buy a gas car again. Research which EV will serve your daily driving needs, figure out where you will charge it, then save up and get it done as soon as possible. This needs to be your number one priority.
In general, it's a good idea to use a product until it's no longer able to work. However, this does not mean that the owner of the old car has to be the one who drives the car to its end. If you have the means to go electric, you owe it to society and the environment to make the switch. Your old car, if it indeed has life left, can be driven by someone lower on the economic ladder.
The most important thing is to never buy a new gas car. We are in the process of killing the entire internal combustion industry, and every time someone buys a new gas car, the factory makes another. This is why we are encouraging folks to stop buying gas cars and make the switch as soon as possible to electric.
I always learn something new from your columns. I did not know Ventura County is warming more quickly than others. So sad to see the orchards and fields paved over. Yes people need housing but there is so little agriculture left, and there are no strawberries like Oxnard’s Harry’s berries.
I've enjoyed your writing for years, and this piece really moved me. I found myself thinking about my visits to Disneyland and realized I've mostly just experienced it for what it felt like in the moment, missing the opportunity to reflect on the bigger picture, and even the possibility of getting them to make positive changes. You've got me thinking about ways that I can apply your "climate-colored goggles" frame of mind to my volunteer climate policy advocacy work, which I've increasingly come to realize is all about storytelling. Thank you!
Thank you Karl...this is exactly the kind of shift in thinking I'm trying to inspire! So I really appreciate your taking the time to say something. Please let me know if you end up trying anything new and different as a result!
Forever grateful to Sammy for prodding Disney about dumping the polluting gas cars of Autopia in favor of electric putt-putts and I can't wait for October. Think of it--when those gas-guzzlers go away, it'll be a full-throated endorsement of EVs and a repudiation of oil by one of the biggest, most beloved brands in the world--globally.
My teenager commented on what a yucky job to be one of the college students working in Autopia all summer long. The smell of gasoline was hard to take!
Sorry to hear your kid had that experience!
Yes! Did your son actually have the job? I've read that it's common for Autopia employees to include a doctor's note when they request transfers. It still amazes me that Disney keeps the ride open today. Marc Carrel of Breathe California, a lung-health expert, wrote a letter to Disney officials in 2024 informing them of "dangerous emissions....inhaled directly by guests and cast members" at Autopia that also impact people far outside of the park "in Anaheim, Santa Ana, Orange and other Southern California communities." Employees stand just a few feet from those cars--with more polluting engines than automobiles--for eight-hour shifts. And tiny kids ride Autopia.
No, sorry - my young(er) kid said she never wanted that job, commenting on the college kids she saw working Autopia.
Smart kid! And indeed, feel for those who had the job.
Great column, Sammy. I loved that ride too, and wow, how has 25 years passed so quickly? Disney's CEO would be wise to integrate climate goggles, lest we all be living in a Fantasyland, à la Butler's Parable of the Sower, soon.
Thank you Jane! I also wonder how time goes by so fast...whatever the cause, we somehow need to outrun the clock.
Here's your friendly reminder to never buy a gas car again. Research which EV will serve your daily driving needs, figure out where you will charge it, then save up and get it done as soon as possible. This needs to be your number one priority.
I’ve heard it’s better for the environment to drive a working gas car as long as it’s in good shape before switching over?
In general, it's a good idea to use a product until it's no longer able to work. However, this does not mean that the owner of the old car has to be the one who drives the car to its end. If you have the means to go electric, you owe it to society and the environment to make the switch. Your old car, if it indeed has life left, can be driven by someone lower on the economic ladder.
The most important thing is to never buy a new gas car. We are in the process of killing the entire internal combustion industry, and every time someone buys a new gas car, the factory makes another. This is why we are encouraging folks to stop buying gas cars and make the switch as soon as possible to electric.
I always learn something new from your columns. I did not know Ventura County is warming more quickly than others. So sad to see the orchards and fields paved over. Yes people need housing but there is so little agriculture left, and there are no strawberries like Oxnard’s Harry’s berries.
Not the bighorn sheep :, (