The tightrope stretched across Niagara Falls on June 30, 1859 drew a huge crowd of onlookers. Who would be crazy enough to try to walk a tightrope across one of the world’s greatest waterfalls? To the amazement of the gathering throng, the answer was soon forthcoming. Jean-François Gravelet, who went by the stage name The Great Blondin, soon appeared on the small platform at the end of the rope.

“Who believes I can cross over Niagara Falls on this tightrope?” He called out. The crowd cheered in approval. “Who believes I can cross over Niagara Falls on this tightrope while blindfolded?” Excitement grew and they rooted him on. “Who believes I can cross Niagara Falls on this tightrope while blindfolded and pushing a wheelbarrow?” The crowd lost its mind in a wild roar of encouragement. “Who among you will ride in the wheelbarrow as I push it across this rope over Niagara Falls while blindfolded?” he shouted.

No one uttered a whisper. It seems they were all too eager to watch him walk the walk, but when it came to putting themselves on the line, well, yeah…No.

It is human nature to talk a great game, but when it comes to taking action, we often falter. I have, of course, been guilty of this myself. Specifically, I have been acutely conscious of the damage humans are doing to the precious environment of our planet. At NASA, I studied the evidence gathered by the many satellites that measure this self-destructive path we have been on. I have read the scientific dissertations and observed the damage first-hand. As a journalist, I stood on that public platform and urged those who would listen to walk the walk, lest we find ourselves headed for self-extinction.

I was talking the talk, but I wasn’t walking the walk. Over the years, I poured untold gallons of fossil fuels through my trucks, cars and motorcycles. I powered my homes with energy produced by coal, gas, and nuclear sources. Always conscious of the damage I was doing, I tried to minimize my carbon footprint. But, in The United States, it is nearly impossible.

This is among the many reasons I chose to move to Costa Rica. This tiny nation takes environmental damage seriously, and walks the walk. Virtually all of our fruits, vegetables, meats and fish are from local sources, eliminating the need for long distance shipping. Geothermal, solar, wind, and hydro sources provide 99% of our electricity. Moving here meant I had one foot out on that high wire, but I had not fully committed to traversing the waterfall. I was still pouring diesel fuel into my SUV. It had to stop.

The opportunity to reduce my carbon footprint to virtually zero came a few months ago, with the purchase of a fully electric vehicle. Now my car is powered with the same renewable energy as my home. As an added bonus, because Costa Rica has mandated that by 2035 every new car sold in the country must use clean energy, the incentives to walk the walk are tremendous. Not only is the electricity I feed my new car from green sources, but it is also free. And those free charging stations, by law, are no more than 80 kilometers apart on every highway in the country, meaning I never have to worry where my next green electrons are coming from. It is a proactive stance that every country in the world should adopt. Caring about the world we will leave to future generations matters, and there is no downside.

Will my resignation from the carbon footprint society make a difference? Not really, and I know that. I am but a drop in the sea of humanity. But, as more of us drops become proactively engaged in reducing carbon emissions, the collective effort can change the world. I am finally walking the walk I have long espoused, and it feels great. To borrow the words of the Great Blondin, who among you will walk with me?”

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