Can a car dealership possibly be "green?" We believe strongly that the answer is "yes."
It's not easy. We humans have created a major structural problem. We have arranged much of the world's economic activity around an environmentally unsustainable model. When you buy the latest smartphone, or fly to Europe, or build a 2,800 square foot house, you break no laws. But collectively, we're living higher on the hog than a small world with seven billion people can handle.
Ultimately, the economy can't be bigger than the environment, at least not for very long. As economist Herb Stein said with blunt force: "If something can't continue forever, it won't." So what do we do? Bury our heads in the sand and ignore the problem, or on the other extreme, buy a compound in Montana, get off the grid, and use aspen leaves for toilet paper? Neither seems very practical.
Here's what the Pirkei Avot, a Jewish text, had to say about taking the middle road: "You are not obligated to complete the task, but neither are you free to desist from it." In other words, you are not in charge of saving the world. But don't think for a minute that you don't have a role in saving it. Here was Theodore Roosevelt's take: "Do what you can, with what you have, where you are."
At Planet Subaru, that's our position: we're doing our part. Businesses got us into this mess and therefore represent the best opportunity to get us out of it. We're proud to represent a manufacturer, Subaru, that cares a lot about minimizing its environmental impact and works diligently to that end. We support political leaders, organizations, and businesses who believe the Earth should be more than just a toilet. For the size of our little business here in Hanover, we have made enormous investments in renewable energy, powering all of our sales operations with photovoltaics. We are conscientious stewards of the land and resources that we use in our operations.
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." --Margaret Mead
Planet Subaru. Your unDealership.
