When KLO Middle School student Owen Clark was selected to attend the Global Student Leadership Conference in London, ON, he had a problem.

He was thrilled to have the opportunity to learn skills that would help him be a climate leader, but he felt it would be hypocritical to talk about solving the climate crisis while producing multiple tonnes of carbon dioxide at the same time.

Flying expels huge quantities of greenhouse gases during a short time frame. So he started to brainstorm to find a solution to his dilemma. Determined, he explored different ways to cross the country in an environmentally friendly manner.

He first considered taking a train, but then realized that the passenger train system in western Canada isn’t developed well enough to make this journey feasible. Then he looked at bus options, but they would require too many transfers and would also take a long time. Finally, he thought about the possibility of renting an electric car, since it would be both convenient and sustainable.

Owen then did more research on what type of car would be best suited for this adventure. He found the Tesla model 3 would be the best option. The reason is that it has one of the longest ranges for an electric car (518 km) and charges quickly. The only remaining issues were who would drive there with him (he is only 13), and how could he pay for the car.

Renting a Tesla Model 3 would be expensive – nearly $4,500 for the whole trip! Owen, being a middle school student, did not have nearly enough money for this journey. Undeterred, he decided that his journey would not only be a way to reduce his footprint but also a way to raise awareness about the impact of flights.

He then went to his parents and asked for support. At first, they said “No” but Owen could be convincing. They agreed that if Owen could raise the money and also commit to the larger goal of raising awareness of climate issues, one of them would drive him.

His parents are fortunate to have jobs with flexible schedules. They then made a deposit for the Tesla rental in the hope that by April, Owen would have (at a minimum) raised $4,000.

Since then he has been interviewed by a local environmental advocacy group called “First Things First Okanagan” and has raised $2,500 through a Go Fund Me page, as well as fundraising efforts through his school. Although he is still shy of his goal, his determination has never faltered, and he continues to press ahead.

As for next steps, Owen wants to expand his message, raise the remaining money for the trip, and inspire others to make changes to reduce their own carbon footprint in their own ways.

To achieve this, Owen has been spreading his message through local media outlets and has developed his own online blog where he is regularly publishing articles about sustainability and travel-related topics (https://thegreenchoice.home.blog/). He will also be updating people on his progress during his journey across the country by electric vehicle.

If you want to support Owen and his effort you can donate on his Go Fund Me page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/reducing-carbon-emissions-by-responsible-travel