Opinion: Musk – Make Austin an Ecological Paradise

Op-ed by Dr. Jessica Edwards
Published in The Austin Chronicle, July 29, 2022

Like many Austinites, I was excited when I learned that Tesla was moving its headquarters to Texas. As a practicing physician and Climate Health Equity Fellow, I was especially glad to learn that Tesla’s founder, Elon Musk, promised that the new factory would be an “ecological paradise.”

Musk’s promise seems limited to the Colorado River shoreline where his factory is located, and he has yet to honor it. But why stop there? Musk, the world’s richest person, could help make all of Austin an ecological paradise. Indeed, with Musk’s help, Austin could show how cities can enjoy robust growth while protecting people and ecosystems. The challenge is real. Climate change is already impacting our daily lives, in Austin and around the world…READ FULL ARTICLE>

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Dr. Jessica Edwards is a second-generation board-certified osteopathic family medicine physician. Her prevention-based primary care practice is located in Austin, Texas. She is a 2019-2020 American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine Health Policy Fellow and is currently completing a Climate Health Equity Fellowship through the Medical Consortium for Climate Health. She has received many awards and honors.