“Roads were made for journeys not destinations.” -Confucius
John Martinson has made a living taking the road less traveled. Whether that’s literally or figuratively, you can’t deny his passion for carving his own path and leaving his carbon-free footprint in this world. If you’ve ever ordered an iced tea in Arizona, chances are you have enjoyed the benefits of his entrepreneurial spirit. John Martinson co-founded China Mist Tea in 1982 and has since gone onto other ventures including the co-manufacturing enterprise Make it Circular, but arguably his biggest passion project has been gaining and spreading knowledge of sustainability and working to do what he can to preserve this one planet that we all share.
This passion has led to his vegan lifestyle, home garden, a home solar electric system (courtesy of American Solar & Roofing) and his multiple Tesla vehicles. Add this love of a renewable lifestyle to his affinity for road trips and what do you get? That’s right- a journey devoted to spending time bonding with his son Neo, visiting his friends and family and raising awareness for organizations like the Rocky Mountain Institute and the ASU School of Sustainability (where he is President of the school’s alumni chapter). His main goal is using his custom wrapped Tesla 3 to educate travelers about electric cars and promote and teach carbon neutrality across the West Coast.
“Why do this 6,000 mile trip and not make it more purposeful?” -John Martinson
John and Neo’s trip kicks off on July 1st at ASU and will contain multiple stops and events including visits to the Rocky Mountain Institute in Colorado, Yellowstone National Park, multiple cities in Canada, a stop in wine country, an event at Google Headquarters, a tour of the Tesla factory and even a meet up with a group called OCTO- Orange County Tesla Owners. In addition to these events, he will be stopping along the way enjoying the local food and catching up with many friends and family members. Once the journey is concluded he will complete a report on his experience which he hopes will help alleviate “Range Anxiety”, or the concerns many have about driving electric cars long distances.
John Martinson is a shining example of what a 21st century socially responsible human should look like and we are proud to have him as a member of the American Solar & Roofing family. Even in his retirement, or what he prefers to call it- “pivoting”, he is using his time and resources to connect, write, educate and support the health of our great planet. Use the links below to learn more about the trip and to follow along with his journey.
Tesla Road Trip Blog: http://teslaroadtrip.blog/
Twitter: @tesla3roadtrip
Instagram: @teslaroadtrip.blog
