John Wayne Airport is a leader in environmental best practices

Hear the words of Michelle Steel, who praised the stewardship of a place where sky and earth meet: “John Wayne Airport is a leader in environmental best practices, and the implementation of an entirely electric fleet of shuttle vehicles is another example of their commitment to sustainability and improving air quality for residents.” These words, though simple, resound with the deeper truth of our age: that even centers of industry and movement, once thought only as engines of pollution, can be transformed into guardians of the earth.

When Steel calls John Wayne Airport a “leader in environmental best practices,” she speaks of an institution that has chosen a path of responsibility rather than indifference. Airports are often seen as symbols of consumption and emission—jets roaring, cars idling, skies clouded with exhaust. Yet here, in the heart of Orange County, one finds not only departure and arrival, but also an effort to innovate and steward. To lead in environmental practice is to bear the weight of example, to light a path for others to follow.

The choice to adopt an “entirely electric fleet of shuttle vehicles” is not a mere change of machines but a declaration of values. Where once gasoline burned and fumes filled the air, now electricity hums in silence, sparing lungs and skies alike. This is a step toward the future—small in scale compared to the vastness of the global crisis, but mighty in its symbolism. For every transformation begins with a first act of will, and in that act, a model is set for others to imitate.

Consider the story of Los Angeles in the mid-20th century, when smog lay so thick upon the city that the sun was dimmed, and children’s chests ached with every breath. It was a time of despair, when air seemed poisoned beyond redemption. Yet through regulation, innovation, and collective will, the city transformed. Emissions were curbed, cleaner technologies were embraced, and slowly the skies grew clearer. What was once a symbol of ruin became a testament that healing was possible. In this same spirit, Steel’s words about John Wayne Airport remind us that institutions, too, can turn from burden to blessing.

The deeper meaning of her praise is that sustainability and prosperity need not be enemies. Airports exist to connect people, to carry commerce, to enrich communities through travel and trade. Yet in doing so, they have long carried a heavy environmental cost. By choosing innovation—electric fleets, cleaner energy, greener practices—leaders show that progress does not require sacrifice of the earth. Instead, progress is redefined: not measured only in passengers and profits, but in cleaner air and healthier lives.

This is both heroic and motivational. Heroic, because it takes courage for institutions to step beyond the easy path of “business as usual” and embrace change. Motivational, because it proves to citizens that change is within reach. If an airport, with all its complexity and demands, can commit to sustainability, then so can individuals, families, and other industries. The act of one leader can inspire the will of many, until a culture of stewardship becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Children of tomorrow, take this lesson into your hearts: look to the leaders who choose responsibility, and let their example stir you to action. Do not scorn the small steps, for they accumulate into great change. Support the work of institutions that innovate for the sake of the earth. And in your daily life, mirror this commitment—walk instead of drive when you can, choose renewable energy where possible, and honor the air and water that sustain you.

Thus, the wisdom of Steel’s words endures: that John Wayne Airport, through its embrace of environmental best practices and its fleet of electric shuttle vehicles, stands as a beacon of what is possible. Let this be remembered: that the path of sustainability is not only for governments or great cities, but for every institution, and every person, who dares to choose innovation over complacency, stewardship over neglect. This is the road to a cleaner world, and the inheritance we must leave for generations yet unborn.