Close to Home: Creating ‘good energy’ to fight climate change

Signs of climate change surround us in Sonoma County, from persistent drought conditions to record-setting heat waves. This is the backdrop against which we prepare for the upcoming season, with memories of the toll extreme weather has taken in recent years fresh in our minds.

It’s easy to be left feeling discouraged when thinking about our environmental impact and what the future might entail. However, on an individual level there are small yet meaningful changes we can make to turn the tides of climate change.

As a teacher, I find hope in my students. They are curious and compassionate and inspire me to find solutions and take action. I’m mindful to nurture their sense of optimism and enthusiasm for change as they grow into adults, because they can make a difference.

This past semester, my fifth and sixth grade students at Helen Lehman Elementary School in Santa Rosa won a statewide competition sponsored by the Alliance to Save Energy and Energy Upgrade California. The competition encouraged us to secure commitments from friends and family to shift energy use away from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

California’s electrical grid is increasingly powered by clean, renewable sources of energy, such as sun and wind, before 4 p.m. and after 9 p.m. The program was meant to help educate residents about the importance of using cleaner energy when they can in advance of a new rate plan, time-of-use, being implemented across the state. Here in Sonoma County, you may already have transitioned to this new rate plan, with rates changing based on the time of day.

Simple changes, like doing laundry, washing dishes and charging phones during off-peak hours will not only reduce our environmental impact, they may save us money.

So, if you’re wondering exactly how we can begin making tangible, impactful changes immediately, the answer may be simpler than you think. California is not asking us to change our lifestyles, completely upend our schedules or stop using energy altogether. Instead, it is encouraging residents to think about when they use electricity not just how much they use.

I’m proud of my students’ commitment to the environment. By spreading the word about preserving our natural resources and using cleaner energy, they are leading by example and demonstrating that we should have hope in our ability to live sustainably.

As an educator, but more importantly a Californian, I hope you’ll join me and my students in this fight.

For more information, visit energyupgradeca.org/time-of-use.

Emily Blackmore is in her 12th year teaching fifth and sixth graders at Helen Lehman Elementary School in Santa Rosa.

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