The climate crisis is a very real and significant part of modern society. As a young person, I’ve often wondered what I can do to be environmentally cautious beyond the bare minimum. My dad has been a major inspiration to me in terms of climate activism, so I sat down with him and discussed the process of electrifying our home, as well as other environmentally forward practices that you, the reader, and I, can try implementing into our lives!
As one might expect, electrifying your home can be costly. The challenges of replacing household appliances can dissuade many families from taking the first step into this process. Electric heat pumps and HVAC systems continue to be very uncommon, even among San Jose households. An important thing to take into consideration is your personal stake in environmental activism. My dad cites former VP Al Gore’s documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, as having persuaded him to take the first steps to reduce his carbon footprint. Within this documentary, a key point is that the changes necessary to offset climate change will and should be difficult. Gore, however, also believes that it is our moral obligation as human beings to protect our environment in any way we can. As a human myself, I tend to agree!
As I previously stated, the upfront cost of replacing gas with electric alternatives is somewhat daunting. If deemed affordable, electric appliances/systems can actually lead to long-term financial benefits, with the annual billing cost ultimately saving the homeowner money when compared to gas bills. Many of these eco-friendly options also come with some government discounts, i.e., solar panels. Thus, by electrifying your home, you eventually end up saving more money than you’re losing. Rebates are also offered in some cases to incentivize the electrification of household appliances. Beyond the obvious environmental benefits of reducing gas-powered appliances, the health and safety benefits can also contribute to the switch. Gas systems can produce harmful methane, which, while uncommon, has led to some unwarranted health issues. Just another reason to consider making the switch to electric.
In the case of our family’s household, we have a non-gas heat pump/water heater, an electric single-system HVAC, an electric stove, and solar panels. Currently, our washing machine is our only non-electric appliance. For many, it might not make the most sense to just toss out their current home structure in favor of these alternatives. My dad, understanding this feeling, suggests waiting until an appliance stops working or dies to take the opportunity to go electric. Now that we’ve lived with this system for a significant amount of time, I can say that it works as we want it to. I would say the only drawback is potential power outages, as many of our systems now rely on electricity. These situations, while rare, would require some sort of backup like battery-powered energy. Again, slightly different but not too much of a hassle for somebody wanting to take steps forward to being an environmental advocate.
A climate action adaptation plan is currently in the works for the city of Campbell, which will hopefully give our city a bit of a nudge towards considering this process of electrification. Once again, it’s one of the key actions a family can take to decrease their carbon footprint, but things like affordability and opportunity must be considered before this undertaking. In the meantime, you as an individual have many other options to be an activist for the earth. My dad continues to be a huge advocate for climate education at an appropriate age so we can start getting the youth more involved and more understanding of what climate change really means and how we can look at it optimistically while still taking it seriously. If you’re a high school student, you can continue to educate yourself on environmental advocacy through school clubs, online media like podcasts, and organizations like SVYCA (Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action), a group that fights for community impact and tackles challenges of the future (and would look amazing on college applications…just saying…).
In our day-to-day lives, we can reduce our carbon footprint in several different ways, which you can choose from in accordance with your lifestyle. For example, you could choose to eat less meat, as meat factories contribute a lot of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere. You could choose to use public transportation or carpool more often, reducing excessive vehicle emissions. You could attend events that fight in favor of minimizing the harm done by oil companies. Most importantly, however, remember to keep in mind the effects your actions have on the environment as you enter a career path. Always lean towards a sustainable alternative whenever prompted, and keep learning how you can be an advocate! Thanks once more to my dad for informing me about some of the topics covered in this article. Happy Earth Day, everyone!