How one Fresno teen is advocating for climate policy within Clovis Unified schools | Opinion

Perhaps the most frustrating barrier facing climate lobbyists is political gridlock. While the environmental benefits of climate policy are abundantly clear, they are not incentive enough to spur legislative action. From municipal politicians to educational authorities, lawmakers in Fresno County are split along the same partisan divide as those in Washington, D.C.

So what's the solution? The health of our planet shouldn't be considered a political issue. Ideally, climate policy shouldn't be a Democratic issue at all. The key to fostering a nonpartisan atmosphere lies in addressing the concerns of prominent voices on either side of the aisle. The most promising avenue I've seen thus far lies in environmental legislation that addresses economic drawbacks by promoting incentives, not regulation.

My experiences as an advocate for the environment have taught me that the first step in bridging the gap is at the local level.

My peers and I are currently participating in a movement, dubbed the "Electrification Challenge," to pass economically beneficial climate legislation promoting renewable energy within the Clovis Unified School District. Backed by students and teachers, Fresno residents from both sides of the aisle are joining together as we advocate at district board meetings for the passage of our bill.

Beginning at a local scale, our "Resolution To Commit To Renewable Energy and Electrification" focuses specifically on the economic benefits of electrifying the district's transportation, buildings and landscape maintenance equipment. It also proposes the creation of a Building Electrification Readiness Plan, which addresses all aspects of preparation necessary to replace fossil fuel-powered appliances used by schools in the district with green appliances.

Notably, Clovis Unified has already prioritized managing energy use at its schools and district facilities through the Energy Management Program, installing numerous Energy Efficient Measures to reduce energy waste. Solar panels are used in the parking lots of many of our schools.

However, the district continues to rely on fossil fuel-powered options in areas ranging from gas appliances to our fleets of school buses. This contributes to pollution and greenhouse gasses that impact thousands of vulnerable students who live in neighborhoods with high sensitivity and low economic adaptive capacity to climate impacts and pollution.

We're also missing out on serious long-term savings in maintenance: Improving energy efficiency in our facilities would enhance budgetary flexibility by reducing operational costs, allowing funds to be redirected toward other educational ventures.

In his own op-ed in this paper discussing policies such as In-Use Locomotive Regulation, Central Valley Rep. Vince Fong cited "increasing economic anxiety with inflation and the rising costs of essential products" as significant concerns. These are completely understandable; however, by implementing correct measures, the detrimental effects on output and inflation will be minimal and worth it in the long run.

Nonpartisan approaches like carbon fee and dividend, which return carbon fees to the people, have the potential to introduce billions into the economy and build aggregate demand for low-carbon consumer goods. Regarding our resolution, renewable energy is now comparable with the cost of building new coal and nuclear capacity and could lead to significant savings in energy consumption along with environmental benefits.

In garnering support for this electrification movement, I've spoken with many individuals with vastly different views. I am profoundly grateful for this, as hearing diverse perspectives has been crucial in shaping the bill's development to ensure it reflects the interests of all involved in our educational system. As we move forward, I'm optimistic for its future.

Shiv Mehrotra-Varma is a senior at Clovis North High School with an interest in scientific research, policy and sustainability. A native-born Fresnan, he loves to help out in the community and advocates for non-partisanship.