We focus much of our political energy about climate change, like much of our political energy in general, at the national level. What laws can Congress pass? What executive orders can the President implement? And don’t get me wrong – these are important questions. When Congress passes laws or the President implements executive orders on climate change, those actions matter. And if you have been part of national fights to force climate action or want to join them, more power to you.
But the choices we make here in Oak Park are just as vital. Members of the local community group Oak Park Climate Action Network (OPCAN) are advocating for local policy and action to address the climate crisis here. How we live out our own commitment to addressing climate change may not grab people’s attention in the same way as national efforts, but it provides the grounding for what happens on a larger scale.
If we don’t electrify our own homes, we won’t personally capitalize on the national incentives available for electrical appliances. If we don’t electrify our local infrastructure, we can’t take advantage of renewable energy being generated at a greater scale in Illinois.
OPCAN advocated for the village to adopt our policy that new construction must include all-electric infrastructure — heat pumps, induction stoves, and electric water heaters. This new infrastructure will start to reduce our reliance on natural gas for heating and cooking, which in turn will reduce our village’s emissions. Building new infrastructure now that relies on natural gas would lock in our use of fossil fuels for decades, whereas new electric infrastructure reduces emissions as electricity becomes cleaner.
But regardless of requirements for new construction, most of Oak Park’s emissions come from existing buildings. That’s why members of OPCAN are working on plans to support home and business owners in transitioning their buildings from natural gas infrastructure to electrical. There are many options to change natural gas appliances to electric as simply and inexpensively as possible. National incentives through the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates (HEEHRA) program can defray upfront costs. And studies have shown that electrifying home appliances saves homeowners money over the long term.
So national efforts are important. Please get involved if you are willing and able. But local choices are important, too. If you’re buying new appliances for your home — heating and cooling systems, stoves, and water heaters — please consider making the switch to electric.
And if you’re interested in advocating for local changes, please reach out to OPCAN at opcan.org. We can all do our part, locally, in our state, and at the national level, to address climate change.
Jim Schwartz is a member of the local community group Oak Park Climate Action Network (opcan.org).
