Paulina Torres - 7-27-2019 - Op Ed - Valley congressmen should support renewable energy bill

Valley congressmen should support renewable energy bill

The Fresno Bee - 27 Jul 2019BY PAULINA TORRES

https://www.pressreader.com/usa/the-fresno-bee/20190727/282003264027036

I have lived in Terra Bella, a quiet and close-knit town of a little over 3,000 people in Tulare County, for the past six years. My hard-working parents, like most people in Terra Bella, pick the fruits and vegetables that are bound for markets all over the world. As the 18-year-old daughter of a low-income Latino family, the last place I would have imagined myself was lobbying Congress about climate change in Washington, D.C.??But on June 8, I traveled to the Capitol with four other volunteers from the??Central Valley thanks to a student scholarship from Citizens??? Climate Lobby. Just a few weeks after graduating from high school, I was lucky enough to attend the 10th Annual International Climate Change Conference and Lobby Day and meet with members of Congress in the House of Representatives.

As a millennial and part of the future of this country, the constant threat of climate change is something that worries me. I know many young adults feel the same way. It was reassuring to meet other young people when I was in Washington who are also working towards solutions. Global warming and the changes it is causing to our climate are no longer possible to ignore. The science has been proven and we can see the effects around us. The average temperature is hotter than ever, which affects our air quality. Glaciers are melting and fires, floods and storms are more frequent and more intense.

I have learned that the communities most affected by global warming and air pollution are those just like mine ??? under-resourced, low income, undereducated communities of color. I have seen how these categories can lead to a mentality of either denial or conformity. Either mentality can stop people like me from seeing problems and using our voices to impact the future. I used to feel discouraged from discussing religion or politics. But the more I learned about climate change, the more I felt I had a mission to make an impact on the way we are addressing this worldwide problem.

The democratic process of our country is inspiring to me. And even though I have felt intimidated at times, I feel proud and humbled to help my community to use its voice to support effective action to protect us from the effects of greenhouse gas emissions.??I went to D.C. to learn and also to encourage Congress to support a bipartisan bill, HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Instead of telling people what they can or can???t do or buy, this bill uses a market-driven solution to encourage innovation. This will help us use more renewable sources of energy that will do less harm to our air, water and soil.??

This past year, I started giving presentations about climate change in my area. The student governments of three Porterville high schools (Summit Academy Charter School, Harmony Magnet Academy, and Granite Hills) have now endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.??HR763 will be good for people because it is predicted to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 40 percent in just 12 years. On top of that, all of the money from the fees on carbon emissions goes back to all Americans to spend any way they choose. 2.1 million jobs new jobs are expected, many from the extra spending power people will have from the dividend. Everyone will benefit but this will especially help low- and middleincome people.

Although the Energy Innovation Act in Congress is a huge step in the right direction, our local members of Congress are still hesitant to cosponsor HR 763. We need them to act before the damage of global warming and the changes it is causing to our environment get worse.

I will be leaving Terra Bella for college in Los Angeles soon, but I will never forget about my family, my town, or my community. They are counting on me to work hard, succeed and to help them to have a voice for a healthy future. That???s why I am asking Valley Representatives TJ Cox, Jim Costa, Kevin McCarthy, Tom McClintock and Devin Nunes to help Valley residents by supporting this bipartisan bill.

Paulina Torres is a recent graduate of Summit Academy Charter School in Porterville. She will be attending UCLA in the fall as a political science major. She enjoys playing soccer, practicing guitar, and spending time with family. She is a volunteer with Citizens??? Climate Lobby in Fresno.