By Barbara Hensleigh

It’s not the sexiest of topics, but the Sierra Club is fired up about it! Or should we say, "electric" about it? Did you know that California's buildings produce a quarter of the state's greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, making homes and businesses a major factor in climate change? This makes Buildings the second largest contributor to climate change in CA next to the transportation sector. “Buildings” includes appliances within, such as stoves and those that warm and cool your home's space and water. The good news is that California has a roadmap to electrify buildings, getting us to meet our climate goals, and advancing our transition away from fossil fuels to clean renewable energy sources.

By decarbonizing our home appliances, we are also tackling the big poor-air-quality issue in our region. Burning fossil fuels to heat the space and water in our buildings is not only unnecessary, it also emits health-harming and climate-disrupting pollution, including (but not limited to) nitrogen oxides (NO_X), carbon monoxide (CO), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and carbon dioxide (CO₂). Together, these pollutants harm all three major organ systems of the body: the respiratory, cardiovascular, and nervous systems. Getting rid of gas-fired appliances in homes is vital for our health.

To highlight the need for transition to all-electric buildings and homes, the Angeles Chapter convened a panel at the Audubon Center in Debs Park, in the heart of the Central Group, during LA’s first Climate Week. You could not escape the irony: this event took place during an extreme-heat event -- climate change in our faces. Despite 105˚ temperatures, we had over forty community members join us. The panelists included Aura Vasquez, Chair of the Chapter’s Climate Action Committee; Kim Orbe, Angeles Chapter Staff organizer for the building electrification campaign; Nihal Shrinath, Sierra Club attorney; LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman; and Gayatri Sehgal, Activist Academy graduate and moderator. The discussion was lively. For example, Nihal spoke about the socializing and greenwashing of “natural gas,” as well as current challenges with ordinances banning the use of gas in new buildings. Councilmember Raman described her work on the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) in support of building electrification. The SCAQMD is the agency responsible for cleaning up the air for over 17 million people in our region, through rule-making that sets low- to zero-emission standards for equipment. There are two upcoming SCAQMD rules for homes and commercial buildings that will require any space- and water-heating appliances needing replacement to be replaced with zero-emission appliances. These rules will tackle not only outdoor air pollution, but also the pollution inside homes from gas-fired appliances.

“The more I learn of the various polluting sources in our region, including oil drilling, refineries, and heavy-duty trucks driving through neighborhoods, I find it criminal that our communities are unable to find an escape from pollution. And what an injustice that we have polluting sources right inside our homes, and that most people are unaware of how these things impact their health in the place we consider to feel safe, our homes. The fossil fuel industry has us in a chokehold, but not for long. By advocating for building electrification and zero-emission standards for appliances in our homes, we are fighting for the clean air we all deserve to breathe.” Kim Orbe, Chapter Conservation Program Manager

Following a Q&A with the panelists, attendees were treated to an induction-stove cooking demonstration by Chef Jocelyn of Todo Verde. Chef Jocelyn cooked plant-based tacos and made her own corn tortillas, all on an induction cooktop. The resulting tacos were good not just for us, but – because they were cooked by electricity – they were good for the planet too. You can check out this blog with examples of affordable, renter-friendly ways to transition to electric appliances.

The building electrification campaign is just one of our important campaigns to tackle the climate crisis, and to advocate for a just transition away from fossil fuels towards a resilient future we all deserve.  To learn more about the campaign and take action see our petition.

Barbara Hensleigh is Chair of the Central Regional Group and heads the 30x30 leadership group.  Please contact her at barbarajhensleigh@gmail.com