As a mom of two ever-inquisitive boys, ages 8 and 10, I’m asked to explain why all the time.
“Don’t throw the baseball in the house.” “Why?”
“Please stop leaving LEGOs in the kitchen.” “Why?”
They know better in these situations, so I don’t give much thought to my terse response: “Because I said so.”
But often my boys’ whys deserve a mindful answer. When they ask why in response to “Turn off your lights,” “Take a five-minute shower,” or “Don’t be wasteful,” I stop and remind them how their actions impact the planet.
Recently, in response to a why, I told them how electricity comes from power plants. We live in Florida, so that means natural gas, a fossil fuel, is the primary source of our energy. I’ll never forget the way my 10-year-old’s jaw dropped when he connected the dots between fossil fuels and charging his iPad. He’d learned in school that fossil fuels are huge contributors to pollution, so he was alarmed, if not disgusted, that our homes are still powered by them—especially since clean energy options are available.
His frustration is warranted. We can and do produce energy from clean sources like wind, the sun, and rivers, so why do we still rely on highly polluting fossil fuels?
The answer is complex. One reason is a lack of political will to make the transition to clean energy. Change takes time—time for everyone to understand the damage we’re causing by relying on fossil fuels and time to build the infrastructure needed to get clean energy into our homes and businesses.
The transition will be long, but the good news is that some states are leading the way, providing a blueprint from which other states can learn. Texas and California, for example, have utility-scale renewable energy from wind and solar. But other states, like mine, need a push in the clean energy direction.
That push needs to come sooner rather than later. Burning fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases into our atmosphere, where they are trapped, speeding a rise in global temperatures and the catastrophic consequences that come with it. Experts say we must cut greenhouse gases 45% by 2030 and 100% by 2050 if we want to effectively curb climate disruption.
And we are all already seeing climate disruption. January 2024 saw record-high winter temperatures in the Midwest and on the East Coast. That same month, ocean temperatures reached unprecedented highs, worrying meteorologists that we could be in store for a busy hurricane season. And just a couple of weeks ago, the Smokehouse Creek Fire became the largest wildfire on record in Texas.
At Moms Clean Air Force, we strive to give parents and caregivers tools to help inform advocacy and join our movement. Our latest fact sheet, The Role of Clean Energy in Cutting Climate Pollution, provides a primer on the importance of transitioning to clean energy for the sake of climate safety.
Thinking back to my sons and their constant stream of whys, I can’t help but draw a parallel to my personal advocacy. My boys are my why. Protecting the earth for future generations is why we do this work at Moms. We want to ensure our planet remains a safe and healthy place for our children, grandchildren, and all future generations. Transitioning to clean energy is how we’ll get there.
READ MORE ABOUT THE ROLE OF CLEAN ENERGY IN CUTTING CLIMATE POLLUTION.