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Hotter summers, smokier days, longer fire seasons. This is the reality of climate change in the Rogue Valley.

I have lived in Ashland for 16 years and have witnessed forest fires turn into a season and smoky summers become a regular occurrence. The smell of smoke is ingrained in my memory and reminds me of the months I have off from school, in which I should be going outside and hanging out with my friends. I don’t travel as often as I want out of fear of a fire starting close to home. Global warming is real and is affecting all of us now.

Climate change has made summers insufferable and fire season worse, which is why we need to do something about it.

A group of high schoolers from the Rogue Climate Action Team are demanding bold climate action at the local level because we know the future depends on us. I have spent most of my free time urging my city officials to pass the Climate and Clean Air Policy Package, a group of policies that would improve indoor air quality, affordability, and public health for our communities, when I should be focusing on my homework or studying for tests. This isn’t how I had imagined spending my free time or my senior year of high school.

Already this summer, record-breaking temperatures have swept through Oregon, causing Ashland’s fire danger level to rise into the extreme. It was only the beginning of July when the first triple-digit heat wave occurred, way earlier than in years prior. Conditions that once would have been considered unusual for the Rogue Valley so early in the summer are now the “new normal” of a changing climate.

This unusual weather has come at a time where air conditioning is not common in many homes because in the past, we didn’t need it. Cooling shelters have become increasingly more essential for people to survive this extreme heat, however more volunteers are needed to make a difference. Our city cannot sit passively as these preventable conditions become more life-threatening year after year. We need action and we need it now.

The Climate and Clean Air Policy Package would primarily focus on reducing the use of fossil fuels in new residential construction. Building new homes with electric appliances is a no-brainer and not a new concept. Studies have shown that installing a heat pump instead of a gas-powered furnace in a new home will save residents $4,000 over the lifetime of the appliance. Heat pumps use three to four times less energy than gas appliances, and homes with electric heat pumps will reduce heating emissions by more than 45% over the next 10 years.

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I want to take control of my future. I want to be able to breathe clean air and have a future worth living in, not one where being able to go outside is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Many people avoid going outside when it’s smoky, yet they stay inside their houses that have gas appliances. Gas-powered appliances cause indoor pollution that leads to a high risk of childhood asthma and cancer. To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, we must stop burning gas and transition to renewable, efficient electricity in the next three years.

I want to take control of my future. I want to be able to breathe clean air and have a future worth living in, not one where being able to go outside is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I am thoroughly disappointed in my local government for not focusing on this crisis and ignoring our cries for action, but now they have an opportunity to pass these policies and follow through on their promises set in the Climate and Energy Action Plan. I’m stepping up and fighting for the Earth I’m set to inherit. Supporting bold climate action should be a no-brainer. Passing the Climate and Clean Air policy package is a crucial step forward to meet our climate needs.