Bend Change in Your Direction

Climate change is very real and urgent. Changes in our infrastructure, policy, and energy production need to be made quickly, and I know our society will make them. But changes are hard, and so as an analogy I present to you my own career.

I left a place of comfort and security, having taught Science for over a decade. I knew that for my own growth and happiness I had to find a new field, one that encouraged learning and gave me a fresh and ambitious outlook. But I have also battled feelings of inadequacy and fear. It hasn’t been easy. Our energy transition is likewise driven by people’s ambition, innovation, and desire for something better. But our energy transition also runs into barriers put up by fears. Nostalgia, misunderstanding, politics, and sometimes greed can block progress. Ultimately, fear of the unknown and divergent attitudes towards a different future can cripple our collective enthusiasm. (I should note that human efforts to limit greenhouse emissions are existential in nature, and far more complex (and exciting) than my simple career change.)

Think, over the course of your life, of the technological adoption and the flexibility that we’ve shown as a society. Internet, email, phones, texting, streaming… clearly we’ve all adapted our behaviors. Our routines and entrenched habits are comforting, but we need to hold them lightly. The healthiest approach to change is to embrace its benefits and not dwell on the limitations.

So when we make decisions to move cities, marry, switch jobs, or try something new we know that the ride might be bumpy. Sometimes the change is forced on us and we do our best to adapt. But we often gear up for a challenge because the smoother ride isn’t getting us where we want to be. And of those two, we all know the latter is a happier journey, and meeting changes head-on gives us agency. Deep down we know the right thing is often difficult, but we rely on our ability to learn and change. And also… it’s never too late to escape the inertia of how things always have been. Our move towards renewable electrical generation, different transportation systems, electrification of our grid, smarter distributed energy resources… it will all be messy.* But like changing careers, relationships, or houses, we understand they’re part of our growth. Change is the only constant, so all we can do is develop a mindset to welcome it. Bend the narrative towards excitement and innovation – and join the team that wants to grow with and understand the change.

*In the film Pee Wee’s Big Adventure Pee Wee is showing off on his bicycle. He’s popping wheelies and doing tricks, and ultimately runs into the curb, somersaulting to a stop in front of the boys he’s trying to impress. He gets up, dusts himself off, straightens his crisp gray suit, and says “I meant to do that.” Then he primly walks off. He clearly did NOT mean to do that. Think of our energy transition as a wild bike ride. There will be some wasted movements, and we need to find our way through trial and error. The acrobatics and messiness of a bicycle fall are going to be our reality. But we can land it all gracefully, and safely, and if we show some intention we can look back and say we “meant to do that.”