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1 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Quake warning system tested for Northwest ... Child taken to hospital after being struck by vehicle in west Medford ... Marie Callender's replacement proposed in Medford ... Quake warning system tested for Northwest ... Child taken to hospital after being struck by vehicle in west Medford ... Marie Callender's replacement proposed in Medford ... GUEST OPINION Guest Opinion: Talent comes together on energy, jobs, climate Comment By Emily Berlant and Erika Giesen MailTribune.com By Emily Berlant and Erika Giesen Posted Sep. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM By Emily Berlant and Erika Giesen Posted Sep. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Social News Like any other town, Talent has a mix of residents with a variety of backgrounds and political opinions. But virtually everyone agrees on a few important goals. We’d like to make it easier for residents, businesses, schools and city government to save energy and to use solar power and other forms of cleaner energy. We would all benefit by creating local jobs making buildings more energy efficient and installing cleaner energy systems. We need to save water as climate change reduces average snowpack in our mountains. We support local food sources and community gardens. And we would like to make transportation more accessible and affordable and take other steps to improve quality of life in Talent. In our town, we are not just talking about these goals. With help from the local community group, Rogue Climate, we are bringing people together to ask local residents for ideas, study what other rural towns have done, and partner with existing agencies and organizations. On Friday, Sept. 11, Rogue Climate Talent and Together for Talent will be sharing some of what we are learning at our town’s evening market outside City Hall from 5:30 p.m. until dusk. There will be exhibits, music, food trucks, and information from organizations such as the Energy Trust and Clean Energy Works about programs that are available for making existing buildings more energy-efficient. Clean Energy Works reports, for example, that there are 837 older homes in the Talent zip code that are eligible for assistance with retrofitting for energy efficiency. Then, on Saturday, Oct. 24, we will hold a community workshop to hear more about what has worked elsewhere and what we might do here. The workshop is part of a statewide program called "Making Energy Work for Rural Oregon" run by Sustainable Northwest. Talent was one of six communities chosen for the program for 2015, along with Klamath Falls, Hood River, John Day, Dufur and Douglas County. You can register for the free workshop at rogueclimate.org . We will hear from leaders in Lake County, which is on its way to being 100 percent free of fossil fuels like coal, oil, and gas. It has dozens of projects involving renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal that will save county residents at least $9 million over the next decade. In preparation for the evening market and community workshop, Rogue Climate Talent has held a series of living room conversations in various neighborhoods and conducted a survey of local residents to ask about trends we are seeing in our valley. These include higher average temperatures, more fires and smoke, declining forest health and reduced snowpack. Many residents say they are concerned that our quality of life will be threatened if these trends increase. Jobs and businesses that depend on tourism and retirement services will be undermined if Southern Oregon becomes less attractive as a place to visit or live. Jobs related to agriculture and forestry will be jeopardized by increased heat, reduced water supplies, and more intense insect infestations. We also have been pulling together an analysis of how energy is being used in our community now and where there is potential for greater efficiency and conservation. In addition, we are identifying ways that low-income households already living with economic insecurity are even more vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Based on all this research and community input, Rogue Climate Talent will be partnering with local residents, Together for Talent, Jackson Soil and Water Conservation District, Rogue Valley Council of Governments, the Rogue Energy Alliance and more to identify and carry out projects. We hope our efforts will not only make a difference in Talent but encourage similar projects in other Rogue Valley communities so we can help each other speed energy and climate change action throughout our region. By transitioning faster to cleaner energy, bringing down long-term costs, creating jobs and saving water, we can make Southern Oregon an even better place to live for all of us. For more information, go to RogueClimate.org/rogue_climate_Talent or call 541-840-1065. Emily Berlant and Erika Giesen are active in Rogue Climate Talent.   By Emily Berlant and Erika Giesen MailTribune.com By Emily Berlant and Erika Giesen Posted Sep. 8, 2015 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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