New Children’s Book Celebrates the Power and Potential of Energy-Sharing Networks – GreenBuildingAdvisor

By Justin R. Wolf | December 16, 2025

For anyone who’s ever found themselves in the position of trying to convince a relative, friend, or neighbor about the benefits of “going green,” as it were, and come up short, I know the feeling. Whether the subject is solar, heat pumps, ERVs, natural insulation, induction cooking, or just about anything that involves electrifying what was once powered by fossil fuels, the harsh truth is that old habits die hard. The abundance and comparative affordability of natural gas, PVC, plastic insulations, and other products that are otherwise harmful to our health and environment make them difficult to ditch. And even when the prospect of better air quality and energy independence are evident, these investments take time to pencil out.

Therein lies a big part of the challenge: time. Many baby boomers, now retired, won’t warm to the idea of investing in a rooftop solar array that may not be fully paid for in their lifetime. This isn’t a lost cause, however. Recent reporting from the Environmental Voter Project, released in 2023, suggests that older Americans are “second only to those between the ages of 18 and 34 in naming climate and the environment their highest political priorities.” But such concerns typically manifest on a smaller scale, like composting, cleaning up parks, or donating to nonprofits. This trend is encouraging, nonetheless, given that ours is an aging nation.

But what about the larger imperatives of slashing emissions on a community-wide scale? Of building for and powering our lives in ways that are less extractive and more equitable? And of charting a livable future that doesn’t forego skilled labor in place of AI? A new children’s book may have the answers.

A clean and green community

The Clean Green Neighborhood (La Comunidad Limpia y Verde) is a new bilingual children’s…