Dar-Lon Chang

SnapSessions! presents Episode 56, featuring an interview with Environmental activist and futurist, Dar-Lon Chang, President of Geo-Solar Technologies. In addition, we talk to a group of young Climate activists from Mendocino High School regarding their thoughts on recent Climate trials that have occurred in Montana and across the nation. Dar-Lon Chang emigrated to the United States from Taiwan as a child, hoping to follow in his dad’s footsteps as an engineer. They landed first in New York and then headed to Chicago, where Dar-Lon worshipped Chicago Bulls’ basketball hero, Michael Jordan. He quickly showed engineering aptitude at the University of Illinois, gaining a PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2003. He received an offer to work for Exxon and hoped that he could push the company toward a more environmentally sustainable course, spending much of the next decade working to pull the company away from oil and gas. Unfortunately, Dar-Lon’s attempt to move the company toward a cleaner future was not taken seriously. After Hurricanes Ike and Harvey pounded the Houston area, Dar-Lon and his family began looking for alternatives and found them in the net zero GeoSolar Community of Arvada, Colorado in 2015. The Changs moved to Arvada that year and began working to help GeoSolar expand. In this interview we follow Dar-Lon’s journey with GeoSolar to a world of geothermal wells, heat pumps, and full solar arrays for an entire community. The path has not always been smooth, but Chang outlines a life that has led him to his present position as President of GeoSolar Technologies.

In addition, Episode 56 opens with an interview with five committed Mendocino High School climate activists– Francesca Mills, Max Oatney, Knute Kvinsland, Papillon O’Feral and Sara Rose—regarding their thoughts on recent Climate trials, most especially Montana’s trial this past August. Although they were initially surprised by news of the lawsuit, the five activists quickly find their bearings. They animatedly discuss the Montana trial where In 2023, 16 plaintiffs, ages 5 to 22, took the state of Montana to court for violating their right to a clean environment, which is enshrined in the state’s constitution. This follows upon other climate trials launched by youthful plaintiffs across the USA.

Episode 56 is 1 Hour and 10 minutes long and includes an intro, the interview with Mendocino Teen activists discussing Climate Change lawsuits (starts at 1:16), as well as the interview with Climate activist and futurist, Dar-Lon Chang, (starts at 29:50).

SnapSessions! includes original music by Marshall Brown, production by Marshall Brown and interns Max Oatney & Frej Barty, voiceovers by Doug Nunn and Marshall Brown, and articles and interviews by Doug Nunn. Our SnapSessions! artist and logo maker is caricaturist, Daniel Stieglitz.

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