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Monarchs hanging from a tree

Climate Storytelling Contest

2026 Photo Essay 3rd Place Winner

"When Healing Depends on Power in a Changing Climate"
By Jerry Chang, Agoura Hills



Text: When Healing Depends on Power in a Changing Climate, A Photo Essay by Jerry Chang.
Photo of blades of grass. Text: Energy Is Invisible — Until It’s Gone. This photo essay connects energy, climate change, and human life through unforgettable personal story. My perspective changed through the memory of a close friend whose life once depended on powered medical equipment after the family accident. For him, electricity was not simply a convenience; it was the quiet force keeping him alive. As wildfires and power outages became more common in my community, I began to understand that energy insecurity is not distant. It can enter our homes, threaten our health, and reveal how vulnerable we are. This journey — from memory to awareness to action — shows that sustainable energy is more than a response to climate change. It is a commitment to protecting life, building resilience, and carrying hope into an uncertain future.
Photo of a post card that reads: Dear Jerry, I can't wait to see you! Have a great last few days of summer! -Jameson. Caption: Angoura Hills, California. Text: The Day Before Everything Changed. The music played softly in the classroom— “It’s Raining Tacos.” That was our song. Mine and dear Jameson’s I was only nine years old when the postcard arrived— the day before everything changed.
Photo of a sunset over the ocean. Caption: Maui, Hawaii Text: A Quiet Moment Under the Same Sky. At the time, it was just a postcard— a quiet moment under the same sky. I did not know happiness could disappear so quickly.
Photo of gray, cloudy skies. Caption: Agoura Hills. Text: Held by an Invisible Power. After the accident, Jameson fell into a deep coma. I stood by his bedside, shocked, heartbroken, and helpless. Looking out the window, I could do nothing but face the truth: life is fragile, quietly held by an invisible yet essential power.
Photo of people and vehicles on a road with wildfire smoke in the distance. Caption: Near my home, Westlake Village, California. Text: When the Winds Return. Over the past five years, wildfires have become part of life near my home in Agoura Hills. We have learned to fear the winds, and to wait helplessly for them to rise again— because they never come alone. Evacuations. Power outages. Here, climate change is something we live through.
Photo of an open suitcase with folders and passports. Caption: Home, Agoura Hills, California. Text: The Suitcase by the Door. In our home, the suitcase is no longer only for travel. It waits quietly for the next evacuation. We no longer ask if it will happen— only when.In a car ride trip to San Diego, being one of the many places I’m driven to, reflecting the amounts of carbon dioxide that is released from this lifestyle, without me having a thought or care about it.
Photo of a teenager sitting at a table working with wires. Caption: Home, Agoura Hillsd, California. Text: Energy Protects. Jameson survived because the machines never stopped. Behind every breath, there were invisible systems powered by energy. But when the power fails, life becomes fragile again. Energy is not only a source of light, motion, or comfort— it is protection. And that was when I began to act.
Photo of a contraption made of a cardboard box, lamp, wires, and measuring devices. Caption: Home, Agoura Hills, California. Text: Answering Fear with Science. I chose to answer fear with science. Not just with experiments, but with a desire to understand. Solar energy powers sustainability, carrying warmth, light, and life itself. I wanted to know not only how it works— but how it protects.
Photo of a teenager posing next to a city offical. Caption: Agoura Hills City Hall, California. Text: When Knowledge Becomes a Voice. I carried this message into my community. I began to speak— not as an expert, but as someone who had seen how energy shapes lives. I learned that change begins not only with knowledge, but with the courage to share it.
Photo of young children walking up a dirt path with brown grass on both sides. Caption: Malibu, California. Text: What We Choose to Protect. After the fires, the land heals slowly. Step by step, just like us. Resilience is not automatic— it grows from what we choose to protect.
Photo of a teenager jumping in the air on the beach. Caption: Los Cabos. Text: Hope Lives in What We Build. The future is not something we simply wait for. It is shaped by what we choose to build. And within that choice, hope continues to live.