Carson City woman at climate talks

As a student at Carson High School, Meredith Adler first became interested in energy and how its use shapes the future.

This week, she has been at center stage for the Paris Climate Talks, where a worldwide deal is expected to be struck today.

“It’s overwhelming and it’s exciting,” Adler said. “It’s like the Woodstock for climate nerds. I’ve met every climate and energy hero I’ve ever had.”

Adler, daughter of Ernie and Sarah Adler, graduated from Carson High in 2007 before attending the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada.

She said she chose that school because of its prestige, not deterred by the distance from home.

“As a student at Carson High School, I had some great teachers who really inspired me to think big,” she said, noting she studied in Argentina as part of the the Rotary Youth Exchange program.

She now serves as the executive director of Student Energy, an organization dedicated to creating the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs in sustainable energy.

She said she and others working in the field face a conundrum where on one hand the world is creating too much carbon emissions, which is the catalyst for global warming. On the other hand, she said, more than a billion people lack access to energy.

“It’s a pretty fascinating and nuanced space when you’re looking at solving those problems,” she said. “But I think there are solutions that do both — reduce emissions while also creating access for the poor.”

Adler is attending the talks as an observer, but privy to negotiations going on among the 40,000 delegates.

“It’s an amazing year to be here,” she said.

“People are actually very hopeful. They’re talking about solutions and how to turn this into an opportunity.”

Her plans will be to leave Paris on Sunday when she will fly to Carson City to spend time with her family for the holidays.