It’s May! This month of transition from spring into summer wouldn’t be complete without healthy doses of all the weather; sunshine, rain, and wet snow. Not to mention celebrations of graduations and end of the school year for many. It also wouldn’t be complete without taking time to sing the praises of our Climate Hero of the Month, Dar-Lon Chang!
It was five years ago in 2019 that Dar-Lon got started with 350 Colorado during the Climate Strikes, and since then he has been involved in a number of realms and efforts, sharing his passion and expertise with activists and the movement alike.
Before his climate activism, he got a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, which did not turn out to be the birthplace of the HAL 9000 AI supercomputer as foretold in Arthur C. Clarke’s novel 2001, but is the birthplace of clean energy technology such as the Conditioning Energy Recovery Ventilation system that serves as the lungs of Geos homes.
In his own words, Dar-Lon Chang walked away from a 16-year career as a Research Engineer at ExxonMobil in 2019 to transition from a past soaked in oil and gas, to a clean future as President of GeoSolar Technologies, a publicly traded clean energy company focused on helping free customers from unhealthy fossil fuel dependence in their homes and buildings. The company arose from the Geos neighborhood of 28 all-electric, zero-emission homes in Arvada, Colorado, and Dar-Lon moved his family from Houston to a Geos home that featured a geothermal heat pump, inspiring him to be an activist in the transition of oil and gas workers to geothermal energy jobs.
In 2021, he joined his neighbors in protesting the installation of gas pipelines in the Geos neighborhood after a new developer bought the remaining land and condemned the next 91 homes to dependency on gas. His frequent public comments to the Arvada City Council about the travesty of gas pipelines at Geos led to his appointment to the Arvada Sustainability Advisory Committee in 2022. This is a great example of how using one’s voice can develop much needed leadership in our communities!
Volunteering for 350 Colorado helped Dar-Lon advocate for state policy to transition workers and residents away from dependence on oil and gas. Whether that was happening directly at the legislature during our annual Climate Lobby Day, or in the planning meetings leading up to it, Dar-Lon showed up time and again to make a difference. He has also fostered his daughter’s activism by supporting her efforts with the Youth Action Committee (YAC) and beyond.
The community organizing we do is not to replicate the harms and patterns of these extractive industries, but to ensure that those involved with oil and gas work have multiple viable pathways to other safer professions. And later is too late, the time is now to be planning for this off-ramp! Dar-Lon understands this well. He’s been at the table with stakeholders, he’s been on the streets peacefully raising his voice with others, and we are incredibly lucky every time he steps forward to speak power to the truth.
In 2022, he also joined the Just Transition Roundtable led by the Alliance Center, and the recommendations of the Roundtable helped the passage of HB23-1074, a Colorado bill to study the workforce transition of oil and gas workers to other industries, including the clean energy industry. Dar-Lon shared his own challenges transitioning to a clean energy career with CNN, Frontline PBS, and Inside Climate News, reaching more than just the people of Colorado! He advocates for whistleblower protections as his former ExxonMobil colleagues were fired for blowing the whistle on a multibillion dollar fraud misrepresenting to investors how much fracking could produce from the Permian.
He joined the board of local organization Colorado Rising in 2023 to counter the disinformation from ExxonMobil and the oil and gas industry. Even this year you’ve likely seen the ads that the industry has put out there to strike fear in the heart’s of Coloradans. While we know that their spending power will out perform our own, they cannot tap into the same people power that comes from shared values for a better world. And Dar-Lon shows how one individual’s voice can make more than just ripples, but serious waves in the seas of change.
“Dar-Lon truly lives his values of environmentalism. He advocates for and works tirelessly to move communities towards a fossil-free future.” – Ruth, volunteer activist
In 2024, he became the leader of the Climate Action Team for the Arvadans for Progressive Action. Basically he hasn’t let up! Signing & sharing various petitions, meeting with his legislators, and supporting existing campaigns around renewable energy, Dar-Lon continues to use his skills in a number of ways.
“Dar-Lon is such an all-star of a 350 member/volunteer,” says Matt Gose, Promoting Climate Solutions Coordinator. “Earlier this month he was kind enough to give a presentation to our Promoting Climate Solutions committee regarding his company GeoSolar Technologies. In this presentation he explained how he has been working to truly create sustainable carbon negative housing solutions. Dar Lon shared his vast experience in a very digestible way that inspired many of us to rethink our priorities when it comes to building or buying a home.”
Dar-Lon was also recently featured in an episode of Climate Town, a Youtube series about climate issues ran by a local Denverite! ‘Natural Gas is Scamming America’. Jump to 11:43 for Dar-Lon’s clip!
Everything, from Dar Lon constantly attending meetings, to his deep knowledge of the oil and gas industry, to his positive demeanor are just a few of the reasons why he is truly a climate hero. Thank you so much for all that you do to make the world a better place Dar-Lon! Your advocacy and kindness are celebrated this month and all year long!