With Gratitude #7: A CCL blog series
By Katie Zakrzewski
As 2022 draws to a close, this is a great time to reflect on all that we’ve accomplished this year, and everything that we have to be thankful for. Fortunately, we have a lot to be thankful for, especially this year. One of the best ways to do that is to revisit all of the neat things that our volunteers have been up to over the course of the year.
Through the end of the year CCL will be spotlighting some of our favorite volunteer efforts from 2022 as we look back on all of the hard work that allowed us to be where we are today, as well as the financial support that helped mobilize our volunteers to do incredible things. We couldn’t have done it without you.
In this blog, you’ll read about volunteers who ask senators questions, help pass major climate legislation, buy billboards, and plenty more examples of CCLers creating the political will for a liveable world!
Sen. Coons opens Mid Atlantic Conference
CCL’s Mid Atlantic Conference took place on Feb. 5 and 6, opened by Senator Chris Coons (D-DE). The conference included a host of diverse panelists, from high schoolers to environmentalists of color. Multiple Zoom lines hosted opportunities to explore the impact of climate action in business, in agriculture, on youth, and environmental justice communities. The event also had an in-person element at Bowie State University with meet and greet opportunities as well as CCL “speed dating” tables. Afterward, attendants went on a bird walk.
In his conference-opening speech, Sen. Coons thanked CCL volunteers for their efforts in climate action and expressed his own concerns with climate. Sen. Coons offered hope from the progress made so far while promising to continue work on carbon pricing and a carbon border adjustment.
CCL asks Sen. Warnock about climate change at town hall
Earlier this year, the members of Atlanta’s CCL chapter got the opportunity to ask Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) about clean energy initiatives. Sen. Warnock hosted a February Friday night town hall when Georgia state coordinator Henry Slack asked for the senator’s thoughts on clean energy and a price on carbon.
Sen. Warnock replied, “I think that we need to incentivize clean energy…the Senate is an interesting place…so I’ll continue to talk to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to figure out how we can make some progress on clean energy.”
This exchange, summarized in this tweet, shows that lobbying our members of Congress doesn’t only happen through calls, emails, and meetings, but also through creative engagement in our districts and states.
CCLer plays role in political will for IRA passage
To say that Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) “hit a homer in the ninth inning” this past August by agreeing to support the Inflation Reduction Act would be an understatement. Senator Chuck Schumer’s (D-NY) patience was pivotal in working with Sen. Manchin. But Sen. Schumer got his determination from his constituents, who urged him to enact climate legislation.
One of those constituents was CCL volunteer Sean Dague, who serves as New York’s state coordinator.
Sean was at a town hall event on May 31 organized by Indivisible New York, where he got the chance to ask the Majority Leader a question. Noting that Biden had campaigned on addressing climate change, which was a key factor in bringing out the youth vote for Democrats in 2020, Sean asked, “What is your plan to get the president’s climate package passed in the Senate to ensure the president and Democrats more broadly deliver on climate action?”
Schumer replied that he was the only one Manchin was negotiating with. He wasn’t sure if they could get a deal done, and if they did, there would be compromises. The next question asked, “What can Democrats do to encourage young voters to come out at the midterms?” Referring back to Sean’s question, Schumer said, “Climate.”
In mid-June, CCL New York organized a calling campaign to Schumer’s office with the simple message: “Get climate done. Get the best deal you can get with Manchin, and get it done.” Other organizations pitched in, and CCL volunteer Sarah Mittiga estimates about 250 messages were delivered to Schumer.
Volunteers like Sean have played a pivotal role throughout the reconciliation progress. Thank you all for your hard work!
Consider becoming a CCL liaison.
Jacksonville volunteers write op-ed about Hurricane Ian
CCL volunteers had an op-ed published in The Florida Times-Union about the importance of addressing climate change to avoid future hurricanes like Ian.
Joyce Tuten, a member of the Jacksonville chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby, and Dr. Adam Rosenblatt, who is the Jacksonville chapter leader and an assistant professor at the University of North Florida, wrote the op-ed in early October about the possibility of future climate disasters.
“Hurricane Ian serves as yet another life-threatening, emergency call to action. We can rebuild roads and put our homes up on stilts, but the only permanent solution is to cut back on our use of fossil fuels and do it as fast as we can,” the duo wrote. “We need more legislation that will reduce our use of fossil fuels even further…We must succeed at this task; if not, when the next hurricane comes around our luck may run out.”
MN CCLers buy election season billboard
This past October, the Fergus Falls, Minnesota, chapter of CCL put up a billboard along the interstate reminding voters that climate change is an election issue. Like and share that awesome billboard below.
MA climate forum gains local media traction
The North Central Massachusetts chapter of CCL recently organized a successful climate conversation at Fitchburg State University. The event featured local and state officials, as well as U.S. Representative Lori Trahan (D-MA-03), for a conversation about climate legislation in the Bay State.
Participants discussed climate initiatives in Massachusetts, as well as the impact of climate legislation, such as the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS Act, and the Science Act on the state. The televised event was also picked up by the Massachusetts’ publication, Sentinel & Enterprise.
Rep. Trahan tweeted about the event, stating that “Together, we are working to #ActOnClimate!” You can like and share her full tweet below.
LIKE AND SHARE REP. TRAHAN’S TWEET
UU World features CCL volunteers
Hard work and polite persistence from several CCL volunteers in Texas paid off this month.
CCL Unitarian Universalist Action Team co-leader Nadine Kadell Sapirman shares that after years of communicating with the national Unitarian Universalist magazine UU World, the magazine decided to feature CCL volunteers.
Texas UU CCL volunteer Diane Duesterhoeft helped bring this to fruition, as well as UU CCL volunteer Peter Eisenhardt, who connected the magazine to Unitarian Universalist Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA-27). Rep. Chu is a vocal supporter of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act.
Several members of this action team worked hard and saw everyone as a potential ally. By embracing CCL’s polite mindset, they have helped create the political will for a liveable world.
Citizens’ Climate is rolling up our sleeves again: ready to advocate for the policies needed to meet—and even exceed—the goals set in the Paris Accord. But we need your support to be successful. We help our volunteers turn their climate alarm into climate action. Our growing network of 210,000+ citizen lobbyists represents a powerful force elevating climate change as a top policy priority for both Democrats and Republicans.
Your donation will help us reach, train, and mobilize even more climate-concerned constituents. Donate to fight climate change today.
