Citizens' Climate Lobby

June 2023 Lobby Training #2: Open Q&A Discussion

Join CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass and Senior Director Jenn Tyler for a training that will provide up to the moment insights on the dynamics in Congress and how we can most effectively use our time in meetings to support our agenda. This is a recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of their group's June 2023 Lobby Meeting (as well as the previous week - Lobby Training #1 - CCL's June 2022 Primary & Supporting Asks: https://youtu.be/sBRQRnmMyts)
Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/june-asks-slides 

Skip ahead to the following section(s):

• (0:00) Intro & Agenda
• (2:45) Primary & Supporting Ask Brief Review
• (6:44) Will CCL provide one-pagers for our primary and supporting asks for our meetings?
• (7:44) Are there restrictions with what we can bring into the House & Senate buildings security-wise?
• (9:16) Who should offices be directed to if interested in co-sponsoring the Energy Innovation Act?
• (10:29) Is there a Republican co-sponsor for this session's Energy Innovation Act and do we anticipate any major changes to the bill?
• (12:21) What are the key components in clean energy permitting reform that could speed up the deployment of clean energy and how do we minimize fossil fuel development in the reform?
• (14:48) What is Government Affairs input on a new bipartisan hydro-electric bill that my Senator has signed off on for my state?
• (17:09) Is there a specific permitting bill we anticipate being able to lobby in support of for June meetings?
• (19:27) Why is it that we don't expect the Farm Bill to pass until next year?
• (21:27) Should we also have a supporting ask directed at protecting Inflation Reduction Act funding given it's at risk currently with the House's proposal in the debt ceiling talks
• (23:35) Should we have one or two primary asks if we are meeting with a House member - and how might we decide between clean energy permitting reform or the Energy Innovation Act?
• (26:05) Do we anticipate changes to the Energy Innovation Act? And why is it still not reintroduced?
• (28:28) Should we also be talking in our meetings with the Senate about carbon pricing? Do we think there will be a bill like the Energy Innovation Act in the Senate?
• (30:49) Is CCL working with the Climate Leadership Council or other groups to help reintroduce the Energy Innovation Act?
• (32:10) Are there specific bills that include domestic mining in the permitting reform discussion?
• (32:53) Should we lobby Republicans on a carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) instead of the Energy Innovation Act?
• (35:39) How to best understand concerns for opposition to permitting reform from more progressive groups?
• (39:40) Should we contact our member of Congress's energy staffer to get their input on permitting reform ahead of the meeting?
• (41:12) If the debt ceiling isn't raised by our Lobby Day, how will that impact our meetings?
• (44:40) Why didn't CCL include the FOREST Act in it's supporting asks this June?
• (46:16) Can we get more detail on clean energy permitting reform for our
  primary ask given how much detail we're used to with the Energy Innovation Act?
• (49:57) Would prioritizing community input during clean energy permitting reform expose the process to more NIMBYism?
• (53:53) Why is carbon pricing still needed after the Inflation Reduction Act?
• (55:45) What should we talk about if our member of Congress is already a champion of carbon pricing and clean energy permitting reform?
• (56:40) Concluding Thoughts

CCL June 2023 Lobby Training #1: Primary & Supporting Asks

Join CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass and Senior Director Jenn Tyler for a training that will review the updates and context for CCL's June 2023 Primary and Supporting Asks as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their in-person meetings. This is a recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of their group's June 2023 Lobby Meeting (as well as the next Monday's - Lobby Training #2 - CCL's Legislative Plan).

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(3:12) What's Happening in Congress?
(9:14) Primary Asks
(25:01) Supporting Asks
(37:18) Conclusion
For Q&A Discussion: https://vimeo.com/828347052/3cc5b1c711 

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/june-asks-slides 
CCL Community Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/185 

Dr. Adam Simon | Citizens’ Climate Lobby | May 2023 Monthly Speaker

The transition away from fossil fuels and toward clean energy will require massive amounts of metals that go into the production of electric vehicles, batteries, induction stoves, wind turbines and solar panels. Do enough of these metals exist to get the job done? Where can they be found and can they be extracted in a sustainable manner that doesn't lay waste to our environment? For answers, we turn this month to Dr. Adam Simon, Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. His work focuses on the global flow of energy and mineral resources with an emphasis on the geologic availability of energy critical metals. Adam has co-authored two textbooks and published seventy papers in the field of energy and mineral resources.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:29) Dr. Simon's Presentation
(27:42) Legislative Update with Ben Pendergrass
(33:56) May Actions & Communications Update

Register for June 10-13 CCL Conference: https://cclusa.org/juneconference 
CCL May Action Sheet: https://cclusa.org/actionsheet 
Dr. Simon's Presentation Slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1t8YliThJbW1epGPFc9lsvAYlgNV14_ck/view 

CCL Training: Comparing Permitting Reform Proposals Across the Political Spectrum

Join Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli in an exploration of the permitting reforms proposed by progressives, centrists, and conservatives to learn what the important components are and where there is potential for bipartisan compromise.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:15) Quick permitting background
(10:06) What principles does CCL support?
(12:30) Progressive proposals
(14:12) Conservative proposals
(16:08) Centrist proposals
(18:42) Key permitting reform components

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/comparing-permitting-slides 
Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/545 

CCL Training: The Farm Bill Basics

Tune in for a training that will provide a high level overview of the basics behind the five year cycle behind the Farm Bill, including the roles the House and Senate Committee play in the process and the climate provisions within this year's discussion.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:57) Overview of the Farm Bill''s Budget
(13:56)  House & Senate Committees
(21:00) Policy Debates
(28:27) CCL Updates on the Technical Service Providers Access Act

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/farm-bill-basics  
CCL Community Page:  https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/151 

CCL Training: How to Create a Clean and Stable Electric Grid (Part 2)

Join CCL Research staff for a two-part training that will provide an overview of what kinds of energy and infrastructure will be needed for a stable, clean energy electric grid and the main technologies that are most likely to get us there. Part two focuses on geothermal, hydro, nuclear and CCUS.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(4:16) Background and Definition of Sources
(14:36) Strengths & Weaknesses
(25:48) Frequently Asked Questions
(35:10) Concluding Remarks

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/clean-stable-grid-2 
Training Topic page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/clean-electric-grid 

The Not-So-Cool Effects of Air Conditioning on Climate Change

In this month’s episode of Citizens’ Climate Radio, Eric Dean Wilson fills us in on the not-so-cool history of air conditioning and its complicated relationship to climate change. He is the author of After Cooling: On Freon, Global Warming, and the Terrible Cost of Comfort. Lila Powell and Ruth Abraham join Peterson Toscano in hosting this deep dive into air conditioning’s past, present, and future. 

(For complete show notes and transcript visit our show page)

Eric walks us through the creation and history of AC. Despite what all of us at CCR thought, AC was not first used for human comfort or health. Eric says, it was about money. From movie theaters to segregation to a mad scientist, the history of AC covers it all. Join us to learn about how AC got its start in the world of finance and how racism keeps exposing some people in American cities to more heat than others. 

Air conditioning contributes directly to the warming of the planet, and its impact is nothing if not ironic. AC typically runs on electricity that’s generated by fossil fuels and the more AC units run, the more greenhouse gas emissions increase! Despite these climate effects, the US tends to hold AC up as the only option for staying cool, which Eric Dean Wilson refers to as the “cost of comfort”. 

Eric says, “The United States is in the habit of criticizing those nations who were asking for the same comforts that we have, even though we're not doing hardly anything” 

So, what can we do? Eric helps us see a future that does not rely on air conditioning for our comfort. Much like Sean Dague did in Episode 80: Unleashing Our Imaginations for Climate Change Solutions! Tune in and you will hear Peterson and Ruth’s suggestions for some Meaningful Next Steps. 

“One of the things I call for in the book is rather than focusing on individual comfort and individual survival, to really try to rethink our notion of comfort, and think about collective comfort and collective survival, community survival.” - Eric Dean Wilson

Eric Dean Wilson’s essays, poems, and criticism have appeared in Time, Esquire, the Baffler, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Tin House, among other publications. A graduate of The New School’s MFA program in creative writing, Wilson has just defended his doctoral dissertation in the English program at The Graduate Center, CUNY, which focuses on the tension between the personal and the planetal in ecological essays. In the fall, he'll join the faculty at Wagner College on Staten Island as Assistant Professor of Creative Writing and American Literature. Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, he now lives in Flatbush, Brooklyn.

Take a Meaningful Next Step

Each month we will suggest meaningful, achievable, and measurable next steps for you to consider. We recognize that action is an antidote to despair. If you are struggling with what you can do, consider one of the following next steps. 

Ruth Abraham’s suggestion:

Shade helps cool the air without having to use air conditioning. Manifest the power of shade by making your space green! You can get houseplants that release extra moisture into your rooms. Some species include spider plants, jade, Boston ferns, and peace lilies. The plants help clean the air as well as cool things down. To take things a step further: If you have a yard or green space on the sidewalk, see about planting a tree that provides cooling shade, you may need to connect with your municipality, if that green space is part of a sidewalk. Get your neighborhood involved if need be. It's these collective small steps that bring us closer to climate solutions! 

Peterson Toscano’s suggestion:

Consider a large building where you spend lots of time. It might be your school or where you work, shop or workout. In the summer these spaces can have the air conditioning pumping so high it feels good when you come in from the heat, but after 20 minutes, people start freezing. This uses a lot of unnecessary energy. How about you begin a campaign to have the building operators increase the temperature by one or two degrees? In other words, lower the intensity of the air conditioning. Do a little research about who makes these decisions. Find out who else shares your concern, maybe even figure out a cost analysis of how the building operators will save money by decreasing the amount of AC in the summer. Then use your volunteer lobbying skills to advocate for this change.

Dig Deeper

• Eric Dean Wilson finds the work of US environmental historian William Cronon inspiring—and a much needed warning against romanticizing "nature." His 1995 essay "The Trouble with Wilderness" has only grown more relevant since its publication. His website is a generous collection of notes and resources from courses he's taught. 
• Other suggestions from Eric: 
  • Alex Johnson's "How to Queer Ecology: One Goose at a Time"
  • My favorite eco-feminist philosopher is the late Val Plumwood, who was once nearly killed by a crocodile. I would recommend checking out from the library her book Environmental Culture: The Ecological Crisis of Reason
  • I firmly believe part of our deeply entrenched dilemma is that we're stuck in a classically liberal sense of ourselves that's driving the ecological crisis. I don't think the liberal politics of the Democratic party come even close to helping us imagine a way through this. Americans in particular are obsessed with work, and academic Cara New Daggett has been critiquing this contemporary liberal economic and political framework through a deep historical and cultural dive of energy in The Birth of Energy. I find the conclusion one of the most inspiring texts I've read recently.
  • Marxist geographer Matthew T. Huber's new book Climate Change as Class War as well as his earlier book Lifeblood: Oil, Freedom, and the Forces of Capital help to ground an activist agenda in material terms.
  • The work of Olúfẹ́mi O. Táíwò is absolutely essential, particularly his argument that we need a climate reparations. He's also an excellent follow on Twitter.
• Also: Check out these houseplants to combat dry air in your home
• Interested in a self-sustainable home? Check out Earthships! 
• Learn more about how you can promote healthy forest for a healthy climate. 

Nerd Corner

In this episode, we premiere a new section in our podcast- The Nerd Corner! Citizen Climates Research Coordinator, Dana Nuccitelli, fills us in on the environmental impacts of renewable energy. Dana highlights climate research (and makes it understandable) for fellow nerds and the nerd curious! Check out Dana’s recent post about The little-known physical and mental health benefits of urban trees. 

Good News 

CCR’s very own intern, Ruth Abraham, shares her experience attending the CCL Southeast Regional Conference. The conference took place at the Kendeda Building for Innovative Sustainable Design on Georgia Tech’s campus. It was the 28th building to receive a Living Building Certification. She heard from various climate continuous figures such as Georgia Senator, Raphael Warnock, and Atlanta’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Candra Farley. Ruth even joined a book club! 

If you couldn't make it to CCL’s Southeast Regional Conference, don’t worry! The Citizens Climate International Conference and Lobby Day will be held June 10-13 in Washington, DC.

 

 

Podbean Photo by Dziana Hasanbekava

Kajsa Hendrickson, Director at Future 500 | Citizens’ Climate Lobby | April 2023 Monthly Meeting

The work to preserve a livable world requires buy-in and participation from all sectors — civil society, government, business, science, academia. Finding common ground among these various sectors is essential to meet our climate goals, and so we talk this month with Kajsa Hendrickson, Director at Future 500, to learn more about stakeholder engagement and collaboration, particularly with the business community. Kajsa works directly to build bridges between groups at odds, or even in conflict, something she honed as a volunteer at CCL in San Diego. She currently collaborates with CCL coordinators, NGOs, and community representatives in the Southeast on a utility-stakeholder information exchange. Before joining Future 500, Kajsa worked on stakeholder engagement with the largest solar incentive program in the country, closing the gap between who has access to and who benefits from sustainable energy.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:42) Discussion w/ Kajsa 
(22:11) Q&A From Attendees
(30:30) Review of This Past Month
(36:17) Earth Day Tabling Kit
(39:59) June Conference Promo

Helpful links:
April Pre-call Video: https://vimeo.com/815749590 
Register for June Conference: https://cclusa.org/june-conference 
Future 500: https://www.future500.org/ 
Earth Day Tabling Kit: https://cclusa.org/earth-day-kit 
An Update From CCL's Executive Director: https://community.citizensclimate.org/bulletin/2101/376 
Donate to CCL:  https://cclusa.org/donate 

CCL Training: How to Create a Clean and Stable Electric Grid - Part One

Join CCL Research staff for a two-part training that will provide an overview of what kinds of energy and infrastructure will be needed for a stable, clean energy electric grid and the main technologies that are most likely to get us there.

CCL Community: https://community.citizensclimate.org/topics/clean-electric-grid 

CCL Training: Tabling Outreach with CCL’s New Materials

Join CCL Program Manager Elizabeth Dell, Mid-Atlantic Co-Coordinator Thaddeus Waterman, and CCL TX Austin volunteer Arjun Adapalli for a training that will overview CCL's new tabling materials, where to find them, and how to best incorporate them into your spring grassroots outreach plans! 

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
(0:00) Intro & Agenda
(2:37) Why Tabling is important?
(4:48) Preparing to Table
(13:20) CCL's Policy Agenda Handouts and Trifold Display
(18:45) Climate Anxiety Booth
(24:05) Connecting With Your Audience
(31:38) Example Conversations

Tabling Handouts: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources#tabling-materials 
Climate Anxiety Booth Resource: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/542 
Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/tabling-new-materials-slides