Citizens' Climate Lobby

CCL Training: Extreme Heat & Local Climate Impacts Resources

Join Dr. Kristina Dahl, co-author of the Union of Concerned Scientist's recent report "Killer Heat in the United States: Climate Choices and the Future of Dangerously Hot Days."

Dr. Dahl will review the main findings of the report, the importance of communicating local impacts from climate change, as well as how to use the Union of Concerned Scientists' new tool where you can see an estimated number of extreme heat days for cities and counties in the US in your own local outreach and meetings. We'll also review where you can find the rest of CCL's Local Impacts Resources on CCL Community.

Extreme Heat Report & Tool: https://ucsusa.org/killer-heat

Background on the Analysis (3:14)
About the Heat Index & Scenarios (6:39)
Mid- and Late-Century Projections (7:50)
Takeaways & Tool (12:43)
Questions (15:26)
Finding Local Impacts Resources on CCL Community (18:30)

Tonight’s slides: http://cclusa.org/extreme-heat

CCL Resource: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/424

Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby

Twitter: http://twitter.com/citizensclimate/

CCL Training: Guide to Communicating Carbon Pricing Training

Join George Marshall, Climate Outreach's Co-Founder & Director of Training and Consultancy (and former CCL Monthly Speaker) along with Tom Erb, Partner Relations Coordinator, Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition at The World Bank in a training that will help CCL volunteers improve our communications around carbon pricing policy based on the main findings and recommendations in the Guide to Communicating Carbon Pricing report (Partnership for Market Readiness & Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition, 2018).

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
Background & Key Findings (2:53)
Improving The Standard Narrative (16:41)
Challenges To Communicating (27:47)
Energy Innovation Act Applications (33:58)
Ground Rules for Effective Conversations (42:13)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/communicating-carbon-pricing

CCL Community Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/423

Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby

Twitter: http://twitter.com/citizensclimate/

CCL Training: Getting New Volunteers Engaged

In this training, learn from CCL leaders Miranda Phillips and Jean Ritok about suggestions for engaging new volunteers coming back for more, including how to welcome your new volunteers and successfully onboard them into your group, how to delegate and keep people constantly involved.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
Welcoming New Volunteers (3:09)
Three Phases on Onboarding (8:44)
The Power of Asking For Help (31:59)
Smaller Chapter Considerations (35:27)
Setting Up Your Group On Community (37:42)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/new-volunteers-engaged
CCL Training Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/298
Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby
Twitter: http://twitter.com/citizensclimate/

CCL Training: Joy, Culture, & Community Building With Your Chapter

Join CCL Regional Coordinator Tamara Staton for a training that will highlight how local groups can incorporate more fun, volunteer support, culture and community building into their group meetings and local activities with examples of what's worked for CCL chapters around the country.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
The Importance Of Group Culture (1:40)
How CCL National Creates Culture (5:31)
Building Culture & Joy In Your Meetings (12:33)
Gratitude Practices (23:45)
Additional Chapter Activities (26:12)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/fun-culture-building
CCL Community Page: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/422
Follow us on Facebook: http://facebook.com/citizensclimatelobby
Twitter: http://twitter.com/citizensclimate/

 

CCR Ep 39 Envisioning and Communicating Climate Success

Climate Communication experts Blair Bazdarich from the San Francisco Zoo and Hannah Pickard at Boston's New England Aquarium share proven insider tips about effective communication strategies. They are both leaders at NNOCCI, the National Network of Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation. They train aquarium and zoo professionals how to speak about climate change. NNOCCI is a network of individuals and organizations in informal education, the social sciences, and climate sciences.They are currently working in 170 institutions in 38 states. NNOCCI members reach over 190 million people each year.

 

In this episode Hannah and Blair share the techniques they have been using, including a “values-first” approach. Through NNOCCI’s research, they identified two motivating values that prove highly effective in opening up conversations with members of the public. The first value is Protection—we feel a strong need to protect the people and places we love. And the second is Responsible Management. We value solving problems earlier before they become too big. 

 

In addition, NNOCCI advises climate communicators to to speak less about the mechanisms leading to climate change and its effects. Instead they encourage us to focus our conversations on solutions. Hannah and Blair share how to lead the conversation to a place of hopeful engagement. Providing achievable, large scale solutions coupled with a clear vision of the benefits these solutions will have on our communities and familes is an extremely powerful combination. It will motivate people to believe, dream, and act. 

 

Blair Bazdarich has spent the past 20 years becoming an expert in science communication, but she didn't realize that's what she was doing until recently. Through volunteering, performing, shoveling poop, learning new languages, teaching, painting, and advocating for endangered species, she has found her niche in the science community. In her current position as Education & Engagement Manager at the San Francisco Zoo & Gardens, she runs the ZooMobile program, which brings animals to schools throughout the Bay Area, and several teen volunteer programs, where she mentors high school students in conservation and education. Blair is also an active member of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation (NNOCCI), and serves in the Governing Council, working to unify the national narrative and action plan on climate change. In her spare time, she is the resident "Zoologist" on the podcast This Week in Science, or TWIS.

 

Hannah Pickard is Program Manager for the NNOCCI and is responsible for network management and operations. Hannah has led NNOCCI’s efforts on curriculum development, facilitator training, and alumni support since 2010.  She has a background in education program development, implementation and evaluation for families, schools, and community groups.  She holds a B.A. in studio art and Italian from Connecticut College and an Executive Certificate in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.  She also has training in evaluation from Lesley University and in conservation psychology from Antioch University.

 

Hear these conversations to gain value lessons from leaders in the field of climate communication. 

 

 

The Art House

Sometimes we cannot easily imagine the impacts legislation and policy can make. Andrews Smalls from City Lab wrote the article, What American Cities Looked like Before the Environmental Protection Agency Was Created. "Since 1970, the agency has reduced the six most common air pollutants by more than 50 percent, reduced air toxins from large industrial sources by almost 70 percent, and eliminated the use of ozone-depleting chemicals. And this progress was accomplished even as the country’s GDP tripled, energy consumption increased by 50 percent, and vehicle use nearly doubled."

Of course we have still have work to do. We need to reduce localized pollution and heat-trapping greenhouse gases globally. So how do we build the political will so that the public clamors for legislation and policy that will change how we get and use energy? We need to communicate to the public what success looks like. Envisioning success in our climate work though requires imagination. 

To help us with this task Sean Dague, the group leader for the Mid-Hudson South chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, leads us through a powerful exercise. He asks us, What does a decarbonized world look like? What does it smell like? What does it sound like? 

Once you hear Sean’s vision of a successful future, we invite you to continue the exercise. Try some creative writing. Write a short story or a letter from the future about what you see, smell, and hear.  Maybe create visual art, a drawing or painting. If you can’t draw or paint, get images from magazines and on-line then create a collage. Write a song, create a map, choreograph a dance. Use art to capture a vision of a decarbonized world. Even if you do not see yourself as an artsy person, just try it. 

Towards the end of his life, writer Kurt Vonnegut would say, "Everyone should practice art because art enlarges the soul." 

PLEASE feel free to share your art with our host, Peterson Toscano, and let him know if I can share it with listeners, on the podcast, Facebook, and Twitter. 

If you have art from this exercise to share or if you have idea for the Art House, feel free to contact Peterson at radio@citizensclimate.org.

Puzzler

 

Joining us to answer last month’s question about climate adaptation is Doug Parsons, the host of the America Adapts podcast. 

 

New Puzzler Question

You just spoke to a group of middle school students about your climate change work. During the Q&A a student named Victor says, “I am freaking out because of all the bad stuff I am seeing and it seems like it is just getting worse and worse. I really do not see the point of even trying anymore. I think we are too far gone. What difference does this make?” 

Lots of people young and old feel the same way. So how do you respond to Victor? How can you validate his fears while also giving him reasons to hope and pursue solutions.  

Send us your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to Peterson by September, 15, 2019 Email: radio @ citizensclimate.org or leave a voicemail of 3 minutes or less: 518.595.9414. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) 

Dig Deeper

• Climate Interpreter, Do you work or volunteer with an aquarium, zoo, national park, national marine sanctuary, or other informal science education center that is addressing climate change? Connect and share with a national community of colleagues and peers.
• NNOCCI’s Research Reports, Frameworks Institute
• What Does Success Look Like? Reports from the Future from Climate Stew
• Role of Values in climate change community engagement, NewsDay
• America Adapts podcast episode 95 Summer Sizzle featuring Citizens Climate Radio
• Citizens Climate Radio Ep 12: Values that drive CCL’s work

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher Radio, SoundCloud, Podbean, Northern Spirit Radio, Google Play, PlayerFM, and TuneIn Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group or on Twitter at @CitizensCRadio.

If you listen on iTunes, please consider rating and reviewing us!

Sam Daley Harris | Citizens' Climate Lobby | August 2019 Monthly Speaker

Just how powerful and influential is grassroots advocacy? Our guest this month, Sam Daley-Harris, will share examples of organized citizen lobbying that had a major impact on national policies and priorities. Sam is the founder and CEO of Civic Courage, a non-profit that coaches organizations to improve the effectiveness of their advocacy work. In 1980, he founded RESULTS, an organization working to end hunger and poverty, which later became the model for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Sam is also the author of Reclaiming Our Democracy: Healing the Break Between People and Government.

 

Helpful Links:
Civic Courage: https://civiccourage.org/
Monthly Action Sheet: http://cclusa.org/actionsheet
Carbon Pricing Bills in Congress: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/220
Follow Citizens' Climate Lobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitizensClimateLobby
Twitter: https://twitter.com/citizensclimate
https://citizensclimatelobby.org

CCL Training: Bringing Community Leaders To Your Lobby Meeting

After you've done the research to focus your group's grasstops engagement and are planning on bringing your community leaders to your next meeting - how to best prepare?

Join CCL leaders across the country from Nebraska to Indiana and Montana that have brought influential leaders to their own leaders to learn from their experiences and get ready for your own meetings.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
CCL Idaho's Story (2:42)
Initial Research & Communication (6:20)
Incorporating Community Leaders & Preparations (9:14)
CCL Montana's Story (13:49)
CCL Indiana's Story (19:28)
CCL Nebraska's Story (25:59)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/community-leaders-lobby-meeting
Find This Training on CCL Community: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/420
Follow Citizens' Climate Lobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitizensClimateLobby
Twitter: https://twitter.com/citizensclimate

CCL Training: Working with Business Climate Leaders

Demonstrating that businesses and job creators support federal action addressing climate change is some of the most important support CCL volunteers can provide our members of Congress.

Join BCL Leaders Harold Hedelman, Steve Hams, Bruce Hagen, and Randy Salim in a training that explores the history and purpose of the Business Climate Leaders and how to best work with this action team in your own community's grasstops work.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
Why Engage Business? (5:52)
How We Engage (9:11)
Success Stories (16:51)
How BCL Works (27:10)
How You Can Get Involved (36:28)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/working-with-bcl
BCL website (for the public): businessclimateleaders.org
BCL Resources website: sites.google.com/view/bcl-resources
Join us on CCL Community or email us at: info@businessclimateleaders.org

CCL Training: August Recess Legislative Update

On Thursday, July 25th, our collective push for carbon pricing took a couple of new, exciting steps forward.

Join Dr. Danny Richter, CCL's VP of Government Affairs and Madeleine Para, CCL's VP of Programs for a special online webinar to learn more about the policy details of Stemming Warming and Augmenting Pay (SWAP) Act, the Raise Wages and Cut Carbon Act, and the Climate Action Rebate Act and how your local group can respond!

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
Energy Innovation Act Updates (0:57)
Background Contet (6:56)
Comparing the Four Carbon Pricing Bills (13:56)
Taking Action (22:58)
Conservatives for Climate Action Hearing Testimony (29:18)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/aug-leg-update
Find This Resource on CCL Community: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/220
Follow Citizens' Climate Lobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitizensClimateLobby
Twitter: https://twitter.com/citizensclimate

CCL Training: Engaging Young Adults in Climate Solutions

Join CCL's Higher Education Coordinator Clara Fang and CCL Regional Fellows Destiny Loyd and Jess Wilber for a training that provides a background to learn more about millennials’ concerns, how to get them involved and connect your CCL team’s outreach with local high school, college students, and higher education communities as we work to engage young adults in CCL‘s larger coalition.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):
Why Young People? (1:14)
Higher Education Community Leaders (6:04)
What Can I Do? (8:45)
Opportunities For College Students (16:38)
Opportunities For Middle & High School Students (23:04)

Presentation Slides: http://cclusa.org/engaging-young-adults
Find This Training on CCL Community: https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/152
Follow Citizens' Climate Lobby on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CitizensClimateLobby
Twitter: https://twitter.com/citizensclimate