Citizens' Climate Lobby

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 5 Diving into Denial

Ah, Climate Denial, a constant companion. Climate advocates have sought for the silver bullet, that one talking point that will extinguish all climate doubts and dismissals. In this episode host, Peterson Toscano, brings in climate advocates from around the world and climate communication experts to explore what might be behind the denial and how to respond. 

Main Section

Climate denial has distracted climate advocates and slowed down the public discussion and political action. As a result, climate activists and comics have gotten downright snarky and angry at people, particularly politicians, who are skeptical of climate science. Sharing insights about what they have discovered about climate denial, we hear from professional skier, Angel Collinson, and Chilean climate advocate, Andres Forno. We also get some good news from Bessie Schwarz at the Yale Program on Climate Communications. 

Peterson then raises some questions including, What if starting 10 years ago there were no more climate skeptics in the world? What would we be talking and writing about today? And how do we engage the 29 million Americans who say they are alarmed by climate change?  As always your input and responses are welcome. 

Art House

In the Art House you will meet Marvin Bloom, a comic creation who takes a serious look at climate denial. Through his playful meditation on the issue, Marvin humanizes the denial experience and considers various types of climate denial. He also reveals a weird issue that keeps him stuck in denial. 

Puzzler

We received many excellent and downright inspiring answers to last month's puzzler. As an added bonus, Cathy Orlando, from Citizens Climate Lobby Canada (featured in Episode Two) talks about the recent success in Canada. After years of lobbying, the Canadian government has agreed to place a fee on carbon starting in 2018. Cathy shares some of the many ways she and her fellow Canadian Citizens' Climate volunteers engaged lawmakers and the public. 

Here is our new puzzler submitted by Chris Wiegard from Citizens’ Climate chapter in Richmond, Virginia. 

When I blog on climate change or go to public hearings on it, I often hear or read fossil fuel defenders say that "shifting to renewable energy is unrealistic because low income people are dependent on low energy prices. The cheapness of fossil fuel is all that keeps certain people alive." And Chris is right, poor and working class people cannot easily afford buying expensive energy hybrid cars and installing solar panels and the other alternatives currently on offer. So how might you respond to argument that shifting to renewable energy is unrealistic because low income people are dependent on low energy prices. 

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

Get back to him by November 15th 2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org that’s radio @ citizensclimate.org You can also text Peterson or leave a voice memo of 3 minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) That number again is 570.483.8194

Dig Deeper

• Global Warming's Six Americas, Yale Program on Climate Communication
• Protect Our Winters, professional athletes, including Angel Collinson, promoting climate advocacy
• Nationwide Carbon Price in Canada marks start of transition to clean energy, Citizens' Climate Blog
• Chile faces climate change challenge, BBC News

You can hear Citizens' Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, and Podbean. We would love it if you rate and review the show. This will make it easier for new listeners to find us. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs by visiting the Citizens' Climate Radio Facebook page. 

Partnering with Allies and Non-Governmental Organizations

There are a wide variety of organizations out there working on a wide variety of environmental causes.

In this lesson, CCL's Senior Outreach Liasion Stephanie Doyle explores how to engage with other organizations in a respectful, understanding and productive way. 

Creating an editorial board meeting binder

The creation of a binder of resources for an editorial board is optional but highly recommended. Newspaper editorial board staff may appreciate having information on CCL and climate change to review after a meeting.

Preparing and presenting a binder is one way to show the editorial board that CCL can be a resource to them on the issue of climate change. We want to be their “go to” people for information, letters to the editor and op-eds.

Post-election editorial board meetings

Following the November 2016 elections, CCL volunteers have a unique opportunity to meet with newspaper editorial boards and ask for their support for congressional action in the 115th Congress. This webinar details how you and/or your group can prepare for, structure and facilitate the meeting.

Dr. George Lakoff | Citizens' Climate Lobby | October 2016 Monthly Speaker

Linguistics expert George Lakoff, author of “Don’t Think of an Elephant,” “The Political Mind,” and many more books examining the power of language, is our guest for the October national call. He’ll share his recent work on the distinction between direct causation and systemic causation, which is the frame through which climate change can be better comprehended. Mr. Lakoff is recently retired from the University of California at Berkeley, where he was Professor of Cognitive Science and Linguistics.

The Levers of Political Will

From our interactions with members of Congress, and from interviews with people who study Congress, we have developed a deep understanding of what creates political will and what does not. 

Here’s why that’s important: We only ask CCL volunteers to do things that we know will have a very good chance of generating political will. Specifically, we take actions that we know will be successful in having members of Congress move in the direction of our legislation.

These are the five core activities that all Citizens’ Climate Lobby chapters leverage to bring citizens into the political process and to ensure their contribution is constructive and makes more good possible. We call these activities the “levers of political will.”

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 4 Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and Communication Myths

Want to be a better climate change communicator? Then listen to this episode! Learn essential lessons about connecting with others about climate change as host, inspired by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe, Peterson Toscano leads you through an exercise that connects climate change to passions and people in your life.  

Main Section

She is not only an internationally renowned climate scientist, Dr. Katharine Hayhoe is a brilliant climate change communicator. Peterson revisits Dr. Hayhoe’s excellent keynote address from the 2015 Citizens’ Climate International Conference. In it Dr. Heyhoe busts two myths that trip up scientists and climate advocates in our quest to connect with others. Jumping off from Dr. Hayhoe’s talk, Peterson leads listeners through a simple exercise that will help you in your own climate communication. As an added plus, you will hear a little bit about how a changing climate affects pets. 

Art House

This month we get musical as we meet singer/songwriter Michael Levy and hear some of his climate-themed music. Michael musically explores a range of emotions, from silly to serious, that he feels climate advocates need to address in order to avoid burnout. As an environmentalist, he has been stretched by the vastness of climate change. This has opened him up to consider large scale solutions. He also reveals he is a big fan of Citizens’ Climate Lobby.  

Citizens' Climate Puzzler

People had a lot to say about last month’s puzzler and suggested many ways to respond to Simon who doesn’t want to act on climate while China (or the USA) is such a big polluter. You will hear three different answers that explore ethics, economics, and spilt milk. Even a trained therapist weighs in to consider Simon’s psychological needs. 

Here is our new puzzler question:

You are at an event with folks concerned about climate change and the environment. There you meet someone, let’s call her Margaret. You tell Margaret about your work as a volunteer lobbyist. You explain how you connect with lawmakers and offer climate solutions with the goal to change policy. In response Margaret rolls her eyes. She let’s out a big sigh and says, “Oh, please, those bozos can’t even rename a post office without shutting down the government. There is no way they are going to get anywhere with something as big and bold as climate policy. Why even bother?

 

Get back to Peterson by October 15th,  2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org  You can also text  leave a voicemail at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) He will then share the best answers in our next episode which airs October 24th, 2016.

Help Spread the Word!

Citizens’ Climate Radio is available on podbean, iTunes, and Stitcher Radio. Please rate and review. If you like what you hear, please share the show with your friends. Citizens’ Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education. 

Dig Deeper

• Watch the complete 2015 keynote address by Dr. Katharine Hayhoe and check out all her entertaining and informative slides.
• Listen to Dr. Hayhoe’s speech through our podcast.
• Learn more about Michael Levy’s upcoming album, Great Big Love, and hear more about his story. 

Congressman Bob Inglis | Citizens' Climate Lobby | September 2016 Monthly Speaker

As we gear up to introduce and pass legislation, this is good time to look at the nuts and bolts of the legislative process, and who better to guide us than former Republican Congressman Bob Inglis. Inglis, who introduced his own carbon tax bill in 2009, left Congress in 2011 and founded RepublicEn, which is working to build support among conservatives for a market-based solution to climate change.

Citizens Climate Radio Ep 3 Cloud of Witnesses

Climate Change—what’s faith got to do with it? To dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions and respond to a rapidly changing planet, people of faith and religious leaders play essential roles. Citizens’ Climate Radio host, Peterson Toscano, introduces you to two people of faith who are active climate advocates.

Main Section

Rachel Lamb, an American, is the national organizer and spokesperson with Young Evangelicals for Climate Action. David Michael Terungwa, a Catholic from Nigeria, is a leader in the African GREEN Movement and Africa Regional Coordinator for Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Both Rachel and David Michael stand as witnesses to their communities about the dangers of climate change and the need to act. 

The Art House

In the Art House we conduct an audio brain experiment. What will they be saying about us in the future? We take a trip to the future to look back at the present day about the role that Christian missionaries can take as witnesses to their churches at home about how climate change affects the people in the countries where they serve. 

Citizens' Climate Puzzler

Also, we review listeners'  answers to the Citizens’ Climate Puzzler and introduce a new puzzler. Citizens Climate Puzzler. Check it out and and send us your best answer.

You are talking to someone who you think could be an effective climate advocate. This may be a lawmaker, a faith leader, or a friend. After sharing your passion and what you are doing to address climate change, the person you are talking to, let’s call him Simon, shrugs and replies.

What difference does it make if we do something in our country when it’s China that’s doing most of the polluting?  Now Simon’s answer sounds to me like a very American reaction. If Simon does not live in the USA, he might instead ask: Why on earth should we  do anything when the USA has done much of the polluting and is doing so little to act? 

In addition to his actual question—why should my country do something when others do not--what do you hear in Simon’s words?  What emotions, fears and beliefs might his question reveal? How might you answer Simon’s question while also addressing what is unsaid. 

Get back to Peterson by September 15th,  2016. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org  You can also text  leave a voicemail at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.) He will then share the best answers in our next episode which airs September 26, 2016.

Help Spread the Word!

Citizens’ Climate Radio is available on podbean, iTunes, and Stitcher Radio. Please rate and review. If you like what you hear, please share the show with your friends. Citizens’ Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education. 

Dig Deeper

See a Climate Reality video about David Michael Terungwa 

Learn more about Rachel Lamb and the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action.  

Justin Ford | Citizens' Climate Lobby | August 2016 Monthly Speaker

Our guests for the August 2016 monthly call were Justin Ford and Rikkia Ramsey from the Truman National Security Project.

Justin Ford is the Organizing Director of the Truman National Security Project. His responsibilities include building and maintaining a national leadership structure, overseeing advocacy and organizing tactics, and leading a comprehensive training and professional development program for Truman members and allies. Justin also serves in the Army as an airborne combat engineer.

Rikkia Ramsey is the Policy Program Coordinator for the Truman Center. Before joining the Truman Center, Rikkia was Military Legislative Correspondent for U.S. Senator Kay Hagan (D-NC), addressing constituent concerns regarding defense and foreign policy issues. She’ll talk about the Truman Center’s Operation Free, a coalition of veterans and national security experts that advocate for securing America with clean energy. It recognizes that climate change and our dependence on oil, are national security threats and fights on a local, state and federal level for strong clean energy policies.