CCL Newsletter: Starting Now, Contact Senators About Carbon Pricing

July 21, 2021

This is the big moment we’ve been waiting for to get a price on carbon enacted. Between now and September, decisions will be made about climate solutions moving forward in Congress, and now is the time to make our voices heard.

“This is what we were built for,” said Danny Richter, CCL’s VP for Government Affairs. “Our organization was built for moments like this.” 

Last week, Senate Democrats rolled out a proposal for a $3.5 trillion budget resolution that will contain spending and policy measures to deal with climate change.We want one of those measures to be a price on carbon. 

That means it’s time for CCL volunteers to do what we do best: contact Congress!  We’re asking everyone to write and call their senators in the next three weeks, asking them to support a price on carbon. In particular, we’re asking Senate Democrats to put a price on carbon in the reconciliation bill. If we hit our state-by-state goals, we will have sent 10,000 messages to Congress by mid-August.

We’ve set up a special Senate action page where you can access the online tools for emailing and calling your senators. Take a few minutes today to send an email, make a call, and then share the page with a friend! 

Take Action Now!

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In other news this week: 

CCL quoted in national media: When Senate Democrats announced their budget resolution proposal last week, national media covered the climate provisions that were outlined for a potential reconciliation bill. CCL’s Danny Richter was quoted in the Washington Post, the National Journal and The Hill about the provision for a carbon border tax. Danny told The Hill, “I think it’s great that this is being discussed. I think it could be very effective… However, I don’t think the United States can do this unless we also have a domestic carbon price.” 

Big cosponsor for H.R. 2307: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act picked up a big cosponsor last week when Rep. Raul Ruiz (CA-36) signed on. Rep. Ruiz’s support for H.R. 2307 is significant because he chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and also serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the committees with jurisdiction over the bill. With Rep. Ruiz, the number of House members supporting the bill now stands at 78.

Diversity & Inclusion events coming up: The D&I team is hosting a couple of events in the coming week. On Sunday, July 25, there will be a workshop on Sexuality and Gender Inequity in the Workplace that will include a facilitated and open conversation on LGBTQIA+ biases, intersectionality, and inequitable opportunities for advancement in the workplace. On Monday, July 26, the Listening to Indigenous Voices Action Team will host guest speaker Dr. Aurora Kagawa-Viivani, an ecohydrology researcher working on a Hawaiʻi forest restoration project.

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Post CCL’s Senate action campaign page on your social media platforms and encourage friends and followers to email and call their Senators to include a price on carbon in the reconciliation bill.

If you have more time: Ask one of your local community leaders to write and call their Senators this week using our online tool and then ask another community leader next week. A good place to start is with leaders who may have endorsed the Energy Innovation Act.

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Featured Lever This Week 

Chapter development: Looking for coaches

Are you an experienced CCL volunteer in a healthy chapter and would like to help other groups get started and thrive? As we strive to get chapters in every congressional district, we’re looking for volunteers to be group development coaches. Coaches do not lead new chapters, but they identify leaders and support them in getting chapters up and running. We’re relaunching the Group Development Coaches team, which will conduct monthly support calls for coaches. The team’s first Zoom meeting will be held on Thursday, August 5. CCL Membership Specialist Caillie Roach will provide an introduction to group development coaching and walk through the resource guide.

Become A Coach!

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Upcoming Trainings 

7/22: En-ROADS Update & Hosting Climate Simulations - The interactive En-ROADS simulator has become a persuasive tool in presentations about carbon pricing. Learn more about it and how to host a simulation event in this session. Join us!

7/29: Recommendations for Texting Your Group - Want to communicate with your group through text messaging? This session provides recommendations on how to text your group's volunteers, including setting up a system to provide data privacy and other important considerations. Join us!

Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:

7/27: Economics of Carbon Fee & Dividend Policies - Get a better understanding of the economic ideas behind CCL’s preferred climate solution: a price on carbon. Learn more and RSVP.

To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.

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This week on the CCL blog:  

Crunch time for climate policy: Senate Democrats have rolled out a budget resolution that includes provisions to address climate change. Some of those provisions — carbon border tax, pricing methane, clean electricity standard — offer encouraging signs as climate legislation comes together through the budget reconciliation process. Read more.

All-Republican town board is 3-time endorser: Starting in May of 2018, the Town of Penfield in upstate New York has voted three times to support carbon fee and dividend and the Energy  Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The latest endorsement from the all-Republican town board came on June 17 this year. All three endorsements were the result of a team effort led by volunteers in the Rochester chapter. Read more.