Weekly Briefing: Major Newspapers Say We Need Price On Carbon
July 28, 2021
Two major newspapers — the Washington Post and the Houston Chronicle — recently published editorials calling on Congress and the Biden administration to include carbon pricing in climate legislation expected to be taken up this year.
Citing Europe’s approach and the need to follow their lead, the Post said, “What is clear is that [Europe’s] basic outline — price emissions, recycle the revenue back to consumers, impose a border adjustment — is the most rational policy response to climate change.”
The Chronicle, published in the city considered to be the energy capital of the world, said, “Biden should seize the moment and adopt the carbon tax idea that Democrats have been fighting for on and off for decades and which now has the blessing of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce…”
Editorials like this are an indication that pressure is mounting for Congress to include a carbon price in the reconciliation bill expected to be the vehicle for major climate legislation.
CCL volunteers are building momentum for a carbon price with our current campaign to write and call senators. Less than halfway through our three-week campaign, we’ve reached 70 percent of our goal of getting 14,000 constituents to contact Senate offices. Check to see how your state and chapter are doing here.
Read more about the Post and Chronicle editorials in our blog post.
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In other news this week: 
More cosponsors for H.R. 2307: The Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act picked up two more cosponsors this week: Rep. Kaiali'i Kahele (HI-02) and Rep. Diana DeGette (CO-01). There are now 80 House members who back this effective carbon pricing legislation.
Conservative outreach: CCL staffers Topher Anderson, Drew Eyerly and Don Addu were tabling at the Young Republican National Convention in Indianapolis last week. They had great conversations with hundreds of attendees. Check out our tweet.
Jobs available with CCL: Citizens’ Climate Education is currently hiring for two full time positions: Student Engagement Manager and Grant Writer. We are also hiring for two six-month-long contract positions: Indiana Conservative Climate Field Organizer, Utah Conservative Climate Field Organizer.
Fall internships: CCL is accepting applications for a variety of internships that begin in the fall semester. Check out the positions and apply here. Deadline for applications is July 31.
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Take action this week 
If you have a little time: Watch and share on Twitter a video from Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse in which he lays out the push for major climate legislation, including a price on carbon. In the video, Whitehouse gives a nice shoutout to CCL.
If you have more time: Pledge to get 1, 3, 5 or more people to write and call their senators during our three-week senate action campaign. Start by asking for a favor (to give them the option of declining), ask them to write and call their senators with our online action tool and then offer to do the action with them.
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Featured Lever This Week 
Media: Houston CCLers met with Chronicle
The recent editorial in the Houston Chronicle urging Biden to include carbon fee and dividend in climate legislation may sound familiar to CCL volunteers:
“At its core, a carbon tax would impose a fee on coal, natural gas and petroleum...based on how much carbon is released when they are burned. That tax would in most cases be passed onto consumers, and consumers would be paid a check each year to offset those higher costs.”
The Chronicle’s endorsement came after Houston CCL volunteers met with the editorial board on April 28. CCL member Joe Garfunkel said plans to meet with the Chronicle started back in December. Following several requests to meet with the board, Deputy Opinion Editor Michael Lindenberger responded that he was working on an editorial project and asked if CCL could meet them the next day.
“It was extremely fortunate for us that we had completed all of our preparation work and we were completely ready to meet, even with only one day of advance notice,” said Joe. “Our meeting lasted for one hour, with extreme interest from the Chronicle editorial board. They had well prepared questions, and they actively engaged with us during the meeting.”
The big takeaway from the Houston group’s success is that patience and persistence eventually pays off. If you’re interested in meeting with your newspaper’s editorial board, we have a training on Community that offers guidance.
Check out the Training!
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Upcoming Trainings 
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!
8/5: Getting Your Community to Contact Congress - CCL leaders from around the country will share best practices with grassroots and grasstops outreach to generate letters and phone calls to members of Congress. Join us!
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
8/3: Climate Change Science & Health Impacts AMA - Join our ask-me-anything webinar to learn how greenhouse gas emissions affect human health with Dr. Drew Shindel, Nicholas Distinguished Professor of Earth Science. 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: 
About that GOP endorsement in Utah: Just how did 25 Republicans in Utah, most of them state legislators, come to endorse carbon fee and dividend with an op-ed in the Deseret News? It happened because of the patient and persuasive work of Utah CCL volunteers, an effort that started shortly after the 2020 election. Read more.
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