CCL Newsletter: War In Europe Shows Need For Clean Energy Transition
March 2, 2022
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week captured the world’s attention and drew swift condemnation. The bravery of the Ukrainian people and their leaders has been inspiring amid the tragic circumstances.
The war also emphasizes something that has been clear for decades: it’s time to move away from fossil fuels. As Bill McKibben argued this week, “It is a war underwritten by oil and gas, a war whose most crucial weapon may be oil and gas, a war we can’t fully engage because we remain dependent on oil and gas.”
CCL Executive Director Madeleine Para connects those dots in a new op-ed. “The clean energy transition would bring more geopolitical, economic, and climatic stability, keeping us safer and more secure on many fronts,” she writes, pointing to a well-designed price on carbon as a policy to speed up that transition.
You can access Madeleine’s op-ed on CCL Community and submit it to your local newspaper for publication. (Check in with your chapter to make sure multiple people don’t submit the piece to the same newspaper.) Need help? Head to our Media Relations forum to ask questions.
_________________________________________________________________________
In other news this week: 
- New IPCC report: A new section of the IPCC’s report on climate change has been released. This report calls carbon pricing “the most powerful and efficient” strategy available to reduce emissions. You can read more highlights from the report from CCL’s Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli here.
- CCL’s legislative roundup: CCL works to create the political will for a livable world. Here is a recap of the climate legislation that CCL has helped get across the finish line in recent years.
- Citizens’ Climate Radio: This month on CCR, hear about UK-based climate rebel Caroline Harmon and Maine-based climate activist and musicians Sophie and Josie Davis. Listen here.
- Black History Month wrap up: In a bonus Black History Month blog, we highlight Black political leaders who support climate solutions like the Energy Innovation Act. Read more here.
________________________________________________________________________
Take action this week 
If you have a little time: Like and share this tweet about Sen. Lindsey Graham
CCL Greenville SC recently tweeted a thank you to Republican Senator Lindsey Graham for his recent comments in support of a border carbon adjustment, as well as efforts to bring conservatives on board. You can like and share that tweet here.
If you have more time: Write to the President
Climate change was not a prominent topic in last night’s State of the Union address. That means it's more important than ever for you to write to the President, remind him about your climate concerns, and urge him to support a carbon price. You can write to the President using this tool here.
You can also connect with your nearest CCL chapter to take action in your community, or join one of CCL’s national online Action Teams to take action on specific topics like agriculture, health, faith, and more.
Browse CCL Community’s Event Calendar to find upcoming events, trainings, and calls you can join.
__________________________________________________________________________
Featured Lever This Week 
Grassroots: Arkansas is ready to recruit
Arkansas CCL State Coordinators Jan Schaper and Jean Larson recently completed an in-depth leadership program. The Empowerment Partnership Program is a once-a-week, six-month program led by another CCL volunteer, Jean Ritok. This program taught Jan and Jean and other attendees the importance of reframing their mindsets in order to successfully tackle their goals.
Now that they’ve graduated from the Empowerment Partnership Program, Jan and Jean have set out with a toolbox of new skills and a fresh new mindset. The two are ready to approach climate advocacy in Arkansas with new methods of strategizing and executing climate solutions.
“My first venture was to make our Arkansas members of Congress strong climate advocates,” Jean says. “And now I’m trying to meet them and connect their conservative values with climate change. It’s been a really interesting process.”
Read and Jan and Jean's Full Story!
___________________________________
Give monthly to unlock a $150,000 bonus gift!
It’s officially March, so we’re hitting the ground running to meet our ambitious goal of $15,000 in new monthly recurring donations before month’s end. And this year, there’s a lot on the line: an anonymous donor has agreed to make a $150,000 bonus gift, but only if we meet our goal.
Our “Evergreen donors” provide us with a steady stream of support month after month. Increased support will allow us to continue expanding our grassroots climate movement across the country, and will give us the flexibility to take advantage of new opportunities. At a time so critical for climate, your monthly support to CCL has never been more important.
Monthly donations of any amount add up to a BIG annual impact. Whether you’re able to give $25 or $350 a month, your contributions not only help to advance our grassroots advocacy efforts, but they help us unlock this bonus gift. Sign up to make a monthly donation today!
P.S. Already a monthly Evergreen donor? Consider increasing your monthly contribution. Sign in to your donor portal today to increase your monthly donation amount, and your contribution too will count toward our goal!
_________________________________________________________________________
Upcoming Trainings 
3/3: Generating News Coverage — Join CCL's State and Local Media Coordinator Charlotte Ward for a training that will review strategies for generating news coverage with your local chapter. Join us!
3/10: Engaging Community Leaders to Contact Congress — Join CCL Action and Endorsement Coordinator Sabrina Butcher for a training that will walk through how to ask your community leaders (endorsers and non-endorsers) to personally call their members of Congress and identify themselves as a community leader when they call. Join us!
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
3/8: Research Team Updates — Join CCL's Research Coordinators Rick Knight and Dana Nuccitelli for a special training on research updates. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
Recent Posts