Weekly Briefing: American Petroleum Institute Proposes A Carbon Price

April 27, 2022

News broke last week that the American Petroleum Institute (API), the country’s largest trade association for the oil and gas industry, has drafted a proposal urging Congress to adopt a carbon fee with rebates to Americans. They propose using the revenue for rebates to households and investments in new technology, and they call for border tariffs to keep U.S. businesses competitive.

If this policy sounds familiar, it should: it’s similar to the policy that we at Citizens’ Climate Lobby have supported for years.

In a new video today, CCL’s Vice President of Governmental Affairs Danny Richter shares that API isn’t the only group speaking up about carbon pricing lately: the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget also released a report weighing the benefits of a carbon price. Additionally, the Electric Power Supply Association, which is effectively a natural gas association, also endorsed a carbon price.

Danny explains that this support comes from unexpected messengers, or organizations that don’t typically work within the climate space. “This is significant because research indicates that it is unexpected voices, such as these, that lead to politicians elevating a policy issue above other priorities and scheduling it for scarce floor time,” Danny says.

In today’s video, Danny also gives an update about the budget reconciliation process, where we hope to see major climate policy emerge. 

Watch Danny's Video

_________________________________________________________________________

In other news this week: 

• Climate Solutions Caucus: The bipartisan Senate Climate Solutions Caucus celebrated Earth Day last week by endorsing several pieces of climate legislation. Some of those pieces include the Growing Climate Solutions Act and the Financing Our Energy Future Act. You can find more information about the caucus and the bills endorsed here.
• Electrify everything? Rewiring America wants to electrify every appliance in the U.S. Keishaa Austin, our guest speaker on CCL’s April call, explains how we get there, and what we all can do to help. Read more.
• Volunteer Spotlight Roundup: For this month’s Volunteer Spotlight, we highlight nine CCL volunteers from across the country doing climate work in their communities. Read more.

________________________________________________________________________

Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Contact your members of Congress

Recently national news stories from the Washington Post Climate 202 newsletter and E&E News show that Congress is back, and that the budget reconciliation process is high on the priority list for Congress in the coming month. That means this is a great time to contact your members of Congress and urge them to support a carbon price. You can contact them here.

If you have more time: Register for CCL’s Conference for early bird discount

We can’t wait to see you at our annual conference in D.C. this summer! The early bird deadline for CCL’s June conference registration is April 30, 11:59 p.m. ET. This discount saves $50 on registration, reducing the price from $179 to $129. The overall registration deadline is May 22. Register 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: TN and KY outreach tours

For most of April, CCL’s Appalachia Regional Coordinator Jon Clark has been traveling across Tennessee and Kentucky on Earth Week outreach tours. The tour stops have run the gamut: public presentations at libraries and churches, tabling at Earth Day-themed events, CCL chapter meetings, creative outreach at a local rock climbing gym, a newspaper editorial board meeting, radio interviews, and more.

Jon and other local volunteers have been thoroughly documenting the tours on social media, posting regular updates and photos to Twitter along the way. Head over to CCL Community to read more about the tours and see some of their social media highlights.

See Tour Highlights

_________________________________________________________________________
Upcoming Trainings 

4/28: Big Tent Climate Talk w/ Environmental Voter Project — Find out what EVP is up to this year for the midterms and how CCL volunteers can plug in. Our April event will feature a conversation with Brett Cease, CCL's Education and Engagement Senior Director, and Shannon Seigal, Organizing Director with Environmental Voter Project. Join us!

5/5: An introduction to CCL's Anti-Racism and Allyship Guide — CCL strives to provide a welcoming space for people from all backgrounds and cultures. Join Karina Ramirez, CCL's Diversity and Inclusion Director, for an introduction to CCL's anti-racism and allyship guide. This resource guide has been written by staff and volunteers to provide resources for those wanting to better understand the importance of anti-racism work. This includes highlighting portions of our ongoing work regarding Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) and why it is integral to our work as climate advocates. Join us!

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

5/3: Understanding Congress Basics — Do you have a question about the legislative process in Congress? Join CCL’s Membership Coordinator, Caillie Roach, as well as Kesten Bozinovic, CCL’s Liaison Coordinator, for an analysis of the policymaking process and what life is like for members of Congress and their staffers. Join us!

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