Weekly Briefing: CCL’s June Conference: Sneak A Peek In Photos

May 11, 2022

This year’s conference is CCL’s first in-person nationwide event in two years. We can’t wait to see you in D.C. from June 11-13! If you haven’t registered yet, you can sign up today. If you have registered, be sure to book your room soon.

Since our last few conferences have been virtual, you may wonder what the experience is like when we’re actually together in our nation’s capital. That’s especially true for those of you who have joined CCL in the last two years and have never had the chance to come to an in-person conference.

Well, wonder no more! We’ve put together a blog post to give you a virtual tour through the CCL conference experience. Check out the view of the plenary stage, peek at the conference rooms we’ll be in at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, and start to envision a fun few days of climate advocacy with us.

When you’re ready, you can register to attend. Be sure to sign up by the May 22 deadline to secure your spot.

Show Me The Conference!

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In other news this week: 

• Statement on bipartisan climate talks: CCL views the current bipartisan climate talks and budget reconciliation process as efforts that are complementary, not mutually exclusive. Read more.

• CCL Canada’s conference: CCL Canada held their national conference last week, titled “Keeping it Polite.” You can read more about that conference’s speakers and itinerary here.

• Conservative climate journey: CCL’s Conservative Outreach Director, Drew Eyerly, shares his climate journey in a compelling new video. Watch and share his story.

• CCL tours in TN & KY: For most of April, CCL’s Appalachia Regional Coordinator Jon Clark traveled across Tennessee and Kentucky on Earth Week outreach tours. See photos and highlights from Jon’s time on the road.

• CCL’s 2022 Diversity, Inclusion and Conservative Fellows: CCL is lucky to have fellows working with our Diversity and Inclusion and Conservative staff. Get to know them now!

• Forum on fiscal climate solutions: Our friends at the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget are hosting a forum on May 17 titled “Fiscal Solutions to Climate Change.” The event is free to attend and takes place online.

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Like and share this meme from CCL

Climate science and geopolitics demand that we move to clean energy as fast as possible, but some voices still insist the answer is to drill for more fossil fuels. We pointed out that dynamic in a meme on Instagram, which you can like and share.

If you have more time: Attend the monthly national call

Each month, CCL hosts a national call to share updates, discuss new actions, and to learn from guest speakers. Joining our next national call on May 14 are Jad Daley, President and CEO of American Forests, and Joel Pannell, the group’s Vice President of Urban Forestry. They'll discuss American Forests' work with tree cover in American cities, which is often determined by income and race, and the work their organization is doing to restore forest health across the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Will you join the call with us this Saturday?

Find your CCL chapter | Check out our Action Teams | Browse upcoming events
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Featured Lever This Week 

After CCL pitch, Sun-Times urges climate action

Earth Day is always a good time for newspapers to editorialize on climate change, and when Chicago volunteer Joe Tedino was asked if he could make a pitch to the Sun-Times, he didn't hesitate to say "yes." Joe had been in touch previously with the opinion editor at the paper and has a good relationship with him. After a few email exchanges and a phone call, it looked like the Sun-Times was on board to run an Earth Day editorial on the need for Congress to enact climate legislation. Other issues, however, pushed the climate editorial back, and the editor asked Joe if the paper could talk to some of the CCL members on May 3. 

The group, including CCL Research Coordinator Rick Knight, had a great 30 minute long Zoom meeting with the editorial board. A few days later the paper came out with a strong editorial: "This is the moment we need to do something big, or we will lose the battle to protect the planet." 

Great work, and congratulations to Joe and the Chicago team for their hand in getting the Sun-Times to prod Congress to take strong climate action! Read and share this great editorial.

Read the Full Editorial!

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Upcoming Trainings 

5/12: Lobbying 101: The Transformative Power of Citizen Advocacy — Learn about citizen advocacy, and hear stories from CCL volunteers around the country who demonstrate building meaningful, long-term relationships with their congressional office. This is Part I in the “Working With Congress” training series, designed to empower you to be ready for our annual June lobby meetings. Join us!

5/19: June Lobby #1: Legislative Plan — Join CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs Dr. Danny Richter for a training that will provide insights on the dynamics in Congress and how we can most effectively use our time in meetings to support our agenda. This is a recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of their group's June 2022 Lobby Meeting. Join us! 

5/24: Active Hope for Climate Change Advocates — Active Hope is a 2-hour Zoom workshop hosted by the Resilience Building Action Team to strengthen your resilience and fortify your enthusiasm for climate activism and the vitality of life. Sign up for the May 24 workshop here. There will also be a live Active Hope workshop offered at the June conference. 

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

5/17: Lobbying 201: Practicing Effective Lobbying — Join Amy Bennett, CCL’s Director of Congressional Liaisons and Lobby Days, for an online training that will walk you through important considerations for a lobby meeting and what an actual meeting with your member of Congress looks like. Join us!

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