Weekly Briefing: CCL Conservative Fellow Tours Media, Emphasizes Climate Solutions

September 7, 2022

Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, conservative voices have remained critical in the climate conversation, despite the fact that the IRA was a Democrat-only bill. 

CCL organized a media tour for 2022 Conservative Outreach Fellow Hannah Rogers, who gave interviews in nine states across the country to explain the good things that the Inflation Reduction Act has in store for conservative communities. 

Hannah appeared on broadcasts for local news stations in Louisiana, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Wisconsin, as well as two national radio appearances. Hannah explained why the Inflation Reduction Act appeals to her as a young Republican.

"It lowers people's energy costs, and that's a huge barrier to climate change mitigation efforts. By 2030, every American household will save around $200 a year, which is huge," Hannah said. "And then also something that's really special for Utah is the bill also has a ton of drought relief, and as a Utahn, we experience a lot of droughts here."

Hannah took a moment to reflect on what she would like to see the Republican party do in the climate realm moving forward. 

“I would like the Republican party to acknowledge climate change exists. A lot of Republicans do, but so often, plenty of people either ignore the problem, or pretend that it’s a hoax, and it’s not. I, as someone on the right, really want someone that I elected into office to represent me and my interests in the sphere of climate.”

WATCH PART OF HANNAH'S TOUR

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In other news this week: 

• Happy Labor Day: On Labor Day, we celebrate the economic and social achievements of millions of American workers. As of 2021, roughly 3 million Americans worked in the clean energy sector — and thanks to the IRA, that number is about to take a big jump. 
• Inclusion Conference around the corner: CCL’s Inclusion Conference is just around the corner from Sept. 16-17. One guest is Gen Z climate activist, entrepreneur and writer Zahra Biabani. In her session, Zahra will explore cognitive biases that make it hard for us to be optimistic — especially in regard to our shared environment — and why and how we can and should move past those biases. Interested in this session and others? Check out the agenda here, and register for the conference here.
• Weather Geeks: CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli recently appeared on an episode of the Weather Geeks podcast. In this episode, Dana talks to Marshall Shepherd about the Inflation Reduction Act and bipartisan climate progress. Listen now. 
• What are CBAMs? Tackling both the climate and economic fairness, the carbon border adjustment mechanism might just be one of the climate solutions with something for everyone. Read more about CBAMs on the CCL blog here.

If you have a little time: Reach out to Congress about frontline communities
Flooding in Jackson, Mississippi, is a prime example of climate change intersecting with environmental justice, as illustrated in CCL’s tweet. Reach out to your members of Congress, and ask them to help the frontline communities that face additional harm from climate change. 

If you have more time: Attend the September national call this Saturday
Join us on Saturday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. PST/ 1 p.m. ET to hear from Dr. Hahrie Han, who is a member of the CCL Advisory Board. Dr. Han is a Professor of Political Science at Johns Hopkins University and the Inaugural Director of the SNF Agora Institute, which strengthens global democracy through powerful civic engagement and informed, inclusive dialogue. Find more information here.

Find your CCL chapter | Check out our Action Teams | Browse upcoming events

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Featured Lever This Week 
Iowa CCLers participate in bike parade

CCL volunteers in Decorah, Iowa, used a local bicycling parade to spread awareness for climate action. One CCLer tweeted about the float, thanking CCL’s Ann Arbor, Michigan, chapter for inspiration. 

The bike float appeared at the Nordic Fest bike parade, sporting signs and banners urging people to call their members of Congress and work for climate legislation. 

Want to do something similar with your chapter for Earth Day in October and general climate advocacy? Check out the monthly action sheet to get more ideas.

VISIT THE MONTHLY ACTION SHEET

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Upcoming Trainings 

9/8: Giving Inflation Reduction Act Presentations In Your Community — Join CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli for a training that will feature a customizable presentation about the Inflation Reduction Act to use in your community. Join us!

9/15: Understanding Conservative Perspectives About the IRA  — Join CCL Conservative Outreach Director Drew Eyerly for a training that will help attendees understand the perspectives of conservatives about the Inflation Reduction Act. This training will also cover how to best engage conservative audiences around the clean energy, local jobs, and American innovation generated within the bill. Join us!

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

9/13: CCL Community Website Walkthrough — This training helps you navigate our websites and harness the talent, experience and interests you bring to CCL. Join us!

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