Weekly Briefing: We still need a national carbon fee

September 21, 2022

While the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is set to make historic progress in addressing climate change, it’s important to recognize that the work still isn’t done. CCL Research Coordinator Jonathan Marshall makes a compelling case for the continued push for a carbon price, even after the successes brought by the reconciliation process. 

“Although [the Inflation Reduction Act] should help bring U.S. greenhouse gas emissions down about 40 percent by 2030, that’s still well short of our national commitment of a 50 percent reduction,” Jonathan writes in a recent blog post. “If we want to have any hope of keeping global warming under 2°C, the U.S. (and other countries) will need to get all the way to net zero by 2050 — a far bigger lift. Just spending more money to subsidize renewable energy, electric vehicles, and other clean technologies won’t do the job.”

Over 3,600 economists agree that a carbon fee would work with clean energy subsidies and regulations to accelerate the phase-out of fossil fuel emissions.

Jonathan reaffirms what CCL has been telling Congress all along: a carbon price is a powerful tool that the U.S. should put into action.

READ JONATHAN'S BLOG

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In other news this week: 

• Citizens' Climate 2021 Annual Report: The 2021 Citizens' Climate Lobby/Citizens' Climate Education Annual Report is live. Did you know that CCL welcomed 23,552 new supporters last year? Or that CCL had 4,112 media hits? Read through highlights from the last year in the report, available here. 
• CCL’s Inclusion Conference success: CCL’s Inclusion Conference was this past weekend — thank you to everyone who attended. If you’re interested, you can watch the speaker recordings and view the presentations.
• CCL’s Jennifer Tyler on NCEW panel: The 2022 National Clean Energy Week Policy Maker’s Symposium is just around the corner. This year, you can expect to see CCL’s Director of Government Affairs, Jennifer Tyler, lending her expertise on one of the symposium panels. Check out the speakers list here.  
• Outdoor Industry Action Team special guest: The Outdoor Industry Action Team will be welcoming Olympic silver medalist Hilary Lindh to their next meeting. Hilary endorsed the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act after working with CCLer Robin Paone. If you would like to learn how to engage professional athletes in climate advocacy, you are welcome to attend the meeting. 
• Bipartisan climate lessons from the 117th Congress: Conversation around climate has changed because we believed it could, and we worked to make that a reality. Read this blog from CCL’s Senior Director of Programs about the bipartisan progress we’ve seen in this Congress.

If you have a little time: Like and share this election season tweet
It’s election season, which means it’s the perfect time to let Congress and political candidates know just how important the issue of climate change is. Like and share this tweet from CCL about the importance of climate change as an election issue.

If you have more time: Continue planning your Earth Day: Election Edition event!
Your chapter is probably already working on an Earth Day: Election Edition event for Oct. 22. Can you help with the planning? The Sept action sheet is chock full of ideas for chapters, from voter registration, to ballot assistance, to volunteering with EVP. Check out the action sheet here for more ideas.

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

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Featured Lever This Week 

Climate advocacy efforts in North Dakota are paying off

Copy: You might remember that on Aug. 22, Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) tweeted about meeting with CCLers to discuss the Growing Climate Solutions Act and conservative mechanisms for addressing climate. 

“This could be a geopolitical tool for the US to capitalize on our energy successes,” Sen. Cramer wrote. “We do it better & cleaner than everyone else!”

But this enthusiastic support didn’t just come out of the blue. A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes to move North Dakota’s Republican lawmakers forward on climate advocacy.

Mindy Ahler is the North Wind Regional Coordinator for CCL. The North Wind region comprises Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota. This past June, several CCLers, along with Mindy, organized an outreach tour across North Dakota. The tour consisted of conversations, presentations, and stops in cities such as New Town, Valley City, and Bismarck. 

“In a rural state like North Dakota with a small population, every person has a big impact when they reach out to their members of Congress and talk to their friends and neighbors,” Mindy said.

You can read more about the North Dakota tour on CCL’s blog.

READ ABOUT THE NORTH DAKOTA TOUR

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Upcoming Trainings 

• 9/22: Creative and Engaging Tabling Ideas: Join CCL Education & Resilience Coordinator and Greater Pacific Northwest Regional Co-Coordinator Tamara Staton for a training designed to help you engage people at the events you attend — to attract them to your table and heighten their interest, attention and ability to focus on what you have to share. Join us!
• 9/29: Big Tent Climate Talks: Our September event will feature a conversation with Kyle Kammien, CCL Senior Business Relations Representative, and Bill McKibben, Third Act founder, well-known author, educator, and environmental leader. This engaging conversation will focus on climate efforts inside and outside of CCL. Join us!

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

• 9/27: Grasstops Engagement Basics: One of the biggest impacts volunteers can make in building momentum for carbon pricing is gaining the support of local community leaders. Join Sabrina Butcher, CCL's Action & Endorsements Coordinator, for a webinar on how to best conduct outreach to grasstops leaders in your area and beyond. Join us!

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