Weekly Briefing: Midterms shape CCL trajectory for 2023 regardless

November 9, 2022

As the country awaits the results of the midterm elections, CCL stands ready to make climate a bridge issue, not a wedge issue, regardless of the political outcome. 

The last few years have shown that no matter who is in Congress, CCL volunteers are capable of working across the aisle to make a difference. CCLers’ hard work set the stage for the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act two months ago. Since then, CCL volunteers have participated in nearly 2,000 local events and outreach activities to make climate an election issue.

“Our volunteers have shown time and again, no matter who controls Congress, that they can be effective advocates for climate solutions,” said CCL VP for Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass. “We will continue to build on the progress made in this Congress to preserve a livable world. We live in a closely divided country, and we will  need to move legislation in a bipartisan fashion next Congress.”

You can read about the midterm election’s impact on CCL’s work in the press release. 

READ THE PRESS RELEASE

In other news this week: 

• Register for the December conference: As the midterm results become clearer, the CCL December conference is pivotal for letting volunteers know what to expect going into the new year. This free virtual conference on Dec. 3-4 will include several seminars and sessions that are helpful for volunteers, including an in-depth policy look at the Inflation Reduction Act, a workshop about diversity and inclusion outreach in your chapter, as well as a workshop about conservative climate pillars and volunteer outreach. To attend these informative workshops, register for CCL’s December conference.
• Clean technologies vs. fossil fuels: Are electric vehicles and renewable energy better than fossil fuels, even after the mining and manufacturing process? CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli says yes in his latest blog.  
• In case you missed it…Joe and Madeleine attend COP27: If you didn’t see last week’s Briefing, here’s a chance to read some news about CCL Executive Director Madeleine Para and CCI Executive Director Joe Robertson as they attend the COP27 summit in Egypt.
• AFCD gives key findings after poll: Americans for Carbon Dividends recently released key findings after their poll on climate and trade. The one-pager indicates that the majority of “high propensity, reliable Republican voters” believe that it’s important for their members of Congress to address climate change. You can read those key findings here. 
• YOUnify: Cross-partisan Climate Advocacy: The Effective Communication Action Team will be hosting Brandyn Keating of YOUnify, an organization that works to reduce polarization and cultural divisions. This workshop is Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. PT/ 8 p.m. ET. For more information, visit here.

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Take action this week  

If you have a little time: Read and share this op-ed
Anxious about midterms? That’s okay! Nevada CCLer Michelle Hamilton recently got an op-ed published in the Sierra Nevada Ally about why climate is important in every election, not just this one. You can read and share her op-ed from this tweet. 

If you have more time: Join our November national call
This Saturday at 10 a.m. PT/ 1 p.m. ET, CCL will hold our national monthly call with guest speaker Sam Daley-Harris. Sam, the author of Reclaiming Our Democracy, will talk about civic courage and the midterms. For more information, check out our monthly calls and speakers page. 

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

UU World features CCL volunteers

Hard work and polite persistence from several CCL volunteers in Texas paid off this month. 

CCL Unitarian Universalist Action Team co-leader Nadine Kadell Sapirman shares that after years of communicating with the national Unitarian Universalist magazine UU World, the magazine decided to feature CCL volunteers. 

Texas UU CCL volunteer Diane Duesterhoeft helped bring this to fruition, as well as UU CCL volunteer Peter Eisenhardt, who connected the magazine to Unitarian Universalist Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA-27). Rep. Chu is a vocal supporter of the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. 

Several members of this action team worked hard and saw everyone as a potential ally. By embracing CCL’s polite mindset, they have helped create the political will for a liveable world. 

READ THE UU WORLD ARTICLE

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Upcoming Trainings 

• 11/10: December 2022 Lobby Training #2: Primary & Supporting Asks — Join CCL's Vice President for Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass and Senior Director of Government Affairs Jennifer Tyler for a training that will review the updates and context for CCL's December 2022 Primary and Supporting Asks. Join us!
• 11/17: Why Permitting Reform Is An Important Climate Priority — Join CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli for a training on the role of permitting reform in the climate sector. Join us!     

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

• 11/15: December Conference & Lobby Days Q&A — Join Amy Bennett, CCL's Director of Congressional Liaisons and Lobby Days, for the first half of the call to focus on CCL's lobby days procedures and questions. Then, for the second half, join CCL National Events Manager, Alison Kubicsko, to review the conference details and answer questions. Join us!        

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