Weekly Briefing: Build Community At CCL's Inclusion Conference
August 23, 2023
CCL’s Inclusion Conference, “Building Community Beyond Barriers,” is less than one month away! The event is hosted by CCL’s Affinity Action Teams — so it’s by volunteers, for volunteers — and it’s all about connecting and collaborating. The more we can create a welcoming space within CCL, the more people can get involved, growing our organization and adding to the political will we need for a livable world.
This free virtual event will kick off with an evening reception on Friday, Sept. 15, for a chance to get to know each other. The one-day online conference is Saturday, Sept. 16, 1 – 6:30 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. PT.
Attendees will hear opening remarks from Karina Ramirez, CCL’s Diversity and Inclusion Director, and Mark Reynolds, CCL’s Executive Director. The program includes sessions that will:
• Share stories and climate action updates from island nations
• Discuss empowering indigenous communities as local climate champions
• Celebrate BIPOC environmentalists
See the full program and plan to join us!
In other news this week:
• Congressional shout outs: Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA-02), who serves as vice-chair of the Conservative Climate Caucus, mentioned CCL in a recent appearance on The New Yorker Radio Hour. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), who introduced the PROVE IT Act with Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE), tweeted today about meeting with CCL volunteers from his state.
• Certified to save the world: The next round of our Climate Advocacy Certificate Program launches on Sept. 12. Learn about the program and see some successes from recent program participants in this new blog post.
• Info session in Spanish: In addition to our regular weekly informational session, CCL offers a quarterly info call in Spanish. The next one is coming up on Tuesday, Aug. 29. Share the event details with anyone who may be interested to join.
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Contact Congress about the Increased TSP Access Act. America’s farmers, ranchers, and other forest owners need help to access critical conservation programs — the Increased TSP Access Act would help. So far, CCLers have sent 10,007 messages to Congress about this new legislation. Have you sent yours?
If you have more time: Watch Jenn’s legislative update and attend a town hall. Wondering what’s going on with Congress during recess and how you can keep them moving forward on climate? Our Senior Director of Government Affairs, Jenn Tyler, gives us the breakdown in a new update video, which includes attending your congresspeople’s town halls to discuss climate. Watch the video on Instagram, Twitter, or YouTube, and then plan to attend a town hall.
Featured chapter: CCL Lorain County
The CCL chapter in Lorain County, Ohio, is in expansion mode. Previously named CCL Oberlin, they are now working to grow membership from the entire county. The group, led by Alison Ricker, Ted Wolner, and John Sabin, currently has about a dozen active members joining chapter meetings, lobbying, tabling, and writing letters (five LTEs in the past month alone!). Many more local supporters contact the local members of Congress through CCL’s action tools.
A key part of their growth strategy is grassroots outreach. They recently participated in Oberlin’s annual "Chalk Walk" which brings hundreds of people downtown to create chalk art and stroll the sidewalks. Chapter members chalked the design pictured above to prompt conversations about CCL with passersby. “We also participated in Oberlin's Juneteenth celebration, tabling from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and more than 15 new people signed up with CCL that day,” Alison says.
As the chapter grows, they can even more effectively encourage their members of Congress to act on climate. Five Lorain County volunteers went to Washington, D.C., in June and participated in three lobby meetings each. “We also had a few minutes with Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH-05) in the hallway prior to meeting with his assistant and were able to introduce all of the lobby team members to the Congressman,” Alison says.
Great job, CCL Lorain County!
Have you logged your recent activities in the Action Tracker? Tell us what your chapter has been up to lately!
Want your chapter to be featured? Share your info and photos with us.
Upcoming trainings
8/24: Progress & Prospect for Carbon Pricing Around the World - Join CCL superstar volunteer and economist Jonathan Marshall to learn what is going on in other countries and subnational governments in terms of carbon pricing. Join us!
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
8/29: Communicating With Conservatives - Drew Eyerly, CCL Conservative Outreach Director, leads this training on communicating with conservatives about a price on carbon. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
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