Weekly Briefing: Talk Climate Tomorrow, Then Go Big For Giving Tuesday
November 22, 2023
It’s never easy to talk about politics at the Thanksgiving table — but it might be easier than you think to talk about climate change! The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication finds that 66% of people are worried about climate change, but only 34% talk about it with their friends and family. Close that gap this holiday weekend by sharing the ways your CCL volunteering is giving you hope and making positive change.
Then, plan to go big for the climate on Giving Tuesday — the first day of CCL’s Year-End Fundraiser. Your contributions will help us empower even more volunteers across the country to build support for climate policies in their communities and in Congress.
If we receive $300K in donations on Giving Tuesday, we will unlock a bonus gift of an additional $125K. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, Nov. 28 or give today! If you’d like to encourage others to support this work, plan to share graphics and suggested posts from our social media toolkit.
Every climate conversation, every post, and every gift goes a long way toward the livable world we’re all working to build.
In other news this week:
• November lobbying tops 360 meetings: After our "Grassroots Rising" conference earlier this month, attended by 1,492 climate advocates, CCL volunteers went on to have at least 360 lobby meetings with congressional offices.
• Open positions: CCL is hiring a Senior Development Officer and a Development Coordinator. Please share the job listings with anyone in your network who may be interested.
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Share our latest social media graphic. Looking for a way to bring up climate change with your family and friends over Thanksgiving weekend? Break the ice by sharing this social post on Instagram, X, or Facebook, showing how many people are concerned about climate change compared to how many actually talk about it with the people in their lives. (Bonus points if you hop into the comments and tell us how your conversations went!)
If you have more time: Plan to hold a Snowman Protest. Thanks to climate change, snowmen are becoming an endangered species. So this winter, they're protesting in order to ask Congress to put a price on carbon. Host your own snowman protest with your chapter or with your family and friends. It's a really fun way to help spread the word about climate solutions. Our how-to guide has everything you'll need to make this event memorable and successful. Start planning now, so that when the snow hits, you'll be ready!
Featured chapter: CCL San Mateo County
CCL’s San Mateo County chapter has a vibrant youth membership. This summer, they organized a climate rally that drew more than 80 enthusiastic participants and coverage from NBC’s Bay Area station. “Led by a group of Hillsdale High band members, they marched through the heart of downtown,” chapter member Sarah Hubbard recounts. “The streets were alive with passion and purpose!” The rally included local elected officials, including the city’s mayor, a city councilmember, a district supervisor, and a state senator, who all delivered remarks.
The San Mateo youth also participated in their representative’s town hall earlier this year. Eight students attended and made sure Rep. Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15) — and the town hall audience — knew that addressing the climate crisis is their top priority. They also spoke with Rep. Mullin afterward, pushing him further on his climate work. "We know that Congressman Mullin has been really great in furthering climate resiliency programs,” one student, Aran O’Sullivan, said. “But we are looking for a little more work done on climate mitigation programs.” Their presence at the town hall made it into local news coverage of the event.
Three cheers for the youth of CCL San Mateo County! Keep up the fantastic work.
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
11/27: Land Acknowledgements, Tribal Sovereignty, and Dispossession: Going Beyond Words and Into Action - The next meeting of CCL's Diversity and Inclusion Action Team will explore these topics with Cayla Bellanger DeGroat, a Program Officer at the Northland Foundation, where she is the key staffer for an Indigenous-led philanthropy initiative. Join us!
11/30: Examples of State and Local Implementation of Inflation Reduction Act Climate Funds - Join Nick Burger, Deputy Director of Energy Administration in D.C.'s Department of Energy and Environment, for an overview of how state-level entities are applying for grants related to the Inflation Reduction Act and how CCL volunteers can be most effective in helping provide public support and momentum. Join us!
Need training on the basics? Catch our next session of Core Volunteer Training, made for newer volunteers:
11/28: Communicating with Conservatives - CCL's Conservative Outreach team will review conservative messaging on climate change, connecting how policies that CCL supports align with conservative values. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
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