Weekly Briefing: CCL Conservatives Head To D.C. Next Month 

February 14, 2024

Here at CCL, we make it a point to seek out and invite in people whose views have been missing from the climate conversation. Our annual Conservative Climate Leadership Conference and Lobby Day does just that!

On March 19-20, right-of-center folks will be able to connect with each other and learn from thought leaders about practical solutions to stop the pollution that’s overheating the planet. Morgan Brummund, Government Affairs Director for American Conservation Coalition, will join a panel to talk about the Farm Bill during Tuesday’s conference programming. Heather Reams, President of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), will moderate a panel on permitting reform. 

On Wednesday, attendees will head to Capitol Hill to speak with dozens of Republican lawmakers about what they can do to help. Hearing specifically from conservative constituents helps make these conversations with Republican offices particularly productive. After our meetings, we’ll hold a lobby day reception on the Hill, where we will present Climate Champion awards to three members of Congress. 

Spots are filling fast for lobby day, so if you are one of our conservative volunteers or know someone in your network who is right-of-center, get those applications in as soon as possible! The deadline is March 4.

Check Out the Conservative Conference

In other news this week:

• BIG WIRES would make a big impact: In case you missed it, a new MIT paper just evaluated the potential impact of the BIG WIRES Act, finding that it could save as much as $2.5 billion annually as it drives America’s emissions down 5.5% per year. Get the details in the Nerd Corner on CCL Community.

Take action this week

If you have a little time: Watch and share this Instagram reel. We posted a quick video of our VP of Programs, Brett Cease, celebrating how CCL’s support helped the PROVE IT Act pass through the Senate Environment and Public Works committee. Watch and share this video so your friends and followers know CCL is making an impact!

If you have more time: Catch up on CCL’s February meeting. This past Saturday, CCL chapters, volunteers, and staff gathered on Zoom for our monthly meeting. We heard from guest speaker Sam Daley-Harris, author of “Reclaiming Our Democracy,” about the incredible power of citizen advocacy work. CCL staffer and meeting host Steffanie Munguía also celebrated recent successes and shared upcoming actions you can take this month. If you weren't able to join us live, catch up with the recording.

Featured chapter: CCL Roanoke

Happy Valentine’s Day! Joy Sylvester-Johnson and Diane Kelly from CCL’s chapter in Roanoke, Virginia, decided to spread a little love with a Valentine-themed outreach event. They organized the event on the afternoon of Saturday, Feb. 3, holding it at a location between the Roanoke chapter and the nearby New River Valley chapter, so volunteers from both could participate.

“We made valentines to send to both state and federal elected representatives,” Joy says. Pictured above are the folks who attended and samples of their crafts addressed to each lawmaker, filled with heart-shaped messages signed by CCLers.

This was a fun event for all ages, Joy adds. “We had good snacks, played a game of Pedro the Penguin to teach young children what to do in a weather disaster, and showcased children’s books on climate.” Great work, CCL Roanoke!

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. Action Tracker

Upcoming trainings

2/15: Building Community In Your Chapter - In this training, CCL's focused outreach staff will discuss approaches and resources to help you connect with volunteers of color, students, and those politically right of center, and how to do so in a way that ensures you “welcome the person, not the identity.” Join us!

2/22: Crafting Impactful Conservative Op-Eds and Letters to the Editor - Attend this panel discussion to learn how to write and place climate pieces in conservative areas. The discussion will be moderated by CCL State and Local Media Coordinator, Charlotte Ward, and will feature panelists from RepublicEN, American Conservation Coalition, and The Invading Sea. Join us!

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

2/20: CCL's Policy Agenda - CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli will help you get familiar with an array of policies, including carbon pricing, that CCL supports to reduce carbon pollution and build bridges both in Congress and in our communities. Join us!

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

Nerd Corner Chart of the Week

New inter-regional transmission capacity needed to comply with the BIG WIRES Act

Join the discussion about why the BIG WIRES Act would be a win-win-win for the climate, grid stability, and household budgets.