Weekly Briefing: Dec. 6-7: Don’t Miss This Speaker Line-Up
November 20, 2024
CCL’s Fall Virtual Conference is coming up in a few weeks. We’re excited to bring you a speaker line-up full of insights about climate work in our new political landscape.
On Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1:15 p.m. ET / 10:15 a.m. PT, Utah’s Senator-elect John Curtis will give a keynote address. Curtis, a Republican who currently represents Utah’s 3rd District in the House, has already leaned heavily into the climate issue during his time in Congress. He founded the Conservative Climate Caucus and, most recently, signed on to a Republican letter to protect clean energy tax credits from threats of repeal. He has also long been an ally of CCL, participating in local town halls about climate issues, going on hikes with local volunteers, and even playing ping pong. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to hear his perspective on climate policy in the new Congress.
For our closing session at 4:45 p.m. ET / 1:45 p.m. PT, we’ll hear from Adam Met. He’s a multi-platinum musician with the band AJR, but music isn’t his only passion — he’s a climate guy, too. He received the 2024 TIME Earth Award and was named a New York Times Changemaker for his work as founder and executive director of climate advocacy nonprofit Planet Reimagined. Tune in to hear his message of encouragement and support for the work ahead.
And of course, the conference will feature updates and training from CCL’s staff including Executive Director Rachel Kerestes, Vice President of Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass, Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli, and more. We’ll see you there!
In other news this week
- Interest in climate work spikes after election: CCL’s weekly informational session has seen a huge influx in the two weeks since Election Day. Last week, we had triple our normal attendance! If you have someone in your life who wants to get more involved with climate work, invite them to join the call on any upcoming Wednesday.
- Info session in Spanish: CCL periodically offers a Spanish-language version of our informational session, too. The next one takes place on Tues., Nov. 26. Register or share the call info here.
- Save the date to support CCL: Our Year-End Fundraiser kicks off on Giving Tuesday, Dec. 3! This is one of only two national fundraisers we do each year, and grassroots donations make up most of our budget—approximately 80%. The money we raise will set us up with the resources that you need to get wins for the climate in the next 12 months. Mark your calendar for Dec. 3, or visit our November Action Sheet to start brainstorming your own creative fundraising effort today.
Take action this week
If you have a little time: Tell Congress to prioritize climate in these final weeks. There are just a handful of weeks remaining in this Congress, and after the election, many lawmakers are freshly motivated to get bills across the finish line. Use our online tool to send a quick message to your representative and senators to let them know that climate was on your mind when you voted, and to urge them to prioritize climate action in this final stretch. We’re closing in on our goal of 10,000 messages — will you send yours now?
If you have more time: Write a letter to your local newspaper. Millions of people across the country — and newspapers big and small — are still dissecting the 2024 election results and discussing the incoming administration. Join that public discussion with a letter to the editor of your local newspaper. You could write about how climate change is impacting your community and urge incoming elected officials to find solutions. Get more pointers for your letter in CCL’s November Action Sheet or our LTE topic resource. Submit your letter to your newspaper directly or via CCL’s LTE tool.
Featured chapter: CCL Wasatch Back
CCL’s Wasatch Back chapter in Utah went above and beyond this election season. In collaboration with the local public radio station and the Park City Community Foundation's Climate Fund, the chapter hosted a candidate forum focused on climate issues.
The event took place on Oct. 8 and featured candidates for the local County Council and the Utah State House, discussing climate-related topics such as building energy efficiency and water resource management. The conversation even covered things like waste management and traffic reduction.
"Local action is crucial in addressing climate change," said Tracy Harden, who co-leads the Wasatch Back chapter. "Reducing methane emissions from our landfill and addressing traffic congestion are just two examples of local initiatives that can make a significant difference."
“Every candidate for County Council and the state Legislature present is serious about wildfire and, beyond that, recognizes climate change as real,” the Park Record reported in an article about the event.
Chapter member Joan Entwistle said, "I was glad to hear from attendees about how much they learned, and I know that the candidates also learned from each other. Events like this panel raise awareness about important climate issues." Great work, CCL Wasatch Back!
Want to chat with the Wasatch Back volunteers? Join the conversation on CCL Community.
Upcoming trainings
11/21: Fall 2024 Lobby Training: Primary Asks and Legislative Plan - Join CCL's Vice President for Government Affairs Ben Pendergrass to get ready for fall lobbying. We’ll review CCL's Fall 2024 Primary and Supporting Asks, as well as guidance for lobby teams as they plan their online meetings. This is the recommended training for any CCL volunteer planning on being a part of their group's Fall 2024 Lobby Meeting. Join us!
11/26: Communicating with Conservatives - Join CCL's Conservative Outreach team to review conservative messaging on climate change, showing how CCL’s preferred policies connect with conservative values. Join us!
12/3: Climate Science Basics - Join CCL Research Coordinator Dana Nuccitelli to learn about the scientific evidence for climate change and answers to common questions. Join us!
12/5: Lobby Lead Training - Want to learn more about leading a lobby meeting with a member of Congress or staff? In this training, we review the role of a lobby team leader, how they assign team roles, coordinate practice times and how to handle other special situations. Join us!
To see other topics and past trainings, visit the Training Topics page of CCL Community.
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