Weekly Briefing: Understand the ‘why’ behind how Members of Congress think

Jan. 21, 2026

Does your Member of Congress take stances on climate policy that don’t totally make sense to you? Do you wonder why people in your community don’t jump on board when you tell them about climate solutions? You’re not alone — it’s complicated and difficult to understand how others think. But to be effective climate advocates, we need to do exactly that.

“We know that policy change doesn’t happen just because we have the best data or strongest arguments,” says CCL Vice President of Field Operations Dr. Brett Cease. “It happens when people feel understood, respected, and invited into solutions that connect to their values.”

That’s why one of CCL’s major initiatives for 2026 is the new Building Relationships in Dialogue, Growth, and Engagement program, or BRIDGE. BRIDGE is a volunteer training program designed to help trainees become even more effective climate advocates by deepening skills in communication, relationship-building, and strategic engagement.

Brett introduced the program live at CCL’s January meeting earlier this month. 

When we understand the “why” behind the way people think, it allows us to become more consistent, strategic, and aligned in how we work with our communities and Members of Congress across the political spectrum.

The program is grouped into three units with three training sessions each. Unit 1 is now live and covers the foundations of relational advocacy. Because BRIDGE is designed to be a comprehensive, step-by-step journey, Units 2 and 3 will be available later in the year after volunteers have had a chance to absorb Unit 1.

For anyone who wants to go deeper, CCL’s Field Operations team will host a monthly BRIDGE Deep Dive training on the third Thursday of the month. Those sessions will give space for discussion, examples, role-play, and reflection with other volunteers.

The first training deep dive, titled “From Intuition to Insight: Understanding How We All Make Meaning,” kicks off tomorrow, Jan. 22, at 8 ET/5 PT. Get the Zoom link and post your questions in advance to the Event Comments section. The recorded training will be available at this link after Thursday’s event.

I'll Be There

In other news

• NCAR funding update: In early January, CCLers sent over 7,000 messages to Congress urging sustained funding for NCAR. On Jan. 15, the Senate passed a bill fully funding the National Science Foundation’s research programs, which fund NCAR each year. This result from Congress is important for climate research and other vital scientific efforts, and as additional opportunities arise throughout the appropriations process, CCL will continue to push for sustained funding for climate research and programs. 

Take action this week

If you have a little time: Share a quote from CCL’s new Executive Director. On our January Monthly Meeting, CCL Executive Director Ricky Bradley gave a State of the Organization update, which you can watch on YouTube. Spread the word that CCLers are sticking to our values and committing to climate work in 2026 by sharing a quote from Ricky’s update on Instagram, Facebook, or Bluesky. 

If you have more time: Organize a snowman protest. You know who stands the most to lose with a warmer climate? Snow people. If it's safe to do so, you can take advantage of the snow to send a message in an eye-catching and fun way with a snowman protest! Help snowmen reach out to their elected officials. Head to our Snowman Protest Toolkit on CCL Community for everything you’ll need, including a how-to guide, media guide, and printable materials.

Featured chapter: CCL Berkshires

Did you know a sea anemone can live as long as 500 years? It's true! But climate change might affect that number. That's just one of the climate trivia questions folks answered at CCL Berkshires' holiday gathering last month at On a Roll Cafe.

"We had a climate trivia game — courtesy of CCL Washington State Coordinator Elli Gittelman — gave out sustainable prizes and ordered delicious food," says Pauline Banducci, who leads the Berkshires chapter with Judy Fox. "People loved it. Connection is so important!" 

Bolstered by that end-of-year connection, CCL Berkshires is now swinging into action for 2026. Several chapter members are preparing to give climate presentations in area schools. One local CCLer is joining with others across Massachusetts to boost the climate action conversation on social media. Another is working to secure sponsorships for the multi-state CCL conference coming up in April in nearby Schenectady, New York.

Great work, CCL Berkshires!

CCL has over 350 chapters across the country. Find your local chapter today and get plugged in.

Upcoming trainings

1/22: From Intuition to Insight: Understanding How We All Make Meaning - As detailed at the top of this newsletter, this training will begin to explore the first lesson in CCL's BRIDGE Advocacy Program. We’ll take a deeper look at how all of us form beliefs, using Moral Foundations Theory and insights from behavioral science. We’ll explore why intuition and emotion usually come first, and how reasoning often follows to justify those initial reactions. The focus is on self-awareness as a foundation for stronger, more respectful advocacy across differences. Join us!

1/26: CCL Health January: Framing the Conversation Around Health - Climate impacts often feel as if theyʼre a long way in the future. But the health impacts of climate change can get peopleʼs attention. This joint session from CCL’s Health and Electrification Action Teams will summarize the many impacts of indoor air quality and energy burden and will share insights into the state of the clean energy transition. Join us!

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