| Happy New Year!! The most important New Year’s Resolution that you can make is to vow to act on climate. If you have been putting it off because you did not know what you could do, this email will give you five options, some easy, some more time consuming. Remember that you are not being asked to solve this problem alone. It is by working together that we can bring about solutions. Citizens’ Climate Lobby is an organization with volunteers organized into 560 chapters throughout the world who focus on climate change month in and month out. We urge Congress to pass a law putting a price on carbon. HR 763, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act is now in Congress with 75 co-sponsors. It will be effective, good for people, and the essential first step that will make it easier to implement other proposals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By working together, by showing the strength of our numbers and the dedication of our volunteers. we can persuade Congress to do this. So what can you do? |
| –Let’s start with the easy one: Call Congress through Project Grand Canyon. We want at least 31 people from our area to sign up to make a phone call once a month to your member of Congress. You will be assigned one day a month to make your call (the same day every month). That is not much for one person to do, but the cumulative effect of receiving a phone call from Citizens’ Climate Lobby every day will be profound in that Congressional office. Project Grand Canyon got its name because just as that canyon was created by water (one drop at a time), so we can hope to persuade Congress if we work together. You will receive a reminder with a link to your representative’s phone number and suggested talking points. You do not have to be an expert on legislation. All you have to do is urge action. The person answering the phone will take down your information and that is it. In fact, sometimes you will be leaving a voice message. When you have finished, click on “I called” so that we can keep track of how many calls were made each month. Action: Click on Project Grand Canyon and sign up to make a monthly call |
| –Slightly harder options (you have to get dressed and leave the house!): Attend an introductory meeting To learn more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby and what you can do to bring about meaningful change, come to an introductory session on Sunday, January 12 at 2 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at the end of Waupelani Drive in State College. Hear about our legislative proposal, the bipartisan principles of CCL, our focus on democracy and citizen action, and the ways we engage more people in this work. All are welcome, no matter your political views or previous experience. We want anybody who cares about climate change to be involved. CCL will provide training for whatever type of work you want to pursue. If your schedule will not permit you to attend the monthly meeting, this is a good option for you. Action: Register for this introductory meeting by emailing pastatecollege@citizensclimatelobby.org Come to our monthly meeting Explore Citizens’ Climate Lobby by attending our monthly meeting on Tuesday, January 21 at 5:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at the end of Waupelani Drive in State College. You will meet a wonderful group of people committed to making a difference. You can read about what we have been up to on our local website: http://statecollegeccl.org/ Action: Attend the monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21 at 5:30 pm at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at 780 Waupelani Drive |
| –Harder options (you actually need to do something, not just attend): Write a letter Write a letter to your local newspaper or to your elected officials urging action on climate. If you want help writing a letter, including somebody to proofread what you have written, contact CCL member Dick Jones at pastatecollege@citizensclimatelobby.org. Remember that newspapers often have word limits for letters to the editor. Here is a link to a discussion by CCL on writing effective letters to newspapers. Action: Write a letter and send to your local paper or to your member of Congress Recruit volunteers Recruit somebody to join this movement. Tell your friends that there are things they can be doing. Ask if they would like to be on the mailing list for Citizens’ Climate Lobby and send us their names and email addresses. Action:Send names and addresses of interested people to pastatecollege@citizensclimatelobby.org Whatever you decide to do, we look forward to working with you on climate change this year, so that we can all enjoy a Happy New Year in 2020 and for many years to come! |