| Thanks to all callers and letter writers Dick Jones has an update on the campaign to call our Senators: Thank you for your powerful response to CCL’s “all hands on deck” appeal to contact Senators Casey and Toomey in July. We have been able to document that 25 of you made 61 calls! And 39 of you wrote 92 email letters! We also know that’s a significant undercount because some of you shared our appeal with your friends and many of them called and wrote too. All the while, 18 other CCL chapters in Pennsylvania were doing the same thing. The result: The Keystone State surpassed its goal of 500 unique documented contacts (emails and calls) to Senators Casey and Toomey for the month. Suffice to say that Casey and Toomey are now well aware that a large number of their constituents want a price on carbon to be included in the budget reconciliation bill. More than 400 CCL chapters across the United States mobilized also to call their senators. CCL’s appeal occurred after Senate Democrats signaled that they are focused on climate change and plan to address the issue in this year’s budget reconciliation. That’s important because budget reconciliation is not subject to the filibuster, meaning that it can be passed with 51 votes instead of 60. While we’re still not over the finish line, you should know that your work is having an impact! If you can, take two minutes and hear what Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse says about what you are doing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL4EO3hI_1s. But wait…there’s more. The goal has been raised. And after listening to that pep talk, we hope you will be energized to press forward. The leaders of the 19 PA CCL chapters have conferred and decided to raise the state’s contact goal to 1,000 by August 9. So, there is still time for those who have not yet called or emailed to do so. The process is really painless. CCL has laid it all out for us. Go to cclusa.org/senate, and write your emails and make your calls. Share the link with your friends. This is the moment for which Citizens’ Climate Lobby was created. The negotiations on climate change legislation in the Senate are happening—away from the media spotlight—right now. The words are being drafted. By late August it will all be done. As a CCL staffer put it, “In a nutshell, they (The Senate) can go big, or they can stay small.” Let’s continue to let Senators Casey and Toomey know that we want them to go big. |
| August Monthly Meeting In August, we will meet again at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church for our monthly meeting on Tuesday, August 17 at 5 pm. We will have news of developments in Congress as the bipartisan infrastructure and reconciliation bills are being worked out. Do you want to help table for CCL? We will have training for that during our meeting. See below for details on upcoming tabling events. All who have been vaccinated are invited to join us in person at St. Andrew’s, Room 325. Or, if you prefer, join us via zoom. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church 208 West Foster, Room 325 State College, PA The Church is at the corner of Foster and Fraser. From Atherton turn onto Nittany Avenue toward the football field, then left onto Fraser. Metered parking on Fraser Ave. in front of the church is temporarily not being enforced by the city, so it is currently free. Free parking is also available behind the church, on Burrowes Street or on Nittany Avenue. Room 325 is in the education wing of the church. Facing the front of the church on Fraser (with your back to the football field), enter the door on the right and follow the signs to the meeting. From the parking lot in the back of the building, enter the door to the left under the porch and follow the signs. An elevator is available. |
| News from our chapter Tabling Volunteers Needed Lion Bash introduces Penn State students to their neighbors in the State College Community – September 8, 5 to 8 pm – Downtown State College The Penns Valley Conservation Association brings people together to celebrate their waterways and landscapes at Crickfest. The event will be held later than usual this year – on Sunday, September 19 If you want to volunteer for either of these tabling opportunities or need more information, please contact Diane Mills at tabling@statecollegeccl.org July Meeting Thank you to all of those who came out for our Ice Cream Social at our monthly meeting in July. A special thank you to Lisa Richardson who organized the meeting and provided the ice cream and toppings. Also thanks to the members who dished up the legislative scoop on the pricing bills before Congress: Dick Jones, Lisa Richardson, Diane Mills, and Sylvia Neely. John Swisher wrote a letter to the Centre Daily Times arguing that the time for a Carbon Fee is now. You can read his letter here. On July 11, our Climate Watch column appeared in the Centre Daily Times. “How Agriculture & Climate Change Are Connected, and Why It Matters” was written by Sylvia Neely. News from Citizens’ Climate Lobby CCL speaker in July July’s speaker on the CCL national call offered an inspiring look at ways of transforming highway transportation. Allie Kelly is the executive director of an organization called The Ray. Here is the link to her highly recommended talk:: Allie Kelly | Citizens’ Climate Lobby | July 2021 Monthly Meeting Answers to carbon pricing criticism Critics say that carbon pricing is not as effective at reducing emissions as other policies such as regulations and subsidies. Do these arguments have merit? CCL Research Coordinator Jerry Hinkle explains what the studies show in this recent blog. |
| Community News Our motto at CCL is “Our Solution to Climate Change? Democracy.” We believe that engaged citizens can make a difference in promoting policies that matter. We support events that promote participation in effective government and so urge you to save the date for Constitution Day on September 26. Bills are pending before the Pennsylvania legislature dealing with Alternative Energy Portfolio Standards (AEPS) and Community Solar. Here is a site with a summary of those bills. Ag Progress Days will be held again this year on August 10, 11, and 12 at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, 9 miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Several events discussing matters relevant to climate change will be presented, such as carbon markets, biogas, forest management, and solar energy. For a description and a link to the full schedule, click here, |