| The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is a real game-changer for climate change action in the US. According to the Department of Energy, it “makes the single largest investment in climate and energy in American history.” But what exactly does it do? To find out, come to the State College CCL monthly meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 5:30 as we explore the following topics: —What is in the IRA and how much money can I save from tax incentives to increase energy efficiency and reduce energy use? Get up to speed with this CCL video. —How can we educate our own neighbors so they can take advantage of these rebates and grants? —How can we promote the IRA among local businesses, non-profits, and governments to make sure our own community benefits? Kelly Forest will tell us about her outreach to her neighbors and Lisa Richardson will describe learning opportunities for local businesses. Our meeting this month will be hybrid, that is, it will take place in person and also via zoom. If you are unable to attend the meetings on Tuesday evenings, please let us know of your interest so that we can schedule a supplementary meeting at a more convenient time. Congress has passed the IRA. Now it is up to us to make sure that people profit from it to move toward a brighter renewable energy future. And we are going to start by educating ourselves. Visit the resources in the links above to get started! This is an exciting time to be working on climate action. I hope to see you at our meeting. Please note the location change below. Sylvia Neely Monthly Meeting Tuesday, February 21, 2023 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Centre County , Room 6 780 Waupelani Drive State College, PA 16801 Zoom: Write to us for Zoom link CCL members in action This month’s Climate Watch OpEd in the Centre Daily Times was written by Dick Jones, who focused on the good news in a recent international report. His article entitled “IEA Predicts Dramatic Rise in Renewable Energy Use” appeared on January 8. Here are some opportunities for training and fellowships. CCL will be holding its annual climate change conference for conservatives on March 28 and 29 in Washington, DC. This meeting is designed for people who identify as right of center and will include opportunities to lobby key members of Congress. Please let us know if you would like to attend and if our chapter can help with expenses to go to the meeting. Spread the word to your friends who might be interested in this worthwhile conference. Here is more information: Conservative Climate Leadership Conference and Lobby Day. CCL is offering training designed especially for students who can earn credits for successful completion. All are welcome, no matter the age or student status. To learn more about the Climate Advocacy Certificate Program and its requirements, click here. The Yale Program on Climate Change Communication is now accepting applications for the fourth year of its competitive “Public Voices Fellowship on the Climate Crisis.” This year-long experience is limited to 20 thought leaders. Here is more information on the program. The deadline is coming up soon: APPLY NOW – Application Deadline – 5pm EST, February 14, 2023 To learn more about the IRA and actions that can be taken at the local level, watch the excellent CCL presentation from last December’s national conference: “Inflation Reduction Act: Details and Implementation.” Here is the text of the IRA. The bill is 274 pages long. Other resources about the IRA will be made available at our monthly meeting. |
| ICYMI – In Case You Missed It Rewiring America reports that in 2022 heat pump sales exceeded gas furnace sales for the first time. Read more about heat pumps in their article.If you have ideas, comments, or just want to talk about climate, please feel free to contact Sylvia Neely (PaStateCollege@citizensclimatelobby.org) or Lisa Richardson (twitter@statecollegeccl.org). We would love to hear from you. |