I am a volunteer for an organization called Citizen Climate Lobby, CCL for short. CCL is a grassroots bipartisan organization consisting of 200,000 volunteers from the entire political spectrum, from conservative, libertarian, independent, and liberal / left. Considering that we are volunteers and just regular people the part of our name that says “Lobby” may seem out of place. However, it refers to the fact we visit congressional offices and talk to politicians. We don’t bring any gifts, like real lobbyists, not millions of dollars, not even donuts. What we bring is useful information, our voices, community leaders, our votes, and gratitude and respect for our representatives, whether we agree with them or not.
I am the liaison for Senator Ted Cruz office. Despite him not being a “climate champion” he voted Yes on one of the resolutions we supported, the Growing Climate Solutions Act (Senate bill S.1251, house bill HR.2820). They typically meet with us 3 or 4 times a year and they have never turned down a meeting request. We have a good relationship with the vast majority of congressional offices despite the partisanship that’s ripping congress apart. I remember having a really good meeting in one office then having another great meeting with a congress woman who told us about how evil the guy we had just met was. It felt funny getting along well with two people who seemed to hate each other (or maybe that’s just how they talk). So, in addition to the climate question, I think we are helping to heal some of the divisions in congress as well.
A note about the bill numbers. Any law/resolution must pass both houses and they have different numbers in each house even though they are essentially identical. For the senate it is S.####, and for the house HR.####. Even though a bill passes both houses there are things like the filibuster in the senate and Presidential vetoes, so passing a bill is not easy.
I should say that I used to be quite “skeptical” of “global warming”. I knew, of course, that greenhouse gases cause a warming effect (like a blanket), that’s just hundreds of years old basic science, like we breathe oxygen or that the pressure in an enclosed gas container will increase when heated. However, I thought that the issue was politicized, and that there were natural explanations for the warming such as the sun, orbital cycles, cosmic radiation, volcanoes, etc. I was misinformed because at the time I almost exclusively read rightwing media and literature.
After studying scientific literature and keeping an open mind I came to realize that I was wrong. It had been known for decades that Global Warming, or Climate Change, as it would be called later on, was mostly caused by carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and scientists knew that it was a serious problem. Not necessarily a “we are all going to die” issue, but a serious problem that we should not hand over to our children and grandchildren without trying to mitigate. After reading the book “The Storms of my Grand Children” by the physicist Dr. James Hansen I decided to volunteer. I wanted a non-political organization, if possible, so I chose the Citizens Climate Lobby. You can read more about my Climate Journey here.
CCL is focused on four areas.
Carbon Pricing
CCL’s favorite carbon price policy is what is called a carbon fee and dividend. There is currently a resolution in the house, the Energy Innovation Act, HR.5744 which implements this policy. A senate version S.#### has not yet been introduced.
- Carbon Fee: This policy puts a fee on fuels like coal, oil and gas. It starts low and grows over time.
- Carbon Dividend: The money collected from the carbon fee is allocated in equal shares every month to the American people to spend as they see fit. The carbon fee would raise the prices on carbon intensive products but since the money is returned to households the dividend would more than make up for the shortfall. This would financially benefit low-income families, specifically the lower 2/3 of income.
- Border Carbon Adjustment: To protect U.S. manufacturers and jobs, imported good will pay a border carbon adjustment, and goods exported from the United States will receive a refund under this policy. This also allows American businesses to reap the rewards of their carbon advantage over other countries.
Healthy Forests
America’s natural resources — forests, grasslands, wetlands and oceans — act as natural climate solutions by pulling carbon out of the air. We can manage these natural resources to maximize their climate change-fighting impacts. CCL has supported a number of forest or agriculture related bills in congress.
Building Electrification and Efficiency
By upgrading our homes and buildings to be electric and making them more energy efficient, we can save money and eliminate a major source of carbon pollution.
Permitting Reform
Building electrical powerlines is very complicated in the United States. Building a wind power station takes months, getting approval for a powerline can take decades. The bureaucracy is daunting. This is a big problem as we try to expand the use of renewables, but it is also a threat to our energy supply regardless of energy source. America’s transmission shortfall is contributing to grid outages across the country and inflating energy prices for American families and businesses.
Permitting reform will make it possible to unlock the clean energy infrastructure that’s waiting to be built, and by getting that clean energy to American households and businesses. About half of the potential emissions reductions delivered by Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2030 are lost if transmission expansion is constrained to 1% per year, and roughly one quarter are lost if growth is limited to 1.5% per year. There are bills in congress which address this, such as the the BIG WIRES Act (Senate version of the bill is S.2827, and house version is HR.5551). Note, CCL did not come out in support of IRA because it was a partisan bill, but many of us liked it.
The Conversation
More than 70% of Americans are worried about climate change. But most of us still avoid discussing it because we feel like it’s too political, too doom and gloom, or too overwhelming. But we can’t solve a problem if we don’t talk about it. Therefore, for the month of April CCL have requested that we volunteers initiate 25,000 climate conversations. So that is what I am doing here. Preaching is not conversation and therefore I invite you all to agree or disagree with me, and to consider the following questions.
Are you worried about climate change ?
Would you consider joining a climate organization ?
What’s your impression of CCL ?
What do you think about the four policy areas ? Would you like to add some ? Remove a policy area ?
Also ask me any questions
Leonberger Life 
Thoroughly approve of your involvement in this great initiative. Well done! We do our bit but not in a structured way.
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Thank you so much. I am glad you like this initiative. Every effort certainly counts and there are many ways to do something.
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I like that it is bipartisan because this is a problem that affects us all. Thank you for volunteering, but most of all, thank you for this article filled with important information.
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Thank you Kymber. Yes I think you are right. It shouldn’t be politicized. Bipartisan or non-partisan is good.
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A really great cause to associate with. I think no matter what our political beliefs are, we should understand the importance of saving our planet. Without it, what’s the point of all this.
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Thank you Pooja. I agree, regardless of political leanings we should care about this problem, and I’ve noticed that young people do. I spent a lot of time in one of America’s most conservative offices and the legislative director was young, less than 30 years old, and he was all on our side and really wanting to solve climate change, unlike his boss who was above the age of 60.
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That’s true, I think younger people do care for the most part compared to older people. I guess it’s because we’ve grown up being taught up environmental issues and the importance of being environmentally friendly.
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Yes I think you are right Pooja. Young people are much better informed on this issue than my generation and in addition it is their, well your’s, future.
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This article is a treasure of information. I’m happy that you are a volunteer of this august organisation for a noble cause. In fact, you are one of the opinion makers. Keep it up, my friend!
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Thank you so much for your very kind words Kaushal.
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Years ago I read a book by Bruce Sterling called “Heavy Weather” in which because of climate change, the American Midwest has become uninhabitable due to severe and long-lasting tornadoes, including a new “F6” category. That “Storms of my Grandchildren” book made me think of it, but in a non-fictional way.
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I will look for that book. I’ve read some so called cli-fi and eco-thrillers by authors such as Neal Stephenson and Kim Stanley Robinson
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I don’t worry excessively about climate change because, over my lifetime, I’ve watched the climate change and go through periods of hot and cold, wet and dry. Regardless of the cause, climate change is normal. Humans have this idea that we can control natural processes and weather, and that’s simply not true – at least, not now. If we ever get to that point, watch out! That’s when things will really get screwed up. We already have people like Bill Gates trying to block out the sun. What are the unintended consequences of that? Extended winter? Agricultural disaster? Famine? We sure don’t want that! Politicians and scientists are so compromised nowadays, it’s hard to trust any of them.
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I also used to think that climate change was exaggerated and could be explained by natural causes to a large extent. Then I realized a few things. First that typically significant changes (several degrees Celsius) in climate take thousands or millions of years and that now we are having a very rapid global increase in average temperature as measured by NASA/NOAA, satellites and every meteorological organization around the world. In addition, the warming is quite noticeable in northern Sweden, which is close to the arctic, where it happens quicker. I could see that. I also realized that the experts on climate change, the scientists, and researchers studying past climate (paleoclimatologists) essentially are united in their verdict that this time it is not natural. Therefore, I took a deep dive into the issue, and I tried to understand the evidence, and the evidence was overwhelmingly compelling, which I did not know beforehand. We’ve known this for many decades. It’s happening and it is us. Now I don’t have much doubt about that.
A lot of people are concerned about Bill Gates research into using aerosols to dim sunlight, but he is not actually doing it, he is just researching it, in case the warming gets out of hand, and we would end up needing it. I read his book where he explains it. But I agree with your concern. This is potentially dangerous research that can be misused. I am not sure what to think about it.
By the way Dawn, I loved your poetry book. I had a really good time reading it. So, thank you for the reading experience.
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I took basic biology and a lot of science classes in college, partly for personal interest and partly to get into nursing school. I am not a climate change denier. I watched it happening in California in the 1980s, and I’ve watched it happen here in Arizona. When I say climate change is normal regardless of the cause, I mean it is a normal reaction to conditions occurring on earth, etc. Call it normal cause and effect. The earth and its various chemical and biological processes will always seek to establish homeostasis (just like the human body). When they can no longer compensate to maintain homeostasis, the reaction will change and become more damaging to living organisms (like us). The earth is doing what it is supposed to do. Because it dramatically affects us, we feel compelled to do something. Humans can take measures to mitigate the effects of climate change, but we can’t stop it. For one thing, it’s already too late. It’s happening now. Humans must adapt to changing conditions. That’s how we have survived for so long. Too much interference in a natural reaction will undoubtedly bring about unintended consequences, as I have mentioned. I watched this happen in medical science when stronger antibiotics created stronger, more virulent, more adaptable viruses and bacteria. I am afraid that too much human intervention, like Bill Gates is proposing, will cause worse problems. I admire your volunteer work and advocacy for the earth, Thomas! People like you do make a difference.
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I think I know what you mean. The climate fluctuates locally all the time for various reasons and even globally, which is why the average global temperature graphs produced by NOAA and other meteorological organizations are so jagged, it’s been that way always. But in general, the global graph is pointing upwards. As an individual I think it is difficult to notice the upward trend here in Texas but in northern Sweden it is easier. Since the mid-20th century, we have known that the likely reason is not natural but our carbon emissions and to some degree deforestation, and since the 1990’s the evidence has been overwhelming. In Europe and North America, we have made decent progress.
The US has reduced its carbon emissions by 20% since 1990’s and Sweden by 40%. India and China’s emissions are still going up, but China may have peaked. If we can plant trees and reduce our emissions further without harming the economy, we can avoid the worst. The mid-range estimate based on how we are doing is 2.5 – 3 Celsius by 2100, which would make some low-lying countries, coastal cities and half of Bangladesh disappear, and cause significant harm to many eco-systems, more severe drought in drought prone regions, etc., but not the end of civilizations. 4 – 6 degrees Celsius by 2100 could spell an eco-system collapse, like we saw 55 million years ago (PETM), and maybe an end to the civilization, but it doesn’t look like we are heading that way.
Bill Gates geo-engineering research is indeed potentially dangerous like you say. There could be unintended consequences. He is rightfully getting criticized for it. But he is viewing it as a last resort panic button. I was reading a so-called climate science fiction (cli-fi) by Neal Stephenson called Termination Shock. In the book a Texas billionaire T. R. Schmidt has a plan to reverse global warming by injecting sulfur dioxide into the upper atmosphere, pretty much exactly Bill Gates research. He is doing it for the money, pretty much in secret. Countries like India, which is suffering from severe droughts and heat waves is willing to pay him handsomely. Will it lead to disaster? Well, you have to read the book to find out.
Also thank you so much for your kind words Dawn!💖
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HI Thomas, a superb post as always. I am already involved in ESG (Environmental, Societal, Governance) reporting in my firm. I have just completed 20 hours of training on this topic so that I can be part of the solution in finance. I also try to live my beliefs. I would never go on a cruise because of the damage cruise ships do to the environment. I try to limit flights. Most people are prepared to do the basic things like separate their rubbish, but they don’t want to make personal sacrifices like giving up things. I champion the natural environment and wildlife and try to make my voice heard through poetry, art and photography. Well done to you on being part of this great initiative.
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Thank you so much Robbie. That is quite interesting. You are right cruises and flights cause a lot of carbon emissons, and other pollution and recycling, which almost everone does, does not make much of a difference. I think you write wonderful books and it is so great that you are a champion for the environment and wildlife. Thank you so much for doing that.
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I’m glad you understand and enjoy my poetry and stories, Thomas 🩵
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Thank you so much Robbie
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My pleasure
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I’m surprised that Ted Cruz (R-TX) was willing to speak to the group, much less be photographed with “climate change volunteers”! Wonders never cease!
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It is certainly not his thing, but he listened and was very friendly, and his staff has always been very courteous to us. They meet with us regularly, 3-4 times a year. Some of them called us the climate people, but other than that they were nice. My wife was chatting and laughing with his secretary for an hour. He voted yes on the Growing Climate Solutions Act, but it was an easy one that most Republicans voted yes on. It was a law setting up a small agency helping farmers and small forestry land owners to take advantage of voluntary carbon markets. Basically promoting sustainable forestry and agriculture. It cost the government almosty nothing. It was assisting small farmers and forest land owners to get money from organizations and large corporations that were providing money for non-government carbon markets. If it had cost the government much he probably wouldn’t have done it.
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Personally I don’t see much changing, unless there’s a massive change in collective consciousness about climate change. Believe it or not but after the pandemic, the number of cars at least here in Romania grew a lot. I don’t know if it’s because immigration or people just buying more cars…but we took pride in my city being one of the least polluted cities in Romania. It’s still true but the fact that a lot of people are deeply offended when told to leave their cars at home when traveling short distance tells me people care more for their very short term comfort than the wellbeing of future generations and the planet itself. I don’t know the situation in other countries, really. I’ve seen comments about the unusual warm temperatures for April… We had 30 degrees Celsius these days. That said, nice read about CCL and hopefully, something will change. And hopefully it’s not too late.
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Yes you are right. We aren’t doing enough and a lot of people aren’t making a lot of effort. However, what our governments are doing is probably what’s the most important right now. They creative incentives for carbon free energy sources and electrical vehicles, they can enact carbon taxes or carbon fees, carbon border adjustments, and make sustainable agriculture more profitable, and those things make a big difference. And Governments have done some, not enough, but some. That’s why the US carbon emissions have been reduced by 20% instead of increasing by 55% (business as usual projection) since 1990. Sweden, my native country also had a business as usual trajectory of an increase by 55% but carbon emissions fell by 40%. Even when trade adjusted the numbers are a reduction of 14% and 32% respectively. Trade adjusted means that US/Swedish consumers are, for example, counted as responsible for the Chinese emissions caused by the production of the products they buy from China. That’s why CCL think talking to elected officials is effective. Naturally CCL does more than that. Well, those reductions are not enough, but they are helpful. Thank you so much for your comment Inner Musings and I know you support and work on this too, so thank you so much for doing that.
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Thank you da-AL. I think that is great. I’d rather change my mind when I learn new information or understand something I didn’t before, rather than stubbornly dismiss new information and be wrong my entire life. I think you are right. You gain some humility too.
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I agree that it can be daunting, but I believe that we can’t let it stop us from doing whatever we can. if a lot of people do even a little bit, that’s still far better than nothing. bravo, Thomas for your good work, your humility & willingness to change your mind, and for educating us
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Yes you are so right da-AL and thank you so much for your kind words. I’ve been wrong about some things in my life and I had to change my mind as I learned more.
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I try to do the same. The good thing about admitting to ourselves about making mistakes is that it gives us a chance to right things and hopefully we gain humility?
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I applaud your initiative, Thomas! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
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Thank you so much Adelheid
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