Citizens' Climate Lobby

This training is an expansion of BRIDGE Training 5: The Advocacy Detective and examines how Generative AI can be used to move beyond surface-level searches to better understand your Member of Congress, district dynamics, committee priorities, and trusted messengers. It covers practical prompting techniques, how to spot and reduce hallucinations, and the importance of verifying outputs. It also briefly discusses how CCL approaches AI through the lens of clean, reliable energy. The throughline is that Generative AI is an additional tool option to support advocacy, but it is not a replacement for the relationships at the heart of CCL's work.

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Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/ai-slides  

This final session in our permitting reform training series brings everything together with a focus on effective communication. We’ll recap key concepts across the major topics and highlight tailored messages that resonate with different audiences—including Republican and Democratic offices. Participants will learn how to confidently apply these messages to advance durable permitting solutions. 

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Training Slides: https://cclusa.org/permitting-messages-slides  

The Advocacy Detective is about becoming a more strategic, relational climate advocate by learning how to better understand the political world your Member of Congress operates within. Before we can effectively persuade, we first need to understand — their district, their pressures, their priorities, the language they use, and the communities they feel accountable to. In BRIDGE, we talk a lot about meeting people where they are. Tonight is about learning how to actually find where that is using practical research tools to understand your Member of Congress’s district realities, incentives, influencers, and language—so your outreach is specific, respectful, and strategically targeted.

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Tonight’s slides: https://cclusa.org/BRIDGE-5-Slides   

This month, we're featuring Shane Londagin, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy and Climate for Sen. John Hickenlooper (CO), manages Senator Hickenlooper’s energy portfolio on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and supports the Senator’s leadership in bipartisan permitting reform negotiations, grid modernization efforts, and critical minerals policy. 

(0:00) Intro and National Highlights

Register for Summer Conference: https://cclusa.org/summer 

It's important for energy project developers to engage local communities in order to address any local concerns and adverse impacts that may arise from new infrastructure projects. Join CCL's VP of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler, Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli and Mindy Ahler

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Log Your Training: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000GcAzYAK  

This training walks you through the process of securing and delivering policy support from county commissioners on both sides of the aisle and provides specific examples of CCL volunteer success stories with community leaders in Montana. We’ll also talk about identifying and connecting with trusted messengers and why it’s effective and efficient to start with the ones in your direct network.

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Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/county-commissioner-slides   

From a review of CCL's history to a focus on our shared work ahead, learn how climate progress becomes possible when your Member of Congress experiences Strong Conviction, Political Safety, Undeniable Support—and how your chapter’s actions intentionally build those conditions.

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Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/BRIDGE-4-Slides    

Join CCL Communications & Media Manager Charlotte Ward for a training that will review CCL's Earth Month Media Opportunities available for CCL chapters and volunteers to boost awareness and engagement with climate solutions. 

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Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/earth-day-media-slides  

Join CCL Staff Mindy Ahler, Jennifer Tyler, and Alison Kubicsko to review the Congressional Asks for lobby day and what to expect during the Virtual Conservative Conference & Lobby Day. Registered attendees for the virtual Conservative Conference should plan to attend. If you are interested in attending the conference, you can find more information and apply from the conference website. The conference is designed for politically right of center attendees.

(0:00) Intro & Agenda

Presentation Slides:  https://cclusa.org/lobby-conference-qa 

Presidents from both political parties have taken steps to interfere with the permitting of certain types of energy infrastructure that they oppose. These executive actions create uncertainty that inhibits the development of new energy sources in the United States. For this reason, ensuring fair permitting certainty is a key aspect of permitting reform that enjoys bipartisan support. Join CCL's VP of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler and Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli to learn about how Congress can ensure certainty in a permitting reform package, and key messages for congressional offices.

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Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/fair-permitting-slides