Citizens' Climate Lobby

CCL volunteers put a lot of work into pushing the clean energy tax credits within Inflation Reduction Act over the finish line to be signed into law in 2022, and into protecting some of its provisions from outright repeal in the big budget bill this year. But how much did our efforts achieve for the climate? Join CCL Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli for an exploration of modeling scenarios in an effort to quantify how much climate pollution CCL volunteers' efforts succeeded in preventing in our pursuit to preserve a livable climate.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/ira-achieved 

Dr. Daniel Swain is a climate scientist focused on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events—including droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires—on a warming planet. Daniel holds joint appointments as a climate scientist within the California Institute for Water Resources within University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources (UCANR), the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA, and as a research partner at the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research. You can follow Daniel on Bluesky (@WeatherWest) and YouTube (@WeatherWest). During September's meeting, Daniel will help us understand how climate change is impacting wildfires.

Skip ahead to the following section(s):

(0:00) Intro & Monthly Highlights

(8:24) Conversation with Dr. Daniel Swain

(36:24) Q&A Discussion

(39:35) CCL's September's Actions Review

(45:06) Previewing CCL's Inclusion Conference

September Action Sheet: cclusa.org/actionsheet

September Slides: cclusa.org/september-meeting-slides

Pre-Call Video: https://vimeo.com/1118352761

Inclusion Conference: cclusa.org/inclusion

More about Dr. Swain's work: https://weatherwest.com @WeatherWest

At CCL’s 2025 Summer Conference and Lobby Day in D.C. last month, we were privileged to hear from Amanda Ripley in a keynote conversation with CCL’s Illinois State Coordinator Alex Marianyi. We want every CCLer to have a chance to hear Amanda’s powerful message and Alex’s takeaways, so this month’s meeting features recorded highlights from their keynote session. Amanda Ripley is a New York Times bestselling author, a Washington Post contributing columnist, and the co-founder of Good Conflict, a media and training company that helps people reimagine conflict. She has written three award-winning, nonfiction books about three very different subjects: High Conflict, The Smartest Kids in the World, and The Unthinkable. Previously, Ripley spent a decade writing about human behavior for Time magazine in New York, Washington, and Paris.

The July 2025 CCL meeting focused on midyear updates to the 2025 Roadmap, highlighting key accomplishments like nationwide in-district drop-offs, introduction of the bipartisan Foreign Pollution Fee Act, and a full-court press to protect clean energy tax credits. Despite setbacks from the recent budget reconciliation bill, CCL's VP of Communications emphasized the significant positive impact of volunteer advocacy in softening harmful provisions and building long-term bipartisan support for clean energy. Volunteers across the country were encouraged to share local wins and continue showing up, with an eye on sustained progress through grassroots pressure. Looking ahead, the spotlight turned to the upcoming Summer Conference and Lobby Day in Washington, D.C. Interim Executive Director Ricky Bradley celebrated the 860+ registrants and the powerful sense of belonging the event offers. Government Affairs leaders Jenn Tyler and Mindy Ahler provided insight into lobbying strategy, the importance of constituent presence, and how everyone, even those not attending in person, can amplify impact through coordinated calls to Congress. The meeting wrapped with a review of July’s actions, including using local media, social media sharing, and event planning to build visibility and momentum in communities nationwide.

CCL's Vice President of Government Affairs Jenn Tyler and CCL's Research Manager, Dana Nuccitelli provide up to the moment insights on the dynamics in Congress and how we can most effectively use our time in meetings to support our agenda.

Join CCL's Senior Director of Field Operations Elli Sparks for a training that specifically addresses how to prepare yourself for a successful meeting with a member of Congress. You will learn about CCL's methodology, research tips, available tools, lobby meeting roles and parts, the value of practice, and the power of listening.

Presentation Slides: https://cclusa.org/prepare-to-lobby 

Skip ahead to the following section(s):

In Citizens Climate Radio's newest installment of our  policy series, hosts Elissa Tennant and Dana Nuccitelli dive deep into the latest updates from Capitol Hill. With the Senate Finance Committee’s budget proposal now public, they unpack what it means for the clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

How do the House and Senate versions compare? What would repealing these tax credits cost American households and jobs? What role does energy security—and even AI—play in the clean energy conversation? Elissa and Dana bring clarity to a complex policy moment and offer listeners tangible next steps for action.

You’ll also hear about upcoming CCL leadership changes, summer conference plans, and two thoughtful listener voicemails—including one from someone who really wants to bring back Energy Star.

🎧 Topics Covered:

Senate vs. House proposals on clean energy tax credits

The mysterious “bird bath” process

Projected increases in household energy costs

Threats to clean energy manufacturing and jobs

What to expect next in Congress

How you can make your voice heard

📞 Call or text us with your questions or comments: +1 (619) 512-9646

🗳️ Take action to defend clean energy tax credits: https://cclusa.org/IRAdefense

🎟️ Join us at the Summer Conference in Washington, D.C., July 20–22: https://cclusa.org/conference

🎙️ Citizens Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education.

This month, Dana Nuccitelli, CCL’s Research Manager, breaks down why protecting the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits is a huge opportunity for America. Losing these tax credits would have a serious impact on America's climate progress. Keeping these credits in place means lower energy bills, more clean power, greater energy security, and hundreds of thousands of good jobs across the country. We're telling Congress: Keep these tax credits intact!

The Senate is moving forward on their version of a budget reconciliation bill that could drastically cut clean energy tax credits. CCL wants to protect those tax credits. We have been emailing, calling, and meeting with members of Congress about this for months. Now it's time to take the conversation public in local media all around the country! Join this special workshop with Charlotte Ward, CCL's Communications and Media Manager, to learn everything you need to know to write an effective letter to the editor (LTE) or a full op-ed about the tax credits. After a quick overview and training, you'll spend 20 minutes of focused time writing your LTE or personalizing our op-ed template during the call. Please note that this event includes a short visual presentation and helpful links to access as you write. If you're a Citizens' Climate Lobby volunteer, you can log your training automatically when signed into CCL Community by clicking: https://community.citizensclimate.org/log_training?sf_id=a5yUP000000AHfVYAW Resources from this training https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/102bE0oAgDIT_MuHHbONZA2IdSnhDfCRFVw4kD9vQGl8/edit?slide=id.g333ca062a2c_0_26#slide=id.g333ca062a2c_0_26 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B1RfD0AQt6E_28aqHEAV1Uc95wd3dvYByEi-dd9m0XA/edit?usp=sharing