Citizens' Climate Lobby

How do we speed up the transition to clean energy? On our February call we turn to Sandy Reisky, Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer for Apex Clean Energy, which is developing and managing dozens of wind and solar power projects throughout the U.S. Sandy’s companies have developed over $4 billion of wind and solar facilities. He was founder and president of Greenlight Energy, a leading independent wind energy company that was acquired by BP in 2006. Sandy was also the founder of Axio Power, a utility-scale solar developer; Columbia Power Technologies, a pioneer in wave energy technology; and Greenlight Biofuels, a waste-to-energy company.

This workshop-style lesson with CCL's Conservative Outreach Coordinator Peter Bryn aims to help volunteers develop their introduction and talking points that resonate with conservative audiences.

Are you struggling to share your concern about climate risk with conservative friends, family, and folks in the community in a way that resonates? CCL's Conservative Outreach Coordinator Peter Bryn explores some of the theory behind the conservative worldview, talks about the modern Republican party, and summarizes key takeaways that we'll use to apply in Conservative Messaging 201.

We like to share perspectives from many parts of the world through the guests on our podcast. In today's show Peterson Toscano interviews two men from two very different climates and cultures. Still they have some real similarities. 24 year old Aryan Uprety, lives 1400 meters above sea-level in the city of Katmandu, the capital of Nepal. Chris Balos is a 28 year old man in the American South, but he is originally from the Marshall Islands. Both men are passionate about addressing climate change. They speak about how global warming is affecting their home countries. But they are not one issue guys; various issues move them to action. In fact, it is their ability to pursue answers to intersecting problems that make them successful in their climate advocacy.

Art House

Ashley Mazanec, a singer/songwriter from Encinitas California, joins us in the art house. She not only tells us about some of the songs on her new album, Let's Talk about the Weather, she fills the segment with her powerful and lively music. In addition to making music, Ashley is holding regularly monthly events that bring together other eco artists. 

Puzzler

Jean Johnson from Alexandria, Minnesota sent in an excellent answer to last month's puzzler about carbon dioxide. Not only does she accurately address Luncinda's question, (Wait is CO2 good or bad for the planet?) she models a warm and friendly response that no doubt will open up the conversation. 

Here is our new puzzler: You are at a party, and you mention to a neighbor your renewed commitment to address climate change.  Your neighbor, let's call him Samuel, says, "Wait a minute, I kinda like the idea of a little warming. We could sure use more more heat up North. Think of the opportunities for agriculture. I don't know; seems like global warming has some real upsides to it."

Samuel is not alone in thinking this. So what would you say to Samuel?

Send Peterson your answers. Leave your name, contact info, and where you are from.

Get back to him by February 15th 2017. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org that’s radio @ citizensclimate.org You can also text him or leave a voicememo of 3 minutes or less at 570.483.8194. (+1 if calling from outside the USA.)

Dig Deeper

Nepal highly vulnerable to cliamate change (Himalayan Times)

Lives in the balance: Climate Change and the Marshall Islands(The Guardian)

Facing Climate Change through intersectionality and justice (350.org)

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Podbean, and now on Northern Spirit Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group or on Twitter at @CitizensCRadio.

Join RESULTS founder and CCL’s first coach Sam Daley-Harris Thursday, January 19 at 8 p.m. Eastern for a one-session CCU Webinar on his book Reclaiming Our Democracy: Healing the Break Between People and Government. Hear Sam describe his journey from musician and civic cynic to founding the anti-poverty lobby RESULTS 36 years ago. Hear him read excerpts from the new chapter on Citizens Climate Lobby and excerpts from chapters on RESULTS and get your questions answered on the thinking behind CCL’s methodology.

Warning: Expect to be inspired.

In this lesson, Citizens' Climate Lobby's Director of Field Development Elli Sparks and Regional Coordinator Don Addu discuss strategies for finding and engaging people to become active volunteers in your local chapter.

What are the lessons we can learn from the defeat of the Washington state carbon tax referendum, Initiative 732? To find out, our guest on January’s call is Yoram Bauman, founder and co-chair of YesOn732.org, which spearheaded the campaign for I-732. Bauman holds a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Washington and is known as the “Stand-up Economist.” He is co-author of the 1998 book Tax Shift that helped inspire the revenue-neutral carbon tax in British Columbia. In 2012, he co-authored with Shi-Ling Hsu an op-ed in the New York Times, The Most Sensible Tax of All.

Unsure how to find common ground when you meet with a member of Congress or Congressional staff? Most likely, a National Park Service (NPS) unit exists in the district of your member of Congress or inside your state. It is vital to know how climate change negatively impacts these national treasures and how the NPS works to reduce their carbon footprint in each of their units. National parks and monuments may be an economic linchpin for many Congressional districts.

Join seasonal park ranger and Citizens' Climate Lobby volunteer Brian Ettling as he discusses how he has witnessed climate change while working in the national parks. He will share how he has used his experience and love of our national parks to achieve common ground in meetings with Congressional staff. Even more, he will share examples of two national parks working to reduce their carbon footprints.

Legislative and Research Director Danny Richter presents his analysis of the 502 meetings with members of Congress or their staff in June of 2016.

When addressing climate change, we need all hands on deck including citizens and lawmakers who are politically conservative. Host, Peterson Toscano interviews Chandler Green, a graduate student at American University researching strategic communications. Chandler shares her insights about climate communication and the need for Republican voices in the USA. She also tells us about the growing #PutAPriceOnIt Campaign on college campuses. Then to model climate communication for conservatives, Elke Arnesen reads the Gibson Resolution, a document created in 2015 by US Republican members of congress. It provides a conservative call to address the causes and affects of climate change

 

Art House

Joining us once again in the Art House is environmentalist and poet, Lilace Mellin Guignard, with a timely and moving poem about winters present and future.

 

Lilace teaches poetry and creative nonfiction writing and women’s studies at Mansfield University. Her poetry has appeared in the journals Calyx, poemmemoirstory, Louisiana Literature, Paterson Literary Review, Ecotone and Poetry magazine. Her chapbook, “Young at the Time of Letting Go” http://eveningstreetpress.com/8203lilace-guignard-2015.html was published by Evening Street Press in 2016. She is writing a creative nonfiction book about women outdoors for Texas A&M Press. She enjoys climbing and biking with her husband, eavesdropping on her children, and shaking things up in adult Sunday school. 

 

Puzzler

Many people responded to the Citzens’ Climate Puzzler about the new Trump Administration. Hear two answers that address both local and national responses. 

 

Here is our new Puzzler: 

You are chatting with a neighbor and you mention your commitment to addressing carbon pollution because of dangers it poses. Your neighbor, let’s call her Lucinda, is genuinely confused. She says, “But back in school I learned how important carbon dioxide is for plants and photosynthesis. Our teacher said that without carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we couldn’t survive.” 

What would you say to Lucinda?

 

Send in your answers by January 15, 2017, along with your name, contact info, and where you are from. You can email your answers to radio @ citizensclimate.org or leave a voice memo of 3 minutes or less at 570-483-8194 (+1 if calling from outside the USA).

 

Dig Deeper

Yale Climate Communications: Is there a Climate spiral of Silence in the US?

Put a Price on it Campaign

The Gibson Resolution

 

You can hear Citizens’ Climate Radio on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Podbean, and now on Northern Spirit Radio. Also, feel free to connect with other listeners, suggest program ideas, and respond to programs in the Citizens’ Climate Radio Facebook group.