This week's People's Climate March is going to be incredible. As many as a quarter of a million people will come together to say that now is the time to shift to a cleaner, healthier, and more stable future.
And then what? What happens after we go home? How do we capture the energy of participants and take advantage of our fleeting moment in the spotlight? How do we grow our movement?
For many of us, once we get home, we'll continue --or begin-- working with Citizens' Climate Lobby, a national --and now international-- organization with more than 200 chapters that is working to build the political will we need to create a stable climate.
You may not have heard of Citizens' Climate Lobby, but I promise you that chapters all across the country are ramping up to make a big difference in our country's legislative approach to climate and energy issues.
The proposal
CCL's highest legislative priority is a revenue-neutral price on carbon, one that is high enough to help us transition to a clean energy future.
Earlier this summer, Citizens Climate Lobby released a study from Regional Economic Models, Inc. (REMI) that examined the impact of a steadily-rising fee on carbon-based fuels with revenue from that fee returned to households in equal shares. With the fee starting at $10 per ton of carbon dioxide and rising $10 per ton each year, the major findings were:
• In 20 years, CO2 emissions would be reduced 50 percent below 1990 levels.
• Because of the economic stimulus of recycling carbon fee revenue back to households, in 20 years, 2.8 million jobs would be added to the American economy.
The graphic above shows all the of the areas of impact for a carbon fee and dividend that the REMI modeling examines. You can delve into some more of the implications at
http://citizensclimatelobby.org/...
Two points are especially salient, though. First, there's rightful concern about the effects on the U.S. economy if we implement a price on carbon but China and other countries don't. The CCL proposal address that by including a border adjustment that's designed to minimize carbon leakage. For all goods imported to the United States, a fee is charged based on the emissions they create during their production overseas. The revenues generated by these fees are used to compensate American exports for higher costs. This process also gives other countries an incentive to introduce their own price on carbon, so the funds stay in their own economies.
Second, a carbon fee and dividend is politically feasible. CCL's proposal is not far from that in the bill introduced recently by Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD). Yet as a market-based solution, a revenue-neutral carbon fee and dividend also has the support of a number of conservatives--former Sec. of State George Schultz is Citizens' Climate Lobby's newest advisory board member.
The approach
As I've said here in an earlier diary, I was introduced to Citizens' Climate Lobby by Bill McKibben when he came to Lehigh University as part of his speaking tour. A small group of us started a Lehigh Valley (PA) chapter here, and in the year we've been working together I've been impressed both with our energy locally and with the support and structure we've received from the national organization.
Local chapters work together to meet and build relationships with their Members of Congress, write letters to the editor and op-eds, push for editorials and other endorsements, and organize locally to build a national political movement. In the Lehigh Valley, we've met with our two members of Congress, written dozens of letters to the editor and to Congress, done much tabling and outreach, and participated in discussions on the climate and energy components of our region's comprehensive plan. We're now gearing up to host a regional CCL conference in March 2015.
In the words of climate scientist Dr. James Hansen: "If you want to join the fight to save
the planet, to save creation for your grandchildren, there is no more effective step you could take than becoming an active member of this group.”
CCL is very welcoming to new members and supportive of new chapters. We are working towards a chapter in every Congressional District in the country, and we're well on our way.
If you are interested in working towards legislative solutions with a very effective group, plan to spend an hour when you return from the march checking out CCL by participating in a weekly introductory call.
See you in New York!