Action Sheet, April 2015
CCL Monthly Conference Call, Saturday, April 4, 2015
Groups meet at 9:45am PT/12:45pm ET
The international conference call starts at 10:00 am PT/1:00 pm ET
The conference call part of the meeting is a just under an hour long and the groups
meet for another hour after that to take and plan actions.
Call-in number: 1-866-642-1665, passcode: 440699#
Callers outside U.S. and Canada, please use Skype: 719-387-8317, passcode 440699#
Conference Call Guest:
George Marshall, Climate Outreach
and Information Network
On our April call, we dive into the psychology of climate
change communication with George Marshall, author of
Don’t Even Think About It: Why Our Brains Are Wired To
Ignore Climate Change. Why is there such a big gap
between what the scientists tell us about climate change
and what the public believes? Marshall, co-founder of the
Climate Outreach and Information Network will discuss
what we can do to close that gap.
Actions
1. Use Earth Day (April 22) as an opportunity to publish op-eds and letters to
the editor in local newspapers.
2. Start scheduling meetings for June lobbying day.
3. Write letters to members of Congress asking if they’ve seen the REMI study.
LASER TALK
Carbon Fee & Dividend vs. regulations
Looking at the effects of climate change happening now – rising seas, intensifying storms,
severe droughts – it is clear we have little time to waste in our efforts to reduce greenhouse
gas emissions.
In lieu of a price on carbon, our only available option to lower carbon emissions is through
the EPA’s Clean Power Plan, which becomes final in mid-summer of 2015. This regulatory
approach is no one's favorite solution, including President Obama, who said in his 2014
State of the Union Address, “I urge this Congress to pursue a bipartisan, market-based
solution to climate change.”
It is not hard to see why: Regulations impose a cost on consumers, and businesses have no
hope of recouping the cost on goods they ship abroad. By contrast, Carbon Fee and Dividend
(CF&D) addresses consumer costs with a monthly dividend, making about two-thirds of
households wealthier than otherwise, and the border adjustment removes any incentive for
businesses to relocate operations to countries more permissive on emissions.
Most importantly, the coming EPA regulations would impose these costs while only
achieving a fraction of the emissions reductions that CF&D would achieve. The EPA rules
are designed to reduce emissions from power plants 30% below 2005 levels by the year
2030. Regional Economic Models Inc. (REMI), which conducted a study of CCL’s Carbon Fee
and Dividend proposal, found that CF&D would achieve a 90% reduction below 2005 levels
in the power sector by 2030. The difference in results for the two approaches is readily
apparent in the chart below.
The lesson is clear: CF&D is better for consumers, better for U.S. exports, and better for the
climate than regulations. Despite this, the EPA regulations become final this summer; not
CF&D. Congress could make the EPA regulations unnecessary by enacting Carbon Fee and
Dividend.
ACTION
Generate media around Earth Day
Earth Day, April 22, is a great time to generate media – op-eds and LTEs – making April our
strongest month for publishing op-eds.
At your meeting this month, assign someone to draft and submit an Earth Day op-ed
(suggested outline below). Also, ask who will submit letters to the editor around Earth Day.
Suggested op-ed outline:
1. Open with acknowledgement of Earth Day (April 22) and personal share of
something you enjoy and appreciate regarding natural resources in your area. Be
specific and descriptive. Paint a picture the reader can see, hear and smell.
2. Transition into background of Earth Day: First Earth Day was 1970. By end of year
Congress passed, and Nixon signed, the Clean Air Act, establishing the
Environmental Protection Agency.
3. Over the years, the health and economic benefits of CAA regulations have far
outweighed cost of compliance. Facts and figures here and here.
4. Nevertheless, EPA regulations continue to come under assault. Latest example is
Supreme Court case about the cost of rules governing Mercury and other pollutants
released from power plants.
5. Efforts are also underway in Congress to stop or delay implementation of the
President’s Clean Power Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. More details here
and here.
6. Maybe it’s time to lend the EPA a hand by using the power of the market to curtail
toxic and hazardous pollution. A fee on carbon-based fuels would speed the
transition toward clean sources of energy – wind and solar – thereby reducing levels
of harmful pollutants such as mercury.
7. Former Secretary of State George Shultz recently proposed this market-based
approach in a Washington Post op-ed.
8. REMI study shows Carbon Fee and Dividend would save hundreds of thousands of
lives over 20 years while cutting GHG emissions in half and ADDING 2.8 million jobs
to the economy.
9. Conclude by circling back to Earth Day and its legacy of preserving a livable world
for future generations.
Alternative outline: For a more locally-focused op-ed, replace items 4, 5 and 6 with the
local impact of climate change and air pollution, economic opportunity of renewables in
your area, and the need for Carbon Fee and Dividend to cut pollution and boost renewables.
ACTION
Schedule meetings for June lobby days
With our June conference 10 weeks away, it’s time to get meetings scheduled for our
lobbying days.
If you have already confirmed with Amy Bennett that you are scheduling a meeting with a
congressional office, there are instructions for scheduling a meeting that you can find on
CCL Community on the Resources page under Lobbying.
If you are scheduling a meeting but you have not confirmed with Amy, please send her an
email to confirm at amy@citizensclimate.org.
Please keep in mind that the House will not be in session on Tuesday, June 23, so face-toface meetings will not occur on that day. We ask that you schedule meetings with staff on
Tuesday and request face-to-face meetings with the representative on Wednesday.
ACTION
Write letters to members of Congress about REMI
One of the best things we can communicate to members of Congress is the good news from
the REMI study, which shows that Carbon Fee and Dividend will cut carbon while adding
jobs to the economy. Unless we’ve met face-to-face with the member, however, it is unlikely
that they’ve heard about the REMI study. To increase the chances that our members of
Congress see the REMI study, we are writing personal letters asking them to look at the
study and share their thoughts about it.
Suggested outline for letters:
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Introduce yourself and acknowledge the senator/representative for something
they’ve done.
Share you concern about climate change.
Tell them that a revenue-neutral fee on carbon, with money returned to households,
will cut greenhouse gas emission and be good for the economy at the same time.
Share some findings from the Regional Economic Models Inc. (REMI) study:
o In 20 years, CO2 emissions would be reduced 50 percent below 1990 levels.
o 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.
o Improved air quality would result in 230,000 premature deaths avoided over 20
years.
Ask that they look at the REMI study and share their thoughts about it with you.
Addresses:
Sen. NAME HERE
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Rep NAME HERE
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515