CCL Monthly Conference Call, Saturday, July 13, 2013
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 little over an hour long and the groups meet for
another hour after that to plan actions.
Call-in number: 1-866-642-1665
Passcode: 440699#
Guest is Lynne Twist from the Pachamama Alliance;
Reports from CCL’s conference
Lynne Twist, a board member of the Pachamama Alliance, has been
a recognized global visionary committed to alleviating poverty and
hunger and supporting social justice and environmental
sustainability. From working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta to the
refugee camps in Ethiopia and the threatened rainforests of the
Amazon, Lynne’s on-the-ground work has brought her a deep
understanding of the social tapestry of the world and the historical
landscape of the times we are living in.
Actions:
1) Schedule district meetings with members of Congress during the August recess.
2) Write letters to members of Congress following up on our requests that were made in
Washington during our lobby week.
LASER TALK
Take a market-based approach on climate change
President Obama has said he would prefer that Congress enact a market-based solution to
the problem of climate change, but that hasn’t happened.
With time running out on our window of opportunity to contain global warming to
manageable levels, the President has turned to the only option at his disposal – government
regulation to curtail greenhouse gas emissions from new and existing power plants.
These regulations would be developed and implemented by the Environmental Protection
Agency, which has done a stellar job of preserving the purity of America’s air and water.
New rules will no doubt help to bring down emissions, but conservatives see this approach
as an expansion of government bureaucracy, which they oppose.
These new regulations will also increase the cost of energy, placing an economic burden
on American consumers.
So, what is the alternative? How can we reduce emissions without inflicting pain on
households?
The answer is a steadily-rising tax on carbon-based fuels that returns revenue to the public.
This market-based solution is favored by a number a number of conservatives:

Art Laffer, Reagan’s economic advisor

Greg Mankiw, advisor to George W. Bush and Mitt Romney

George Shultz, Secretary of State under Reagan
These conservatives embrace a revenue-neutral carbon tax because it makes fossil fuels
pay for their true costs to society. It corrects the distortion in the free market that gives
dirty energy an edge over clean technology. Once this distortion is corrected, the market
will move away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, reducing greenhouse gas
emissions. Returning carbon tax revenue to households will enable Americans to make this
transition without economic pain.
Conservatives in Congress looking for an alternative to more EPA regulations should
consider the market-based approach of a revenue-neutral carbon tax.
ACTION
Schedule meetings with members of Congress
During the month of August and through the week of Labor Day, Congress will be on recess. This
is a good time to schedule face-to-face district meetings with representatives and senators. For
groups that met with staff in Washington, these face-to-face meetings are a great follow-up to keep
the conversation moving about a revenue-neutral carbon tax and build momentum for legislation.
At your meeting this month:

Assign volunteers to request district meetings with House and Senate members.

If applicable, include in your request references to your meeting with staff in Washington.

If available, invite a climate scientist in your area to attend the district meeting with you to
discuss the local impact of climate change.

With your request, attach copies or links of any recently published media – editorials,
letters to the editor, opeds.
Sample request for district meeting:
Dear [SCHEDULER’S Name],
A group of us from the [Your City] chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby recently traveled to
Washington, DC, for our international conference. We were unable to meet with [Rep/Senator]
while we were there, but had a very productive meeting with his aide, [Name], on the subject
of climate change and how the problem could be addressed with a market-based solution.
During the August recess, we would like to continue this conversation with [Rep/Senator]. Is
there a date and time that we could schedule to meet with him?
I’ve attached a few pieces our group had published in the [Newspaper] that [Rep/Senator]
might want to see.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Thanks,
YOUR NAME,
Citizens Climate Lobby, [YOUR CITY]
[CONTACT INFORMATION]
Resources:
Contact information for members of Congress can be found here.
CCL’s House and Senate requests.
ACTION
Write to MoCs for support of revenue-neutral
carbon tax
To build on the momentum we generated from our meetings in Washington, write letters to
representatives and senators, especially Republicans, asking them to support a revenue-neutral
carbon tax.
In letters to Republicans, you should:

Introduce yourself and say why the issue of climate change is important to you.

If applicable, thank the Congressman/Senator or his staff for meeting with CCL volunteers
in Washington in June.

Note that the President is moving ahead with EPA regulations to cut greenhouse gas
emissions at new and existing power plants.

Suggest that if they don’t like the regulatory approach, they should look at a revenueneutral carbon tax that gives proceeds back to households.

Ask if he or his staff would be willing to meet with other Republicans to explore revenueneutral carbon tax legislation as an alternative to new regulations.

If possible, include clippings of media you or your group have generated.

Ask for a response.
In letters to Democrats, you should:

Introduce yourself and say why the issue of climate change is important to you.

If applicable, thank the Congressman/Senator or his staff for meeting with CCL volunteers
in Washington in June.

Note that four Democrats – Rep. Barbara Lee, Rep. Henry Waxman, Rep. John Larson,
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse – are working on carbon tax bills.

Suggest that they contact these representatives (Sen. Whitehouse if you are writing to
senators) and request that their carbon tax bills refund ALL revenue to households and that
the tax increase at a pace that would reach $100 a ton of CO2 within 10 years.

If possible, include clippings of media you or your group has generated.

Ask for a response.
Addresses:
Rep. NAME HERE
Sen. NAME HERE
U.S. House of Representatives
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515
Washington, DC 20510