Citizen’s Climate Lobby is new to Cook County, but not to the state or to the nation. CCL is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that works with politicians to create legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere. From L-R: Mindy Ahler, Rebecca Wiinanen, Paul Thompson, DyAnn Andybus, and Ray Block.
Saying she was frustrated with the world’s reaction to climate change and calling it the over riding issue of our time, Ann Mershon came to the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) meeting held at the First Congregational Church on Tuesday, August 11 to learn more about CCL and what she could do to help improve the environment.
Mershon, a writer and retired high school English teacher, voiced sentiments that were echoed by most of the two dozen attendees who listened to a presentation by Paul Thompson and his partner, Mindy Ahler who came from Edina to host the meeting.
With more than 1,000 volunteers across the country, 278 local chapters nationwide and several hundred chapters across the world, CCL is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that is growing, said Thompson.
Thompson said CCL works with politicians—especially Republicans—to create legislation aimed at creating a revenue-neutral carbon tax (which would be called a fee) on fossil fuels, with the fees distributed back to U.S. households to offset the rising energy costs and increased cost of consumer goods made from petroleum products.
“Those products that have a larger carbon footprint would cost more,” said Ahler. “Those that have a smaller carbon footprint would cost less. That carbon fee then would have an impact on what consumers purchase.”
A carbon fee placed on producers of coal, oil, and natural gas would encourage those companies to invest more money in renewable energy sources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal etc., said Thompson. But the legislation needs to include a border tariff adjustment, which would discourage business from relocating out of the country where they can emit more CO2 and avoid paying the fee.
If such legislation is enacted, said Thompson, who cited information gleaned from a recent study conducted by Regional Economic Models, in 10 years it would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by 33 percent while adding 2.1 million jobs to the economy.
In 20 years greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by 52 percent and another 800,000 jobs would be created in the clean energy sector, as well as in other fields, especially in medicine.
“Why would more jobs be created in the medical field?” Thompson asked rhetorically. “Because more people would be living longer. There would be fewer problems caused by coal particulate in the air, less pollution. People wouldn’t suffer from as many cardiovascular diseases because the air they breathe would be much cleaner.”
CCL organizes local chapters that are encouraged to work with local legislators and to write letters to the editor (print newspapers are still the number 1 most influential media in the eyes of politicians, said Thompson) and to work with their friends and neighbors, educating them about the environment and the goals and aims of CCL.
“The goal is to create good policies so that our politicians will want to do the right thing,” Thompson said.
“We advocate empowering individuals so they can experience significant growth of their own political and personal power, as well as to discover how to make their own impact in the world. Our group is made up of people of all political parties and stripes who work together to create policy changes and shift the conversation on climate change,” Thompson said.
At the end of the twohour meeting Ahler and Thompson asked people to rate themselves on their interest in forming a CCL chapter in Cook County, and while most said they were interested, they didn’t have time to organize events and meetings. That is, until Rebecca Wiinanen stepped up and said she would lead a local chapter. “I have the time, but I’m not really a writer, not really good at reaching out and getting information to people so I will need help with this,” she said.
Thompson swept his hands around the room and said, “You have many writers and interested people who, I bet, are ready and willing to help you. Right?” he asked the crowd, who nodded and promised to help Wiinanen organize a local CCL chapter in Cook County.
To learn more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby, visit www.citizensclimatelobby.org.
Leave a Reply