IPCC report shows urgency
for campaign to price carbon
In the midst of our campaign to get Congress to include carbon pricing in legislation that will be taken up this fall, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last week released its latest assessment on the state of our climate. The report confirmed what this year’s climate-related disasters have made obvious: We’ve run out of time, and the urgency for meaningful action couldn’t be greater. The good news in the report is that we still have time to prevent the worst consequences, provided we move quickly to reduce the carbon emissions that are making our world hotter. In a Time magazine essay, CCL Advisory Board member Dr. Katharine Hayhoe addressed the despair and hopelessness that may accompany reading the latest IPCC report and what we can do about it: “In a world that seems increasingly out of control, we are desperate for hope... Real hope offers a chance of a more vibrant future; a glimpse, however distant, of something better than what we have today, not worse. Where can we find such hope? We find it in action... We don’t need to have hope to begin to act. Instead, action engenders hope.” Action, as we say, is the antidote to despair. Take a few minutes to email and call your representative and ask them to support a price on carbon. Then ask friends and family to join you in taking action.
In other news: Hope for climate activists: Feeling stressed and despondent over the state of our climate, especially in light of the latest IPCC report? CCL has scheduled workshops this month and next to help our volunteers build resilience in these challenging times. The two-hour workshop is based on the work of Joanna Macy, author of “Active Hope.” Learn more and sign up for one of the sessions. Action resources in Spanish: Do you have Spanish-speaking friends who might want to participate in our campaign to put a price on carbon? Both our Senate and House online action tools for emailing and calling members of Congress are now available in Spanish. The Senate action is here, and the House action is here. Also, our current op-ed template on the IPCC report is now available in Spanish and can be downloaded here. Informational session for students: Want to do something about climate change? Tune in to our informational session for students to learn how you can make a difference in creating the political will for legislation to put us on the path to reduce the emissions that are changing our climate. This session will cover CCL’s mission, history, values and legislation we support. It will also offer ways to get involved and take action, presenting opportunities for internships, fellowships, volunteering and training. RSVP for Sept. 16 or Sept. 23. |
