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MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR




Mike Tidwell

Dear [[First_Name]],

The year 2019 began with the world in shock. Scientists said we had barely 10
years to cut carbon emissions in half if we wanted to avoid a full-on climate
catastrophe. Then, just 12 months later, the year ended with Swedish schoolgirl
and climate activist – Greta Thunberg – being named Time Magazine’s “person of
the year.”

A lot happened in between. And the Chesapeake Climate Action Network is proud to
have played our role, both regionally and nationally, in the climate movement
with several major victories. As the year comes to an end, won’t you make a gift to keep us going?
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WASHINGTON, DC AND NATIONAL
WE #SHUTDOWNDC.


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September was an inspiring month of climate action as millions of people around
the world went on strike, spanning the globe and generations. During the month
of climate strikes a clear message was sent to government officials and
businesses. We are a movement fighting for everyone’s future, and we won’t stop
until they take visionary steps to solve the climate crisis. CCANers were a strong presence at numerous strikes across our region.

Our sister organization, CCAN Action Fund, took it one step further with the
historic #ShutDownDC action. It was a peaceful and inspiring takeover of DC
streets alongside more than 1,000 climate activists on September 23. Activists
rose before the sun and twenty-two "affinity groups" blocked major intersections
and roads to disrupt business as usual. CCAN AF led a group which occupied eight
lanes of traffic at Independence and 12th Street for three hours, successfully
shutting down rush hour traffic around the Capitol.

Read CCAN director Mike Tidwell’s oped in the Washington Post
[[link removed]] (which was named one of the Post’s top op-eds of the year!
[[link removed]] ) about why it was necessary to shut down traffic in DC to draw attention to the
climate crisis. Click here to read!
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#EXXONKNEW: THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL HEARING TO HOLD EXXON ACCOUNTABLE IS A GREAT
SUCCESS
For over four decades, Big Oil and Gas companies, such as ExxonMobil, have known
that climate change would bring about increasingly catastrophic impacts.
However, in the interest of big profits, they decided to launch a massive
misinformation campaign to deceive the public about their products and
contribution to the crisis. CCAN has worked to bring this deceit to light and
hold Exxon accountable for its harmful actions through petitions to political
leaders and an informative report.

On October 23, the first congressional investigation aimed at examining the oil
industry’s efforts to suppress the truth about climate change took place in the
House Committee on Oversight and Reform’s subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil
Liberties. CCAN helped to make this hearing happen by working with subcommittee
members, and it made national news
[[link removed]] . Now, we'll continue to push for additional congressional hearings to hold
Exxon accountable. Donate today to help us ensure that another congressional hearing is scheduled
to make public the truth about Exxon’s denial campaign.
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EVENTS
DC EVENTS
January 25, 10:00am: "Keep Winter Cold" Polar Bear Plunge. It's our 15th annual flagship fundraiser, where hundreds of CCANers run
screaming into the icy cold Potomac River for a good cause. Sign up to plunge
with us!

RSVP
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January 15, 6:00pm: Envirorun. Join Envirorun DC for their next bi-monthly run featuring Emily Wirzba and
Alicia Cannon from the Friends Committee on National Legislation - FCNL, a
Quaker lobby that is one of the nation's oldest lobbying groups.

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MD EVENTS
January 14, 6:00pm: Pack the room! Tell MDE: Draft Climate Plan is weak (Charles
County). Hogan's climate plan falls ways short of what Maryland needs to fight climate
change and promote vibrant and healthy communities. Pack the room at MDE's
public engagement session to say that Marylanders deserve bold and ambitious
action on climate change!

RSVP
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January 31, 1:00pm: Pack the room! Tell MDE: Draft Climate Plan is weak
(Baltimore). This is the same as the event above, but for the public meeting in
Baltimore.

RSVP [[link removed]]



VA EVENTS
January 14, all day: 100% Virginia: Rally and Lobby Day for Clean Energy
(Richmond). We are partnering up with the Sierra Club, LCV, and more to put on the biggest
grassroots climate lobby day and rally that the Virginia legislature has ever
seen, all for 100% clean energy — and we need you there!

RSVP
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January 6, 6:00pm: Art Build for Clean Energy Lobby Day (Richmond). Create art for Clean Energy Lobby Day! Help us create signs and banners for the
rally and event. Supplies provided!

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FEATURED VIDEO: REPRESENATIVE JAMIE RASKIN (D-MD) OPENS HEARING ON EXXON
DECEPTION
This fall, Reps. AOC and Jamie Raskin held big polluters like Exxon accountable
in a first-ever congressional hearing.

Watch the video:
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MARYLAND
“REBUILD MARYLAND”: OUR MOST EPIC CONFERENCE EVER
On December 14, nearly 600 people joined us at the University of Maryland in
College Park for “Rebuild Maryland: Climate Action Summit.” This was far, far
more than we expected. In the end, it was the largest “climate summit” in CCAN
history — and ever in Maryland! For seven straight hours on December 14, the unforgettable moments kept coming:
Passionate speeches by “climate strikers.” Mind-blowing panels by scientists.
Lunchtime discussions led by top climate activists. More than anything, the
conference sent a message to Governor Larry Hogan: “Do your job on climate
change… or get out of the way!”

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this massive success. The energy
in the room at the end of the day was incredible, and we heard from many that
they were feeling inspired to take even bolder action in the coming year.

Help us keep the momentum going. Donate to support our campaign for a strong climate plan in maryland that
matches what is called for by the Paris Climate Agreement!
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ANOTHER POTOMAC PIPELINE VICTORY, BUT....
First, the good news: The Potomac Pipeline is, as of now, kicking the bucket. We
had a big win when a federal court dismissed
[[link removed]] Columbia Gas’ attempt to force a fracked-gas pipeline underneath Maryland
public lands. The company, owned by infamous TransCanada, is trying to appeal
the decision, but we feel like our case is on solid ground for now.

Now, the bad: You may know that Maryland Governor Hogan wants to “kick-start” a
gas expansion in Maryland and use $30 million of state money to fund that
expansion. Well, that’s still true. His administration held four public meetings
across the state for comment on that plan, and we turned out
[[link removed]] hundreds of community members to show up and oppose it. We demanded that the
money instead be used to fix leaky pipelines and to help communities clean up
after disasters like the gas explosion that leveled an office building in
Columbia, Maryland. But we’ve gotten no indication that the plan will change.

Fracked gas is not a bridge fuel to clean energy. It's a bridge fuel to
disaster. We’re going to keep pushing Hogan to stop his terrible fracked-gas
plan and make sure the Potomac Pipeline is never built. Donate to support our movement to end new fossil fuels in Maryland.
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VIRGINIA
CLIMATE ACTION IS COMING TO THE COMMONWEALTH.
After an historic election in November, we're heading into the 2020 General
Assembly session with a climate action mandate! Scores of candidates pledged to
reject campaign contributions from Dominion Energy and fight for a clean energy
future in 2019. Now, there is momentum in the legislature to pass the Virginia
Clean Economy Act, which will put Virginia on the path to a 100% carbon-free
electricity sector by 2050. It will be the top environmental priority this
session, and it could put Virginia on the map as a leader on clean energy.

Even though Dominion is definitely not as strong as they once were, the monopoly
utility will not go away quietly. If we are going to pass ambitious climate
legislation in the home of one of the nation's most powerful mega-polluters,
we'll need all hands on deck. RSVP now to join our sister organization CCAN Action Fund and our growing list
of coalition partners at the Grassroots Clean Energy Lobby Day on January 14th
to make your voice heard!
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ARE WE REALLY WINNING ON FRACKED-GAS PIPELINES?
Courts have thrown out seven permits for two massive fracked-gas pipelines that
would run through Virginia thanks to lawsuits brought by CCAN and our friends.
The longer of these two pipelines — Dominion's Atlantic Coast Pipeline — faces
so many setbacks that only the Supreme Court or an act of Congress can save it.
After we filed sued over Mountain Valley Pipeline's clearly flawed Endangered
Species Act permit, that company "voluntarily" suspended construction operations
in areas with affected species. This partial suspension wasn't good enough for
the federal court, which forced MVP to halt all construction activities along
the entire pipeline.

As a result, both pipelines — which once seemed inevitable — are on pause!
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But we know the fight isn’t over. Donate to help us keep fighting in 2020 until both of these pipelines are gone
for good.
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SUPPORT CCAN
Under a Trump presidency, state-based climate action is the path forward to
keeping fossil fuels in the ground and ramping up clean energy progress. Your
tax-deductible donation will help us respond to threats to our climate with
bold, creative action. Make your gift today!



Donate now
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CCAN is building a people-powered movement for bold and just solutions to
climate change in the Chesapeake region of Maryland, Virginia, and Washington,
DC. We also act as "first-responders" to federal action on the climate crisis
and inspire climate action across the country.
www.chesapeakeclimate.org [[link removed]]

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