Steve Valk of CCL – I’ve learned that I have a choice: I can be right, or I can make a difference. I choose to make a difference.
By Denise Nanni and Milena Rampoldi, ProMosaik.
In the following our interview with Steve Valk of CCL about climate change. The
general idea of CCL is the following: Citizens’ Climate Lobby creates the
political will for a livable world. We empower individuals to experience breakthroughs
exercising their personal and political power.
In the following our interview with Steve Valk of CCL about climate change. The
general idea of CCL is the following: Citizens’ Climate Lobby creates the
political will for a livable world. We empower individuals to experience breakthroughs
exercising their personal and political power.
What are the strategies used by CCL in order to
address climate change?
address climate change?
We believe the most important tool to fight
climate change is an effective price on carbon, which must be implemented at
the national level. Therefore, we lobby the U.S. Congress for a policy known as Carbon
Fee and Dividend — a steadily-rising fee on the CO2 content
that fuels emit when burned with the revenue from that fee returned equally to
all households.
climate change is an effective price on carbon, which must be implemented at
the national level. Therefore, we lobby the U.S. Congress for a policy known as Carbon
Fee and Dividend — a steadily-rising fee on the CO2 content
that fuels emit when burned with the revenue from that fee returned equally to
all households.
In order to get this legislation introduced and
moving in Congress, we train and support volunteers all across the U.S. to be
effective advocates with their members of Congress. We’ve grown from a dozen U.S. chapters in
2010 to more than 300 now.
moving in Congress, we train and support volunteers all across the U.S. to be
effective advocates with their members of Congress. We’ve grown from a dozen U.S. chapters in
2010 to more than 300 now.
With Republicans controlling Congress, it is
essential that we work with Republicans to gain support for this solution and
to bring them to the table. We achieved a major breakthrough last year when we
helped to establish the bipartisan House Climate Solutions
Caucus, creating a safe space for Republicans and Democrats to find
common ground for climate solutions.
essential that we work with Republicans to gain support for this solution and
to bring them to the table. We achieved a major breakthrough last year when we
helped to establish the bipartisan House Climate Solutions
Caucus, creating a safe space for Republicans and Democrats to find
common ground for climate solutions.
How important are capacity building and media
coverage in your activities?
coverage in your activities?
Capacity building is critical. The more
chapters we have, the more congressional districts we can cover with constituents
communicating with their members of Congress. As we recruit more volunteers, we
increase our effectiveness with the various levers of political will — letters
and phone calls to Congress, endorsements from community leaders, published
media.
chapters we have, the more congressional districts we can cover with constituents
communicating with their members of Congress. As we recruit more volunteers, we
increase our effectiveness with the various levers of political will — letters
and phone calls to Congress, endorsements from community leaders, published
media.
Media coverage is very important, but our
volunteers generate their own media by publishing thousands of letters to the
editor each year and hundreds of op-eds. They make sure, then, that this
published media reaches the offices of their representatives and senators, who
view this as a show of support in their districts for action on climate change.
volunteers generate their own media by publishing thousands of letters to the
editor each year and hundreds of op-eds. They make sure, then, that this
published media reaches the offices of their representatives and senators, who
view this as a show of support in their districts for action on climate change.
What important actions have been undertaken
during your years of activity?
during your years of activity?
I’ve been with CCL since we first started
hiring staff in 2009, so there’s quite a lot that’s happened. We held our first
national conference in Washington, DC, in June of 2010, which was attended by
25. At our last national conference in June of 2016, we had close to 1,000
people attending, and our volunteers held 502 meetings with congressional
offices.
hiring staff in 2009, so there’s quite a lot that’s happened. We held our first
national conference in Washington, DC, in June of 2010, which was attended by
25. At our last national conference in June of 2016, we had close to 1,000
people attending, and our volunteers held 502 meetings with congressional
offices.
We’ve established a system of support for our
volunteers to help them go from being a clicktivist to being effective citizen
lobbyists. This has entailed launching hundreds of chapters with our volunteers
receiving a three-hour climate advocate training. Our groups meet once a month,
during which they connect to a national call with our executive director and a
special guest each month who educates our members about a particular aspect of
the climate issue — science, economics, politics,communication.
volunteers to help them go from being a clicktivist to being effective citizen
lobbyists. This has entailed launching hundreds of chapters with our volunteers
receiving a three-hour climate advocate training. Our groups meet once a month,
during which they connect to a national call with our executive director and a
special guest each month who educates our members about a particular aspect of
the climate issue — science, economics, politics,communication.
Each chapter has a group leader who receives
support from a regional coordinator and from a weekly call for group leaders.
support from a regional coordinator and from a weekly call for group leaders.
Our volunteers
conducted 282 face-to-face meetings with their members of Congress in
2016, and held 1,109 meetings with congressional staff.
conducted 282 face-to-face meetings with their members of Congress in
2016, and held 1,109 meetings with congressional staff.
In 2010, we published 36 letters to the editor.
In 2016 we published 2,480 letters to the editor and 391 op-eds.
In 2016 we published 2,480 letters to the editor and 391 op-eds.
As mentioned above, we played a pivotal role in
the establishment of the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus.
the establishment of the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus.
Last year, we launched the endorsers project to
get endorsements for our carbon pricing policy from community leaders,
businesses and governmental bodies. A listing of state, county and city
resolutions that have been generated can be found here.
get endorsements for our carbon pricing policy from community leaders,
businesses and governmental bodies. A listing of state, county and city
resolutions that have been generated can be found here.
In what ways do you promote society capacity
building and how do you raise awareness about environmental issues?
building and how do you raise awareness about environmental issues?
Our volunteers do outreach in their communities
by leading presentations before various groups and faith communities.
by leading presentations before various groups and faith communities.
Feel free to add something you would like to
tell to our readers.
tell to our readers.
Please feel free to add anything that you may
want to say. I’d be glad to receive a couple of pictures, to be published along
with the interview. I will send you the link of the interview as soon as it
will be online.
want to say. I’d be glad to receive a couple of pictures, to be published along
with the interview. I will send you the link of the interview as soon as it
will be online.
I think the thing that
distinguishes CCL from a lot of organizations is that we never approach the
people we lobby in an adversarial way, even if they disagree with us. We go
into all our meetings with gratitude, respect and appreciation for the people
we talk to, often times doing more listening than talking in order to find the
common ground. For me, personally, I call this “Letting go of being
right.” Because if you always need to be right, then that means the person
you’re talking to at some point will be made to feel wrong, and that shuts down
the conversation. Ultimately, I’ve learned that I have a choice: I can be
right, or I can make a difference. I choose to make a difference.
distinguishes CCL from a lot of organizations is that we never approach the
people we lobby in an adversarial way, even if they disagree with us. We go
into all our meetings with gratitude, respect and appreciation for the people
we talk to, often times doing more listening than talking in order to find the
common ground. For me, personally, I call this “Letting go of being
right.” Because if you always need to be right, then that means the person
you’re talking to at some point will be made to feel wrong, and that shuts down
the conversation. Ultimately, I’ve learned that I have a choice: I can be
right, or I can make a difference. I choose to make a difference.
