Download CCL Monthly Conference Call, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014 Groups meet

CCL Monthly Conference Call, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2014
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 take and plan actions.
Call-in number: 1-866-642-1665, passcode: 440699#
Callers outside U.S. and Canada, please use Skype: 719-387-8317, passcode 440699#
Rear Adm. Len Hering (ret.),
Center for Sustainable Energy
Rear Admiral Len Hering Sr. (ret.) joins our national call to
talk about the impact that climate change is having on
national security. Hering is Executive Director of the Center
for Sustainable Energy in San Diego. During his career in the
Navy, Hering built a team that reduced energy consumption
by nearly 42%, diverted 75% of Navy waste from landfills
and reduced water consumption by more than one billion
gallons. He instigated wind, thermal, photovoltaic and conversion technology at all
levels in Navy facilities.
Actions
1. Write letters to members of Congress (MoCs) mentioning the UN Climate
Summit this month and the need for the U.S. to lead on solutions for carbon
fee and dividend.
2. Pitch CCL’s current media packet to editorial writers.
3. Ask a state official to submit comments to the EPA, requesting that a carbon
tax be explicitly mentioned as a means for states to comply with the new
regulations.
LASER TALK
Leadership on global climate action
It’s been reported1 that President Obama is pursuing a global climate treaty that will
be non-binding and instead rely on a “name and shame” approach to make countries
comply with targets for emissions reductions.
Nations of the world will gather in Paris in late 20152 to sign an agreement in which
countries will commit to emissions targets that will limit the risks of global
warming. Obama is reportedly pursuing “voluntary” goals because the Senate is
unlikely to ratify, with a two-thirds majority, any binding agreement. Treaties that
do not have the force of law do not require Senate ratification.
In relying on a “name and shame” approach for compliance, however, the world
runs a great risk of failing to cut emissions to levels that avoid catastrophic
consequences.
The future of our world and its ability to sustain all forms of life cannot be left to
such chance. If a voluntary treaty emerges in Paris next year at the urging of the U.S.,
then the U.S. must provide the leadership for the world to meet its emissions goals.
For starters, the U.S. can lead by example, by implementing a steadily-rising fee on
carbon-based fuels that returns revenue to households. By including border tariffs3
on goods from nations that lack an equivalent price on carbon, we provide a strong
economic incentive for other nations to follow that lead.
In the run up to the Paris agreement next year, Congress can establish U.S.
leadership by enacting carbon fee-and-dividend legislation.
1 http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/27/us/politics/obama-pursuing-climate-accord-in-lieu-of-
treaty.html?_r=1
2 Five Things to Know About the Climate Talks, from The Hill:
http://thehill.com/policy/energy-environment/216285-climate-talks-five-things-to-know
3 CCLU webinar on border tax adjustments can be viewed on YouTube here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suC923ODptQ
ACTION
Write to representatives and senators in
connection with UN Climate Summit
On September 23, world leaders will gather at the United Nations for a one-day Climate
Summit, an event intended to generate momentum for the current negotiations that will
lead to a global climate treaty late next year in Paris. With the summit, and events
surrounding it like the People’s Climate March, being in the news, this is an opportune time
to write to members of Congress to urge their leadership on climate change.
At your meeting this month:
 Write letters to your senators and representative.
 Plan a letter-writing event in your community.
Outline for letter:
 Introduce yourself and share something personal about who you are.
 Thank the MoC and their staff for anything they may have done recently, such as
meeting with CCL in Washington or in the district.
 Mention that the attention of the world is focused this month on world leaders who
are attending the UN Climate Summit.
 Tell them it’s time for Congress to demonstrate leadership by enacting a fee on
carbon that gives revenue back to households.
 Ask for a reply.
Points you can bring up (use no more than two):
 Mention some of the ways that climate change is affecting your region. National
Climate Assessment has a regional breakout.
 At the UN Climate Summit on Sept. 23, world leaders – including President Obama –
will speak about their nations’ efforts to contain global warming. It’s important that
the U.S. be seen as a leader in this movement and that we can follow through on our
commitments.
 The New York Times reported on Aug. 26th that Obama will seek a climate treaty
with voluntary goals because the President does not believe the Senate will ratify a
binding agreement. This is disappointing and creates the risk that the world will fall
far short in efforts to limit carbon pollution and the warming it causes.
 Even if a climate treaty is non-binding, the U.S. can help ensure the world reaches
much needed goals by leading with a strong policy that puts an escalating fee on
carbon. Border adjustments on goods from nations that do not price carbon will
provide a strong economic incentive for other countries to follow our lead.
 Carbon fee-and-dividend is a solution supported by a number of conservative, freemarket economists, like former Secretary of State George Shultz – who maintain that
the market will move away from polluting sources of energy if we fix the distortion
that currently exists in the price of fossil fuels. They say this distortion exists
because the price of dirty energy does not reflect the damage done to society.
 A recent study from Regional Economic Models, Inc. shows that we can reduce
emissions AND add jobs to the economy, provided we put a rising fee on carbonbased fuels and return the revenue from that fee to households.

The REMI study found that with a fee on carbon starting at $10 per ton of CO2 and
rising $10 per ton each year, in 20 years we can reduce emissions to 50 percent
below 1990 levels. By giving all revenue back to households, the fee-and-dividend
solution provides an economic stimulus that adds 2.8 million jobs to the American
economy over those 20 years.
Addresses
You can find the district mailing addresses by looking up your representatives and senators
on congressional Web sites.
You can also send letters to Washington offices at these addresses:
Rep. NAME HERE
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
Sen. NAME HERE
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
ACTION
Pitch CCL’s media packet to editorial writers
With the UN Climate Summit happening Sept. 23, as well as the People’s Climate March in
New York, the subject of climate change will be in the news, and newspapers may take this
opportunity to weigh in editorially on the issue.
CCL has prepared a media packet to coincide with the climate summit that calls for
Congress to enact a fee a carbon with revenue returned to households. The call for action is
supported by the study from Regional Economic Models, Inc. about the benefits – both
environmental and economic – of such a solution. The aim of the packet is to motivate
newspapers to endorse carbon fee and dividend as the means to address global warming.
This month…
Prior to the UN Summit, have the volunteer in your group who works with the local
newspaper pitch CCL’s media packet to the appropriate person on your newspaper’s
editorial board. If possible, arrange a meeting to brief the newspaper about the REMI study
and pitch the packet in person. We suggest a phone call followed by emailing the media
packet.
Sample phone pitch:
Hi. This is [YOUR NAME] with Citizens Climate Lobby in [YOUR CITY]. Do you have a
minute? Is this a good time? Thanks. There’s something coming up in the news, and
we thought the newspaper might consider doing an editorial about it. On September
23, leaders from around the world will gather at the UN for a one-day climate
summit. They’re building momentum for a global climate treaty that nations will
sign late in 2015. This is the time for the U.S. to lead with a solution that will not
only address global warming but also add jobs to our economy. A study done by the
highly-respected Regional Economic Models, Inc., looked at the impact of a
gradually-rising fee on carbon with revenue returned to households. It found that
after 20 years, CO2 emissions would go down 50 percent. It also found that all the
revenue being recycled back to households would create an economic stimulus that
adds 2.8 million jobs over that time. We have a media packet on this with links to
resources you might find useful. Can I send that to you?
If your group can meet with the newspaper, ask if they’d like to meet to provide a briefing
on the REMI study. If your group has already briefed the editorial board on the REMI study,
simply pitch the media packet to the appropriate newspaper contact.
Follow up to find out if the newspaper plans to write an editorial. If the answer is “no,” ask if
they would consider an op-ed from the CCL chapter. Use the media packet for talking points
to draft an op-ed. Include local angles like the impact of climate change in your area and
calling upon your members of Congress to lead on this proposal.
The media packet can be downloaded here:
http://citizensclimatelobby.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/CCLmediapacketSept2014v3.doc
ACTION
Ask a state official to comment on EPA’s
carbon rule
Last month, we asked volunteers to submit comments to the EPA and ask that a carbon tax
be explicitly mentioned as a means for states to comply with the new regulations. Following
up on that action this month, we are asking for volunteers to reach out to state officials,
asking them to submit similar comments to the EPA. As with our lobbying efforts with
members of Congress, a face-to-face meeting with the state official will increase the chances
for success.
Which state official should you contact?
Each state has a department or agency that handles environmental rules and regulations.
You can find a list of names and contact information for the appropriate state official(s) in
each state from the spreadsheet that is downloadable here:
http://citizensclimatelobby.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/State-EPA-Contacts.xlsx
Governors are also good to lobby on this. If more than one group has access to a state's
capitol, the two groups should split lobbying the official in the spreadsheet and the
Governor's office.
Which groups should contact the state official?
For states that have more than one CCL chapter, the group that is in the state capitol should
contact the official. For example, in Wisconsin, the CCL Madison group would contact the
state official. If there is no CCL chapter in the state capital, CCL group leaders in the state
should contact each other and decide which group will make contact.
Once it’s been determined which group will make contact, choose one person in the group
who will be responsible for the action.
The context:
In June, the EPA released draft rules limiting the carbon emissions that can come from
existing power sources. These existing power sources must cut their emissions to 30%
below 2005 levels by 2030. These rules apply only to power sources, so fossil fuels used for
anything else (transportation, home heating, etc.) are not affected by this rule. The final rule
will be published in June of 2015. Comments are being accepted until Oct. 16, 2014.
The EPA is not telling states how to meet the targets. Rather, they are letting states choose
how to comply with the rule. Much of the draft rule includes ways that states could be in
compliance with the new rule. The EPA focuses on 4 “building blocks” for the best system of
emissions reductions: improving efficiency of coal plants, switching to natural gas,
increasing renewables, and reducing demand.
Conspicuously absent from the 645-page draft rule is any explicit mention of a carbon tax as
a compliance mechanism. The closest they come is mentioning a “carbon price,” which is not
specific enough, as this may also refer to cap-and-trade. EPA officials have stated in public
that a carbon tax is a viable compliance mechanism, but if it is not in print, it is unlikely that
states will want to take the risk of not being in compliance.
Why lobby state officials?
State officials carry a lot of weight in Washington DC. It is possible that the EPA did not
explicitly mention a carbon tax because they are concerned about being accused of overreaching their authority. If several state officials specifically request that EPA include it, the
EPA has the political cover they need to include it. In short, state officials are the type of
political will that EPA responds to, and we need to generate it.
Resource
The EPA ask for state officials:
http://citizensclimatelobby.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/09/EPAAskforStateOfficials.pdf
Background reading
If you are interested in including a more technical comment, you can read more about the
EPA rule here: https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2014/06/18/201413726/carbon-pollution-emission-guidelines-for-existing-stationary-sources-electricutility-generating#h-49
You can download the REMI at this site: http://citizensclimatelobby.org/wpcontent/uploads/2014/06/REMI-Synapse-Carbon-Fee-and-Dividend-Slide-Deck6.9.141.pdf
You can access the CBO’s assessment concluding a carbon tax is more economically efficient
than cap and trade here: http://www.cbo.gov/publication/41663
Vote for CCL proposal in Climate CoLab contest
CCL’s proposal in the “U.S. Carbon Price” category of MIT’s Climate CoLab contest has been
selected as a finalist. Please vote for the proposal – “The Little Engine that Could: Carbon
Fee and Dividend” – at this link:
http://climatecolab.org/web/guest/plans/-/plans/contestId/1300404/planId/2802