Ever heard of Citizens' Climate Lobby? Neither had most of our group of 7 from Towson before we attended the CCL National Conference this month, in Washington D.C. The three-day conference entailed numerous panels, discussions, and speakers all talking about one thing: Climate Advocacy and how people can turn their 'Angst into Action'.
But what really is Climate Advocacy?
According to the highly accurate and never-failing Google, being a climate advocate means that you advocate and support, either publicly or more conversationally, efforts and actions to address climate change, in some way, shape, or form. In simple terms, climate advocacy is voicing your voice about the climate crisis.
Making a poster about greenhouse gas emissions? Climate advocacy! Talking to a friend about the recent smoke from the Canadian wildfires and how it links to global warming? Climate advocacy! Talking to members of Congress about climate policies? Most definitely climate advocacy.
Climate advocacy comes in many forms, whether it's Greta Thunberg's Fridays for Future protests or letters to community leaders, or newspaper articles. With inaction from governments across the globe, climate anxiety looms across the minds of many, both young and old. Citizens' Climate Lobby provides grounding and science-based solutions to this: through policy.
CCL's Guide to Climate Advocacy and Lobbying
The first session that the Towson group attended was CCL's BootCamp of Climate Advocacy and Lobbying. The ecstatic speaker and Senior Director of CCL's Programs, Elli Sparks, went through the different 'levers of political will,' and what we can do to be a part of the political process for climate solutions. The main informative session, and what the Towson group was there for, was lobbying.
Lobbying, at its core, is speaking with a member of Congress (usually one of their
Congressional staffers or assistants) about bills and policies that matter.
We were given various climate policies and bills to speak about, like the recent Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. Each of the lobbyers in our group was given specific roles, some researched recent legislation and actions to give appreciation, some told personal stories, and some asked questions about what the staff Congressperson was hearing about various bills on the inside from Congress.
After the long day on Capitol Hill running from building to building, we found that lobbying was not all that difficult. At first, we weren't sure what to expect. But throughout the day, we learned that just by sitting in the room and telling our story as high schoolers, we made a difference. We didn't have to know the exact statistics or bill numbers (there was usually someone else more experienced in the room for that.) Most of the staffers and assistants that we spoke with were delighted just to hear younger voices. They were glad to hear from the next generation about climate policies that will have large impacts on us and the generations to come.
Why Young People NEED to be Climate Advocates.
This is simple. Gen Z and the generations following us will be the generations tasked with this crisis next. Generation Z is becoming old enough to vote.
We have already elected our first Gen Z Congressperson, Maxwell Frost of Florida's 10th District. While some Gen Z-ers are not of age to vote just yet, we still have the power of our voice combined with the power of social media to spread that voice.
Through lobbying, through Instagram, TikTok, or even Snapchat, we have an incredible scope to our reach, unlike any other generation. We have the power to be better informed and get to work faster than the generations before us.
Instead of scrolling continuously down the rabbit hole of rising temperature charts and footage from smoggy cities, we have the ability to write to Congress members write to newspapers, and form protests. When the generations before us have long passed, we will be the generation tasked with the climate crisis: which is why we are needed the most.
So what next?
So be a climate advocate! By reading this blog post, you are becoming even more informed than before. If there's anything that we took away from the Lobby and Advocacy Training, it's that advocacy comes in many different ways. You don't have to instantly jump into the deep end and do a lobby meeting tomorrow. You can go at your own pace and find your own pathway toward becoming a climate advocate.
CCL has larger regions, state groups, local chapters, and smaller groups even at colleges across the nation. Developing these chapters and volunteering groups, Ms. Sparks told us, would be a key move to push more effectively and build political activism. Similarly, doing tabling events, speaking with community leaders, talking to classmates and other grassroots efforts are equally important. Another activity she highlighted was media relations, otherwise known as getting the word out there through social media, letters to the editors of newspapers, or op-eds.
There are so many ways to advocate, whether it's going to an online chapter meeting and talking with fellow climate advocates, or even if you're up to it: lobbying. So get involved. Join your local environmental club, or Citizens' Climate Lobby chapter and make a difference!
Written by Kate Morton
Photo Credits: Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and Kate Morton