Republicans, Climate Champions? Absolutely.
Flannery Keck, Citizens’ Climate Lobby
On Wednesday night, the newest Years of Living Dangerously episode confronted a tough question head on: How do we get Republicans to act on climate change? Not only is that a tough question, but it’s also one that Americans absolutely have to answer now that the Republican party controls the House, the Senate and the White House.
The episode “Safe Passage” featured Bradley Whitford of The West Wing fame and citizen activist Jay Butera, who has spent years building relationships with Republicans and encouraging them to act on climate. And the best part? Jay’s not alone. He has a veritable army of volunteers working alongside him as part of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL). With 360 chapters, this grassroots advocacy group focuses on empowering people to communicate with their elected officials, all in service of a common goal: spurring bipartisan climate action.
Courage to Work Together
Jay’s years of relationship building and bipartisan dialogue paid off big time this year, when Republican congressman Rep. Carlos Curbelo partnered up with Democratic congressman Rep. Ted Deutch to form the Climate Solutions Caucus. These two Florida representatives, moved to action by the threat of rising sea levels and by an outpouring of support from their constituents, breached the partisan divide and said, “Okay, let’s figure this out.” Two by two, more Republicans and Democrats joined the caucus, ready to sit at the same table and talk about climate solutions. Today, the membership in that group is up to 20, split evenly between the parties. As shown in the “Safe Passage” episode, Jay’s and CCL’s advocacy made it possible.
“It’s kind of a shame that in today’s politics, doing the right thing is considered courageous,” Rep. Curbelo said in the Years episode, but courageous it is. And under the next four years of a Trump administration, which seems poised to undermine or even actively fight climate action, Republicans will have to show that courage even more. They’ll have to courageously champion climate action because it makes sense environmentally and economically. Thankfully, they’ve got constituents in every congressional district helping them see that reality, and helping them be brave.
Building Political Will
While Jay’s lobbying efforts were primarily focused in Florida, Citizens’ Climate Lobby volunteers all across America have been replicating that relationship building with their own representatives. They write letters to members of Congress, have face to face meetings, and amplify the voices of business leaders, faith groups and others in their community who want to see climate action.
These aren’t just policy wonks or political science majors doing this work; these are Americans from all walks of life, and they’re mobilizing. The first week after the election, attendance on CCL’s weekly introductory call tripled from its normal range. This week, an incredible 900 people registered to listen and learn about CCL’s bipartisan approach.
Those numbers, along with the Years episode, show just how compelling this bipartisan work is. People are hungry for solutions and tired of divisive rhetoric. They want real conversations, informed by evidence and optimistic about the future. Check out the episode and see the success this approach is already having. Then find your local chapter and lend your voice to the chorus. Together, we can continue to encourage Republican officials to be the climate champions we need.
Flannery Keck edits the blog for Citizens’ Climate Lobby and lives in Atlanta.
