View this whole update as a single page PDF here. 

🔔National and chapter updates

• September 18 Zoom call: Thank Stefi Weisburd for joining us to talk about electrification incentives! There is still time to take advantage of many incentives. View Stefi's presentation here and the full meeting recording here.

• PS. In case you missed it‒ the IRA had a positive impact on reducing carbon pollution, and CCL had a positive impact on reducing the harms caused by the budget bill rolling back these tax incentives. 

• CCL virtual conferences: CCL's Inclusion Conference is September 26-27 and virtual fall lobby week starts November 17.

• Fall lobby week starts on November 17: Sign up for lobbying by October 17.

• Watch the State Youth Climate Advocate Call: Full recap on the event page. Taos HS will be the hosts of the next summit in April 2026! 

✅Take action

• Call and write the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry to support the Fix Our Forests Act! Email Sen. Lujan and call him at 202-224-6621. 

• Identify a trusted messenger to lobby with us in November (and be sure to sign up yourself!).

• Participate in TWO upcoming reading/discussion groups:

  • 1. High Conflict discussion group organized by CCL national (9/19 through May 2025). Join the CCL discussion forum here.

  • 2. Reclaiming Our Democracy/transformational advocacy. Read in preparation for meetings with the author on 10/16 and 11/5 followed by 2025 planning at our 11/18 and 12/17 Zoom calls. Read Ch 1 here or claim a free copy of the book (5 copies available- contact: Sara Mason).

• Donate to Bill Barron's ride-a-thon Still going until Sep 26! Link 

📅Upcoming Events

• September 21, 12-3pm at SALA Los Alamos: Free film showing +tabling with LA Rotary Club and other community organizations

• September 26-27: CCL's Inclusion Conference

• October 16 5:30-6:30pm: Monthly Zoom call with special guest speaker Sam Daley-Harris

• November 5 6:30-7:30pm: Transformational Advocacy with Sam Daley-Harris

• November 18 5:30-6:30pm: Monthly Zoom call 

🤝Volunteer Opportunities

• Help table at SALA on 9/21 in Los Alamos (contact: Sara Mason)

• Send invitations and action alerts for FOFA and Oct/Nov events (contact: Sara Mason)

• Sign up for lobbying by October 17.

• Sign up to be an ENROADS Ambassador or an Electrification Coach!

• Many more volunteer roles are open! Read about more opportunities here. 

👏Shout-outs

• Thank you to the speakers and organizers for the State Youth Climate Advocate Call: Arianne, Cassandra, Christina, Daniel, David, Martha, Sarah, Tori, LAHS Eco Club, Taos Eco Club, CCL National Youth Action Team

• Thank you to Martha and Sharon for joining a state climate call to look for opportunities for partnership.

• We submitted at least 4 LTEs in support of FOFA and 2 public comments to the EPA!

Building on the success of the April Youth Climate Summit in Los Alamos, we hosted an exciting Zoom call open to all students, educators, and volunteers who want to support them in the state. Not only did we see amazing expert- and student-led presentations, we announced the host of the next summit in 2026. Want to see the event recording and learn more? Check out the event page!

Thursday 7/17/25, 5:30-6:30 pm MST via Zoom

Meeting recording and transcript

Attendees: Thank you to Carol, Daniel, Mars, Randy, Sara, Sarah, and Tom for joining us!

Reminder: Our core values include being nonpartisan and diverse. We’re a diverse group of individuals from all backgrounds, united by a shared goal: creating the political will for a livable world. No matter your political views or personal identity, if you’re committed to working together with respect, appreciation and gratitude, you’re welcome here.

Introductions and icebreaker: Volunteers shared something nice their family or friends would say about them. Answers included everything from being driven and dedicated to having a big heart!

Past month accomplishments: Members shared their excitement about being elected co-chair of a local party, the chapter's July 5 lobby training, and getting all 5 lobby day meetings scheduled for the upcoming DC trip!

DC updates and lobby day prep: The final lobby agenda includes an ask to fund key energy programs, permitting reform, and Fix Our Forests Act (FOFA). Here are one-pagers and trainings to get the full details.

• Training on Primary and Secondary Asks

• Primary asks

• Secondary asks

5 CCL NM members going to DC and all 5 lobby meetings reserved! There are also people calling in from back home. 

Media event and campaign for FOFA: On August 4 (6-7pm MST), there will be a virtual event to kick off a media effort to write LTEs to support FOFA in New Mexico. The event will teach attendees how to write an LTE, with time dedicated to start writing letters for FOFA. Emphasis will be on hitting newspapers across the state on a regular cadence. Co-organizers are still welcome, including to find media publications to respond to. Look for the official invitation soon!

Resources: NM media spreadsheet, FOFA training

More summer/fall opportunities:

• We will welcome a presentation from CCL Action Team O.I.L. to think more about how we can better engage NM's many small oil producers and reckon with our state's heavy budgetary reliance on fossil fuels. 

• Outside of CCL, but of interest: The Sierra Club Rio Grande chapter is partnering with 350 New Mexico to phone bank New Mexicans and help them access state, federal, and utility-based clean energy benefits such as tax incentives and utility-based rebates. You can sign up here to join them from Saturday, July 19 through Saturday, August 2.

• Flood relief for Ruidoso https://www.cfolc.org/

• Other upcoming events; * means volunteers needed

  • *July 27: NM Youth Zoom call planning meeting 2-3pm MST

  • August 4: FOFA media campaign kickoff via Zoom 6-7pm MST

  • August 21: Monthly Zoom call 5:30-6:30pm MST

  • *September 6: NM Youth Zoom call 10-11am MST

  • September 18: Monthly Zoom call 5:30-6:30pm MST

  • *September 21, 1-3pm: Film showing with LA Rotary Club at SALA Los Alamos

Thursday 5/1/5/25, 5:30-6:30 pm MST via Zoom

Bottom line up front: This meeting had an unusual number of opportunities to get involved in summer and fall advocacy work. Here is the summary…

• Help mobilize voters in red states to ask their Senators to protect clean energy tax credits in the ongoing budget reconciliation process (contact Sara if you are interested: mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

• Continue registering for the summer conference and lobby day (and ask your friends, especially in OK and ND, to do the same!).

• Contribute to a virtual event in July to overview the lobbying process and practice communicating effectively about climate policy (contact Sara if you are interested: mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

• Table for Citizens' Climate Lobby at the June 13 Los Alamos County Pride festival (contact Sarah if you are interested: sixthdoctorfangirl@yahoo.com). 

• Write, collect, or deliver (in district) constituent letters this summer asking our members of Congress to keep working on clean energy permitting reform (contact Sara if you are interested: mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

• Help organize, promote, and carry out a state-wide NM youth climate advocate Zoom call in September (contact Sara if you are interested: mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

• Help organize, promote, and carry out an Eco Expo in Los Alamos this September, working with our local Rotary Club and other partners in the region (contact Sara if you are interested: mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

Meeting recording and transcript

Attendees: Thank you to Abel, Dave, Gill, Martha, Mars, Michael, Sara, Sarah, and Tori for joining us!

Reminder: A reminder of our value of being nonpartisan and a recognition that we’re a diverse group of individuals from all backgrounds, united by a shared goal: creating the political will for a livable world. No matter your political views or personal identity, if you’re committed to working together with respect, appreciation and gratitude, you’re welcome here.

Icebreaker: What talent or potential do you have that is not yet fully realized? Answers included napping, playing the bongos, acting, playing the bass guitar, and even owning more cats!

Earth Day kudos: The Chapter Updates page shows some of the highlights from our AMAZING Earth Month. Both Sharon and Tori hosted their first ever CCL events. Martha, Liz, and Sara all organized Earth Day tables. Also, the Los Alamos High School's Youth Climate Summit was an amazing success. CCL members also shared participating in a protest and that the Trust for Public Lands added new acreage to the public lands they are protecting, just in time for Earth Month!

DC updates: 

• Clean energy tax credits are being discussed in budget markups coming out of the House. So far, they are not being outright repealed but it is a lot of changes we don't want to see (read more here). 

• The budget reconciliation process that would make these changes law still has months go to. There may be changes in the House still and nationally we must shift to mobilizing voters to contact their senators.

• ACTION OPPORTUNITY: CCL NM has volunteered to help chapters in red states mobilize constituents to contact their Senators! Email Sara if you want to help (mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

July conference and Lobby Day: 

• As of the time these minutes go out, early bird registration for the summer conference has ended but you can still register (and the student fee has not changed). 

  • Close to 400 people have already registered (over 100 for the first time) and 48 out of 50 states are represented. Do you know anyone in OK or ND? Those are the only 2 states missing!

• An email will go out to liaisons on 5/21 to set your appointments- please confirm. 

• We will do special prep during June and July to get ready for lobbying!

  • June Zoom call (6/19, 5:30-6:30pm): Carol will present on Fix our Forests Act and Michael and Mars will present on the Foreign Pollution Fee Act. We will also see presentations about profiles for our members of Congress.

  • Special virtual July event: We will host a special lobby prep meeting to overview how lobbying works and help us practice communicating effectively about our policies. All are welcome, even if you don't plan to join us to lobby on the Hill in July. ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Do you want to help organize or carry out this event? Email Sara (mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

  • July Zoom call (7/17, 5:30-6:30pm): We will review the remaining profiles for our members of Congress.

June tabling: Sarah is going to table for CCL at the Los Alamos County Pride Festival the afternoon of June 13. ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Email them if you would like to help (sixthdoctorfangirl@yahoo.com). 

Summer permitting reform outreach: Several folks are gathering constituent letters asking our members of Congress to continue working on clean energy permitting reform. ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Do you want to write, collect, or deliver letters for members of Congress? Email Sara (mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

September NM Youth Zoom call: Following the wildly successful NM Youth Climate Summit on April 25, we are organizing a state-wide NM youth Zoom call. ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Do you want to help organize, promote, or facilitate this event? Email Sara (mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

September Eco Expo co-sponsored with the Los Alamos Rotary Club: We are joining forces with the Los Alamos Rotary Club to organize an Eco Expo close to the vernal equinox (September 20). ACTION OPPORTUNITY: Do you want to help organize, promote, or facilitate this event? Email Sara (mason.saraann@gmail.com). 

Communication exercise: Many folks are wondering why it's important to keep working on climate advocacy at the federal level when things seem so challenging. Here are some things CCL NM members shared about what inspires them to keep working through the challenges:

• Clean energy permitting reform can still be accomplished during the current Congress. Making it infrastructure neutral will make it bipartisan and still benefit clean energy in practice. 

• Our work can provide insights and lessons learned for making process at the state and local level. 

• We need to keep our relationships strong with Members of Congress, partner organizations, and our chapter volunteers to be well positioned for whatever the future holds.

• Climate change won't stop happening during any particular administration, so we have to keep trying.

We were delighted to speak for the Rotary Club of Los Alamos about what we do and how we can collaborate on initiatives together! Read their recap (and watch a recording of the presentation) here.

Earth Day Month finished strong at the annual Pajarito Environmental Education Center (PEEC) Earth Day Celebration. We were excited to be there with the Los Alamos High School Eco Club selling their amazing hydroponic lettuces (read more about that and the rest of the festival here).

There is a lot more to come about this event, which took months of planning to bring together 32 students and 8 public school teachers/staff from 5 different New Mexican schools for 7 hours of community- and relationship-building and fun focused on how to empower students as climate leaders. 

The event was sponsored by the Los Alamos High School Eco Club and supported by 9 community volunteers representing Citizens' Climate Lobby, the Los Alamos County Council, the Los Alamos County Sustainability Program and Environmental Sustainability Board, Bee City Los Alamos and the Pajarito Environmental Education Center), and New Mexico State University's Master Gardener Program. 

It also featured 2 invited speakers: US Sen. Martin Heinrich's Northern NM Director, Rita O'Connell and NM State Sen. Leo Jaramillo, who ended the day by asking the students to reconnect in September for a state-wide Zoom call and to consider hosting the next instance of this summit in 2026.

While we gather more pictures, you can read this coverage in the Los Alamos Daily Post. 

We helped Bill Barron kick off his New Mexico tour with a social gathering at the Bosque Brewing Nob Hill Public House! Some Albuquerque CCL-ers got to meet in person for the first time, plus we made new friends!

RECORDING

Attendees: Thank you to Carol, Cathy, Dave, Lora, Omolola, Randy, Sara, and Sara for joining us!

Introductions: We had people call in from three states and all over New Mexico! Folks shared that they are looking forward to doing things like trail work and taking walks outside in the spring weather.

Openers: We have reviewed CCL’s core values and are looking for a new series of openers so send your ideas. This meeting’s opening question was: What is something you’ve done to take care of yourself recently?  Carol shared that she is trying to do more exercise, and Dave is enjoying trail work. 

Kudos and updates:

• We have a new intern helping us! Email her to thank her for inviting people to this meeting: Elizabeth Lawrence <elizabeth.lawrence@citizensclimatelobby.org> 

• Thank you to people who have been involved in planning Earth Day and Bill’s tour so far (more on that later in the meeting): Randy, Sharon, Charlotte, Elizabeth, Tori, Ben, Martha, Shannon, Eco Club

• Summer conference days have been finalized: July 20-22, 2025. (Arrive by July 19, leave as early as July 23. Tack on any extra activities before or after, because it won’t be possible during the conference. Reach out to Sara with any questions: mason.saraann@gmail.com.)

• DC Updates: 

  • The 3/14 budget extension DOES NOT affect the availability of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax credits. That is a question of the upcoming budget reconciliation process, so CCL is continuing to mobilize for this and we can keep spreading the word here in NM! Encourage your contacts in conservative states/districts to reach out to their representatives!

  • Conservative Lobby Day: 50 CCLers went to 47 Republican offices! A panel came out on March 8 discussing the results. Now, 13 Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee are a focus for continued mobilization.

  • A great watch on working with the 119th Congress from Danny Ricther: Slides, Video

Fix our Forests Act HR471 presentation from Carol! This was a great condensed version of the CCL training. Highlight for NM: this is supported by the National Congress of American Indians, a super important grassroots endorsement for our delegation. It has passed the House but we should try to understand our Representatives’ votes better to prepare to lobby in the Senate as 2 out of 3 voted against it. Members discussed the need to streamline (not eliminate) environmental reviews as well as historical NM opposition to even salvage logging (removal of mostly burnt trees); people are really reticent to thin forests for any reason.

Media outreach tools and resources presentation from Sarah! Their new spreadsheet makes it quick and easy to find the exact 

• Sarah’s amazing new resource for NM!! CCL LTE/Op Ed opportunities in NM

• Resources from CCL (national org)

  • CCL training (media relations)

  • LTE Topics (Google Doc) (...and many other media relations resources here)

  • Letter writing Zoom party (2nd Weds of the month, 6-7pm MST)

Earth Month We have an exciting month planned and there are tons of opportunities to volunteer!

• All our events summarized on a new public web page

• Volunteer opportunities:

  • Help us promote all events by emailing and texting CCL-ers (tell Sara if you want to help: mason.saraann@gmail.com) 

  • Help us promote all events by sharing within your communities

  • Present or facilitate virtual discussion

    • Climate Action from Your Couch: How to Make an Impact Without Leaving Home (Thursday, April 10,  6-7pm)

    • Five Levers of Political Will (FLOW) Workshop (Saturday, April 19, 10am-12pm)

  • Table at Earth Day festivals

    • Earth Day New Mexico Festival, Sunday, April 13, 10am-4pm, Balloon Fiesta Park, Albuquerque (email Sharon: ssivinski@gmail.com). 

    • Continental Trail Days Festival, Saturday, April 19, 9am-4pm, Gough Park, Silver City (email Martha: marthamdelrio@gmail.com) 

    • UNM Sustainability Expo, Thursday, April 24, time TBD but probably 10:30am-2:30pm in Albuquerque (text Liz: 713-398-3119)

    • PEEC Earth Day Festival, Saturday, April 26, 10am-2pm, Los Alamos (email Sara: mason.saraann@gmail.com) 

  • There is an all day event at the Los Alamos High School Eco Club where we can use a couple extra volunteers, and it will be a TON of fun (email Sara if you want to help: mason.saraann@gmail.com) 

  • Donate and promote summer conference fundraisers! (More coming soon via email.) 

Save the date: Next chapter meeting on April 17, 2025, 5:30-6:30pm (..plus all the other Earth Month stuff!) 

Meeting recording

Attendees: Thank you to Ben, Carol, David, Liz, Martha, Sarah, and Shannon for joining us!

Introduction: We broke the ice by comparing our number of cats, dogs, and horses!

Values: This week we talked about the value of personal power:

We use our voices to be heard in our democracy. This simple act transforms us from spectators to engaged citizens. We are volunteer-driven — trusting volunteers to make important decisions. Each of us is essential to solving climate change.

When did you feel the switch from spectator to engaged citizen?

• Carol: It was automatic when she ran into a friend doing a phone bank!

• Shannon: Has been involved in environmental groups since the 1980s, so probably the first sitdown with congressional staff.

Chapter updates: 

KUDOS to Elizabeth for inviting people to this meeting, and toSarah for doing social media outreach research (look forward to more in March!).

One quick climate action: Contact Congress about the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). They do it all (read more here) but are especially important for weather forecasting and natural disaster response. 

Write Congress here.

For extra credit, give your senators and representative a call: 

Senate:  Martin Heinrich (202) 224-5521, Ben Ray Lujan (202) 224-6621

House of Representatives: Melanie Stansbury (202) 225-6316, Gabe Vasquez (202) 225-2365, Teresa Leger Fernandez (202) 225-6190

Not sure which district you belong to? Find your representative in the House.

Start learning about the Fix Our Forests Act: HR471 https://community.citizensclimate.org/resources/item/19/571

We will learn more and discuss in a future meeting!

Defending the IRA and other DC updates

Some useful links: 

• Training: Data to Defend the IRA 

• Impacts of IRA funding in every state

• Where did  billions in climate and infrastructure funding go?

Even though our legislators all support the IRA, our state can still help raise awareness about the importance of these funds:

• Share a social media post about the benefits of the IRA or the impacts of IRA projects. You can THANK OUR MEMBERS OF CONGRESS for their continued support. We can always encourage them to keep ‘flexing their muscle’ as an equal branch of government.

• Seeking volunteers- let us know if you’re interested! Collect grasstops endorsements from orgs/businesses who have received IRA funding 

• Seeking volunteers- let us know if you’re interested! Make a clearinghouse of municipal and county resources related to home electrification and efficiency. For example: Los Alamos County DPU event and resources.

Other DC updates:

• Sen. Heinrich is cosponsoring a resolution to challenge an executive order declaring an energy emergency. This will likely be voted on next week and has questionable prospects for a national mobilization action, but is still good for New Mexicans to know about! (See a press release from Sen. Kaine here.

• Members are concerned about the budget process. The next deadline is March 14. There could be urgent CCL mobiliation actions (and we can call/text/email people in our chapter to get the word out!).

Earth Day and RD tour planning 

FILL OUT THIS FORM to indicate your interest and potential availability for these Earth Day events. We'll only choose the events we have resources for! Possible events:

Santa Fe County Earth Day Festival (Probably 4/19 or 4/26 from 9am-12pm)

Earth Day NM Festival (Balloon Fiesta Park) (Sunday 4/13 from 8am-4pm)

UNM Sustainability Expo (Probably the week of 4/21 on a weekday)*

Pajarito Environmental Education Center Earth Day Festival (4/26 from 10am-2pm)*

Gila Earth Day Festival (Silver City) (Probably 4/19 or 4/26 from 10am-2pm)

State-wide Five Levers of Will workshop (VIRTUAL, scheduling flexible)*

State-wide "hour of action" (VIRTUAL, scheduling flexible)*

*One or more people have already committed to this!

Bill Barron tour events: Our regional director is visiting and we are planning some great events with him to round out the month. 

Wednesday, April 23: Fundraising/short film UNM (tentative)

Thursday, April 24: Morning and early PM activities in Santa Fe or Albuquerque (tentative-IDEAS AND HOSTS NEEDED)

Evening in Los Alamos (event is possible)

Friday, April 25-Saturday April 26: Activities in Los Alamos: Youth Climate Summit and PEEC Earth Day festival, then return to Santa Fe and/or Albuquerque. (Events in Santa Fe or Albuquerque may be possible- get in touch with us to plan!)

Save the date: Next chapter meeting on March 20, 2025, 5:30-6:30pm

It's never too early to begin thinking about CCL's summer conference and Lobby Day! If you missed our recent call to talk about the basics of lobbying in DC and how to fundraise...

• Check out the recording here

• Check out meeting slides here

• Use this workbook to help plan your trip

If you plan to join us and fundraise, we would like to advertise your fundraiser throughout our Earth Month events! Reach out to Sara as soon as possible (mason.saraann@gmail.com) to discuss how we can support you. We need your fundraiser information no later than March 9 to publicize you during Earth Month. 

Meeting recording

Meeting slides

Attendees: Thank you to Carol, Chad, David, Elizabeth, John, Lora, Michael, Sara, Sarah, Shannon, Silvia, and Stephan for joining us!

Introduction: We shared our favorite winter tradition, from going to stay at the beach to drinking hot cocoa (and of course skiing). 

Values: This week we talked about the value of integrity…

Our approach is thoughtful and thorough. We are prepared — we consult experts, use data, and solicit feedback before forming opinions or making decisions. We follow up when we are asked. We keep on going even when it’s hard. People know that they can count on us to be consistent and to do what we say we will do.

Chad and Carol talked about having challenging conversations in a respectful way that sticks to the facts!

Chapter updates: 

KUDOS: 

• Thank you to Carol and Shannon for texting and emailing people to invite them to this meeting!

• Thank you to Martha for a presentation at the UU Church of Silver City that resulted in new signups!

Clean energy projects: We are now working with Greenlight America to support some local clean energy projects that are pending permitting in NM (listen to a recent interview with the director of Greenlight America on the Volts podcast here!). Public demonstrations of support are needed to let the commissioners of each county know they have publicly buy-in to approve these permits. How you can help:

• Letters to the editor

• Text/email bank CCL-ers with us 

• If you’re a resident of these counties, sign letters of support and show up on the day of the vote!

Project #1: Diamond Tail Solar Project (Sandoval County)

• Basic info

• Email sign-ons: Residents

• Vote in Bernallilo (TBD but probably Jan 29) Event info

Project #2: Rancho Viejo Solar Project (Santa Fe, NM)

• Basic info and FAQ document

• Email sign-ons:

  • Residents

  • Health and Safety Workers

• Vote in Santa Fe (TBD but probably Feb 3) Event info

A quick action you can take: Write Congress to introduce yourself and let them know you look forward to working with them in 2025! You can let them know you’ve seen their hard work on the climate and appreciate it, too!

2025 Chapter Action Plan continued: 

• Goal: Everyone leaves the meetings with 1 action they want to take

• Some brainstorming from December…

What brings you joy? What are you interested in or motivated by?

Meeting new people, collaborating, building partnerships to align interests

Educating people and answering their Qs about climate change

Climate science and technology (learning and educating)

Getting letters of support/endorsements from leaders and orgs

Permitting reform

Relationships with tribes

Lobbying

The wilderness

What are you good at?

Organizing things and people                         Research

Meeting facilitating                                            Communicating with leaders 

Public speaking

What work needs doing?

Educational events

Looking for opportunities in our communities

5 levers (lobbying, grassroots, grasstops, media, group development)

• Key policy focus areas: permitting reform and building electrification and efficiency

• Four strategic objectives: Let's set some goals together for this year! Watch the recording for the full details about all of our ideas in these areas...

  • 1. Provide positive examples, tools, and resources for New Mexicans to grow as climate advocates.

  • 2. Strengthen engagement with community organizations and leaders.

  • 3. Recruit and integrate additional members.

  • 4. Empower additional members to assume leadership responsibilities.

• Bingo cards with prizes for new and experienced volunteers:

  • New members

  • Experienced volunteers

Save the date: Next chapter meeting on February 20, 2025, 5:30-6:30pm

Recording

Meeting slides

Attendees: Thank you for joining us, Carol, Cecily, Michael, Shannon, Sara, and Sarah!

Icebreaker: Your favorite winter tradition? Answers included “nothing”, drinking coffee by the tree, relocating to Florida for part of the year, and tamales!

Chapter updates: We talked about the outcome of our week of lobbying and text/email banking our chapter to ask people to call on Congress to include the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024 (EPRA) in the continuing resolution (read more here). While we are disappointed at the outcome with EPRA, we are very proud of the chapter's achievements that week. 

Check out the recordings for the fall conference here.

Making plans for 2025: We started a brainstorming activity to make some big bold plans for 2025! The result will be a chapter action plan for 2025 as well as bingo cards (for the chapter and individual members). We focused on three questions:

1. What brings you joy? (Aka what are you interested in or motivated by?)

2. What are you good at? (Or at least sort of okay at– don’t get caught up in wondering if you’re the right or perfect person. If you’re in this situation, maybe you are just the person we need…)

3. What work needs doing? This includes both the chapter wishlist but also what we talked about last month that we need to keep going as advocates. This includes things like community, impact, and education!

Check out the meeting slides and recording to see how we talked through these questions and how you might contribute. 

Get in touch with chapter leadership to share your contributions, and save the date for our next chapter meeting: January 16, 2025, 5:30-6:30pm MST. We’ll unveil our 2025 Chapter Action Plan and bingo cards! 

(Meeting was not recorded to allow for candid discussion about people's feelings.) 

Attendees: Chad, Elizabeth, Shannon, Ben, Carol, Jordyn, Lucinda, Martha, Paloma, Sarah, Sue, Taylor, Sara

Welcome: Name, pronouns (optional), city, and one thing that puts a smile on your face.

Quick announcements and chapter business: 

IMPORTANT DEADLINES FOR LOBBYING: 

• To lobby with us in December, sign up here by Saturday, November 23.

• Do you want or need to take Climate Advocate Training? The last live session is at the Fall Conference (Saturday 12/7, 9-10:30am MST) and additional registration is required via Zoom. 

Year end fundraisers are happening!! Help Bill Barron raise $20k for CCL by riding for 12 straight hours: Fundraiser here.

We also signed a thank you card for Novotna, an awesome CCL intern who has been inviting people to NM's monthly meetings for several months. 

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR NEXT TIME: Thursday, December 19, 5:30-6:30pm to recap from lobbying and make some plans for next year. 

Check-in after the election: 

Citizens' Climate Lobby is a nonpartisan organization where people of different perspectives are all welcome! However, some CCL members may be feeling discouraged after the election results. So we spent the rest of the time having an open discussion focused on two questions: 

1. How are you feeling after the election?

2. What do you need to keep going as a climate advocate if you are scared or discouraged by the election results?

We talked about the importance of continuing as climate advocates to protect our loved ones and our planet, and that community will be one of the most important things that keeps us going!

We also talked about these reminders from the national organization: 

• Part of our role in CCL is to bring attention to the importance of climate. That's because climate is not a priority for all voters, and it was not a major theme of either presidential campaign. That means that the results of this election should not be interpreted as a rejection of the policies we promote. 

• CCL works with whoever is in office (remember, one of the bills we're most excited about was co-authored by a Republican member of Congress)!

• The national org is preparing TONS of actions we'll be able to take in the coming months to defend our progress and keep making progress into the future. We will share these opportunities via email, text for important quick turnaround actions, and the chapter meetings. 

• Next meeting, we will have an interactive discussion about what people are interested in to make some plans for the upcoming year that we feel excited about. 

Lobby training: 

At 6:00pm, we hopped on the national call to learn about our legislative agenda for December lobbying. If you missed it, the recording will be posted at the event page soon! 

Written responses to the Los Alamos High School Eco Club's climate questions from Los Alamos County Council candidates are now available! Great job, everyone. 

Thursday, September 19 at 5:30 PM MST

Check out the recordings: Audio Video 

Thank you Allen, Greta, Carol, Liz, Shannon, Laurel, Bill, Michael, Sara, and Rev. Tina for joining us!

Welcome: Name, pronouns (optional), city, and what is your position on pumpkin spice. The group is actually not super against OR for pumpkin spice (but Bill and Laurel haven't tried it yet!!!). 

CCL mission/values: We talked about the value of diversity: We empower everyone in exercising their personal and political power regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, ability, or political affiliation. We continue to bring awareness of important issues to all our volunteers and foster a sense of belonging to our organization.

How are we putting this value to work in our lives and climate advocacy?

• Climate change affects every community and identity. And some of the most marginalized people will be affected the worst.

• With a problem this big, we can't leave anyone out! 

• Valuing diversity can help us work with people we may disagree with, and it can help keep us from making assumptions (just because this person is X, they will/won't support Y).

• This value means we can keep working on this issue no matter who gets elected in November.

Chapter updates:

FYI: Here is a blog of lobby day progress and dates for the December virtual lobbying!

Upcoming events

• There will be at least one more public letter-writing event in Los Alamos on October 11 (check the Community calendar or our public events page for more info or if new events get added).

• Environmental Voter Project is also offering MULTIPLE phone banking sessions every week (every Wednesday with CCL). 

• Riley (rsherman0011@gmail.com) invites other youth to join as leaders in a Mountain West Youth Org

• CCL Inclusion Conference starts TOMORROW 9/20-21 (register here)

• Sept. 29, 3-5 pm, UU Church in Los Alamos: Workshop on an intersectional approach to the climate crisis. Sign up here: https://forms.gle/UqELbLxNyEgBs5JP7 and reach out to Rev. Tina DeYoe with questions (revtina@uulosalamos.org). We will be following up with them after this event to see how we can continue to work together! See the flier at the end of these minutes (it is an image file that links to the signup sheet).

Share an action you took this month

• Voter outreach is going great and the chapter is poised to more than meet its goal of 1000 Vote Forward letters! Last month, Liz and Sara wrote Vote Forward letters in Albuquerque, Santa Fe, and Los Alamos. 

  • Liz's event in Albuquerque with Allen and Sue was Liz's first event and they got 100 letters written! 

  • 350 Santa Fe supported the event in Santa Fe, which Carol also attended (and brought her own stamps).

  • Many chapter members volunteered to provide more stamps so we can break 1000 letters!

• Sara worked with LAHS Eco Club to begin planning election season events

• Shannon hosted an event in Silver City and is planning another one with Martha and hosted a Sierra Club meeting

• Michael emailed MOCs about the Energy Permitting Reform Act! It only took 5 minutes to do because CCL makes it so easy!

Take an action this month: CCL's action this month is to keep talking about the Energy Permitting Reform Act. We shared the action alert and some resources, but also had frank discussion about some members' concerns.

Action alert: 

• Write Congress about the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024

  • For extra credit, follow up with a phone call! It only takes a few minutes and you can even leave a voicemail! 

Major points from the discussion: 

• Permitting reform is extremely complicated and hard to talk about, but it is going to be very important for New Mexico in particular because we have so much federal land. The Sun Zia project, which took 16 years and is still being sued, is a great example of why it is needed. Whether you like this bill or not, there is large agreement that the current situation needs to change. 

• Some CCL members, including the CCL Los Angeles chapter,  have concerns about provisions in this bill that could make it easier to produce more fossil fuels. It's painful to think of adding to fossil fuel production in any way!

• Symonds Public Affairs did an initial analysis when this bill first came up for a committee vote that indicated it would significantly increase emissions due to a liquified natural gas provision. This bill was cited by many environmental organizations (read more here), such as the Union of Concerned Scientists. Since then, more modeling has come out which indicates that the bill would actually decrease US carbon emissions by 10-25%.

• This bill is an important opportunity to think about compromise. We often have to lobby for bills that we don't agree with 100%. This is part of what CCL does-- we find compromise! 

• It's important that no one support any bills they don't agree with or take actions that go against their values! No matter what everyone thinks about this particular bill, we'll keep working together (including on permitting reform). We are going to check out some of these CCL resources listed below and keep the conversation going.

Resources: 

• Read or watch what the latest modeling says about the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024:

  • Flannery talked about this on the last Saturday call

  • Watch Dana's training, complete the training in CCL community, and/or read some of this post in the CCL forums 

  • Watch another recent training on frequently asked questions about this bill

  • A recording will soon be available to cover how to engage challenging conversations about this bill

Voter outreach

• Everyone in the meeting knows how to vote and has a plan to vote (yay!).

• We can participate in things like Vote Forward and the Environmental Voter Project to engage strangers, but we can also encourage the people in our lives to vote!

• Liz likes to encourage people by reminding them of the timeline to get registered (you have to do it 30 days in advance in Texas, where she's from, and people forget), and encouraging people to make a plan and not wait until the last minute (what if you're sick on Election Day)? 

• An exercise to think about for the people in your life: How can we talk about encouraging others to vote? Can you…

  • Explain why voting is important to you in an empowering and nonpartisan way (i.e., without referencing particular candidates, parties, policies, etc.)?

  • See what's on the ballot?

  • Tell someone how to check if they're registered to vote?

  • Help someone make a plan to either vote by mail or vote in person?

    • Hint: Vote.org is an excellent resource for those last 3 points! But the first one has to come from your heart. 

3 CCL NM volunteers gathered at the Bosque Brewery to finish another 100 letters, bringing the chapter total to 700!

Thursday, August 15 at 5:30 PM MST

Check out the recordings: Video Audio 

Thank you Carol, Owen, Bill, Laurel, Sarah, Michael, and Sara for joining us!

Welcome: Name, pronouns (optional), city, and the last really good vacation you took

CCL mission/values: Talk about one value.

We talked about the value of optimism: In the face of challenges, we choose optimism — that people are good, that democracy can work, that we can solve climate change, and that we are greater than our flaws. Optimism turns our concern about climate change into action, and it’s catching on — more and more people join us every day.

How are we putting this value to work in our lives?

• Owen: Just like in chess, there is always a next best move

• Michael: Inspired by developing countries’ moves to fight the climate crisis even when they are not responsible for it. Also, there is a chance right now to vote for the person you think will do the best job for the climate in the US!

• Carol: Take an action and keep going to stay optimistic. 

• Bill: Some good news from the Hill to be optimistic about: 18 House Republicans ask Johnson not to target IRA clean energy tax credits

• Laurel: A great quote from book club…

“Hope” is the thing with feathers

BY EMILY DICKINSON

“Hope” is the thing with feathers -

That perches in the soul -

And sings the tune without the words -

And never stops - at all -

Chapter updates:

Share an action you took this month

• Carol called members of Congress about PROVE IT Act and other bills

• Laurel had an electrification conversation

• Lots of mobilization around the Energy Permitting Reform Act

  • Michael emailed Heinrich and other community members encouraging them to do the same

  • Laurel and Sara contacted hundreds of New Mexicans

  • There are some new resources on this bill to keep learning…

    • Congress web page

    • New FAQ

    • In depth Q&A session with Dana Nuccitelli 

  • Chapter wishlist: “Permitting reform ambassador” 

• Sara, Liz, Charlotte, Owen participated in a letter-writing party at we.grow.eco. 80 letters finished and 40 envelopes addressed)

• Sara presented LGBTQ+ Basics for Climate Advocates for the Diversity and Inclusion Action Team

Take an action this month: It’s electrification month! CCL wants us to have 3000 electrification conversations.

• Watch the monthly call with Rewiring America

• Electrification AMA (view the recorded call)

• Do you have a home electrification story to share?

• New opportunity for students (and adults who want to support them): Perform original research to help create an electrification toolkit 

• NM State ECAM website Visit, and sign up for their newsletter to stay updated on awesome stuff like...

• NM State heat pump rebate program rolling out in September! Dates TBD but we will broadcast this widely.

• Rewiring America has a great savings calculator: you fill in your info and see which IRA tax credits and REBATES you will qualify for - including heat pumps, rooftop solar, EVs, heat pump water heaters and more

• Many actions we discussed focus on homeowners. Renters have some ways to save money by increasing the energy efficiency of their rental space. However, there is also an opportunity for people to ask for regulatory changes at the local level to influence landlords. 

Upcoming events

• Letter-writing events in all 3 cities with Vote Forward. Flyers available and full details are on our public events page

  • Friday, August 16, 4-6pm, at Bathtub Row in Los Alamos

  • September 5 at 6pm Bosque Brewing (Nob Hill location) in Albuquerque

  • TBD- One more in Santa Fe with our friends in Santa Fe 350 (let me know if you’re interested!)

• Environmental Voter Project is also offering MULTIPLE phone banking sessions every week (every Wednesday with CCL). 

• CCL Inclusion Conference 9/20-21 (register here)

Communication exercise: How can we make these sentences better when discussing electrification? 

1. We need to just ban gas appliances indoors. 

Instead of talking about bans, talk about electrification benefits like safety: “With fossil fueled appliances in our home, the air we breathe inside is often dirtier than the air outside. Electrifying helps ensure our homes are a safe haven, rather than a safety hazard.”

2. People need to electrify their entire homes. 

Don’t start with someone’s entire home: “With fossil fueled appliances in our home, the air we breathe inside is often dirtier than the air outside. Electrifying helps ensure our homes are a safe haven, rather than a safety hazard.”

3. We’ll never stop climate change without converting to electric vehicles. 

Don’t immediately jump to climate change. Let the conversation get there on its own!

Some good talking points:

• Safety: With fossil fueled appliances in our home, the air we breathe inside is often dirtier than the air outside. Electrifying helps ensure our homes are a safe haven, rather than a safety hazard.

• Performance: Outdated fossil fueled appliances use energy less efficiently, which drives up your energy usage — and your bills. When you electrify, your appliances will perform better and save you money in the long run.

• Affordability: A couple of years ago, Congress took a big step to make clean energy more accessible and affordable for everyday people. That big step was a piece of legislation called the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA included lots of financial incentives for clean energy home upgrades. Your wallet will thank you for electrifying your home. 

• More info: Call or text WorkMoney at 833-975-6639 and say you want money to weatherize and electrify your home. The folks at WorkMoney can suggest appliance upgrades and share what rebates and incentives are available to you.

Note: Please email Sara (mason.saraann@gmail.com) with any questions!

Attendees

Thank you Michael, Martha, Laurel, Chauncey, Mateo, and Cornell for joining us!

CCL mission/values

We talked about the value of focus: We are focused on solving climate change. We move Congress to pass big solutions that will ensure a healthy climate. We also work on complementary solutions that help us work together in our communities and foster a more collaborative environment in Congress.

July actions

Ask your Representative to cosponsor the PROVE IT Act: We lobbied on the PROVE IT Act in July, but it had only been introduced in the Senate. It is now introduced in the House, so please ask your Rep to co-sponsor it!

Contact info for our NM Representatives:

New Mexico Congressional District 1: Stansbury, Melanie

(202) 225-6316

https://stansbury.house.gov/contact 

New Mexico Congressional District 2: Vasquez, Gabe

(202) 225-2365

https://vasquez.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact 

New Mexico Congressional District 3: Leger Fernandez, Teresa

(202) 225-6190

https://fernandez.house.gov/contact 

Not sure which district you belong to? Find your representative in the House: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative 

Remind Congress the importance of permitting reform: We need to remind Congress that permitting reform is crucial to meeting our carbon emissions reduction goals. Contact your members of Congress about permitting reform though CCL's website.

Want to learn more about PROVE IT and permitting reform?

Training about PROVE IT (also see the communications exercise below)

CCL one-pager on PROVE IT (pdf)

Training about permitting reform

CCL one-pager about permitting reform (pdf)

Get out the vote

Get out the vote efforts are CRUCIAL between now and Nov. 5 (read more about why).

CCL New Mexico is hosting at least 3 letter-writing events with Vote Forward:

• Saturday, August 3, 1-3pm at WeGrowEco's paper making day in Santa Fe

• Friday, August 16, 4-6pm, at Bathtub Row in Los Alamos

• Thursday, September 5 at 6pm Marble Brewing in Albuquerque

Look for fliers and event invitations soon. Have questions? Want to host your own letter writing event? SARA WILL HELP! Email her at mason.saraann@gmail.com. 

Environmental Voter Project is also offering MULTIPLE phone banking sessions every week (every Wednesday with CCL). It is very easy to join and participate with 0 experience.

Los Alamos High Schol Eco Club and League of Women Voters are also working together to submit climate-related questions to local candidates to respond in writing in local media.

Chapter updates

Some actions our members took this month:

• Michael- Learning with Environmental Law Institute about recent environmental legal changes.

• Chauncey- Developing circular economy Development in Santa Fe. Makes handmade paper in WeGrowEco from things like old textiles (it's better to use natural fibers for these).

• Mateo- Went thrifting for used clothes. Also sent messages to MOCs in May!

• Martha and Laurel- Sorting out chapter onboarding procedures to reach out to new volunteers.

• Laurel- outreach to a local student who wrote a LTE.

• Sara- Building momentum for project with staff from Heinrich's office to recruit students to promote electrification.

Upcoming events

Sara presenting for CCL's Diversity Action Team on Monday, 7/21, 6pm MST: LGBTQ+ 101 for Climate Advocates

From our friends in 350 Santa Fe: "Common Ground" film screening on July 30 with talks by people interested in renewable agriculture (contact: Sophie Biderman, Skisophieski@gmail.com)

Save the Ugly Music Festival on August 16 at We Grow Eco

Communication exercise

Read these talking points about the PROVE IT Act and then see how much you can remember!

The PROVE IT Act:

• Was passed out of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee in January on a large bipartisan vote of 14-5. Phone calls from CCL volunteers helped make this happen. We expect a House companion bill to be introduced by Reps. John Curtis (R-UT-03) and Scott Peters (D-CA-50) in the coming weeks.

• Directs the Department of Energy to create a system for carbon intensity data collection and reporting from U.S. industry and certain other countries for specific manufactured goods including aluminum, cement, crude oil, fertilizer, iron, steel and plastic.

• Is not a carbon tax or carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM), but it’s necessary because other countries already have CBAMs. We need to be clear about our own data so we can negotiate effectively and accurately with trading partners as they set carbon tariffs.

• Is an important bipartisan step to protect American industry, drive down global carbon pollution and further the conversation on carbon pricing.  

• Is endorsed by many influential organizations including the Independent Petroleum Association of America, the United States Chamber of Commerce and the American Iron and Steel Institute.