MPCCL Minutes
February 18, 2021 – Zoom Meeting
Present: Marie and Pete Koper, Tom and Gisela Moffit, Ann Kowaleski, Eric Torgerson, Don Smith, Cil and John Lorand, Gary Kramer, Fred and Dawn Sprague, Matt Mertz, Bob Lindahl, Robert and Gabe Fanning, Jacqui Pridgeon, Pam Burke.
I. Update on our Chapter Action Plan for 2021 to enact a fee on carbon co-ordinating our 5 Levers.
1. Chapter Development Lever: Grow your Chapter
POINT PERSON: Dawn
Dawn, Ann and Eric will continue to contact people to update our data base. Deletion requests need to be sent to Gisela.
2. Grasstops Lever: Engage prominent business and community leaders
POINT PERSON: Emily
Gabe Fanning prepared a petition to include Climate change in the curricula of Mt. Pleasant High School. He will submit it to HS students and teachers to sign. Subsequently he will present it to the School Board.
Marie has talked to Paul Siers (Rotary?) and the new President of the Chamber of Commerce, Doug Wallace, about collaboration.
POINT PERSON: Emily
Gabe Fanning prepared a petition to include Climate change in the curricula of Mt. Pleasant High School. He will submit it to HS students and teachers to sign. Subsequently he will present it to the School Board.
Marie has talked to Paul Siers (Rotary?) and the new President of the Chamber of Commerce, Doug Wallace, about collaboration.
3. Media Lever: Uplift voices calling for carbon pricing
POINT PERSON: Temp: Marie Koper with social media partner
Gary Kramer will scan The Morning Sun for Climate Change articles (specifically Energy Innovation Act) and send them to Pam Burke for dissemination, letters to the editor etc.
4. Lobbying Lever: Be strategic
POINT PERSON: Marie
5. Grassroots Lever: Prepare to Mobilize
POINT PERSON: Temp: Marie Koper
Gisela will be calling people to sign up for the Monthly Calling Campaign and invite them to recruit others to do the same. Our legislators, especially the newly elected ones, need to hear from us re. carbon pricing.
II. New Business
A. MPCCL Presentation for CMU’s Mary Ellen Brandell’s Volunteer Center: Engage is Central on Wednesday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. at …. Marie will share the panel with Theresa Turner (LVW) and Mt. Pleasant mayor, Will Joseph.
B. Prepare for new March Lobby Day, March 22 – 26
C. Prepare for Earth Day 2021 on April 22.
D. Share Dr. Katharine Hayhoe’s Christian and scientific presentation with churches.
Cil will contact Immanuel Lutheran.
III. Treasurer’s Report: $ 641.65.
IV. February Video Speaker–Diane Randall, General Secretary of Friends Committee on National Legislation, who leads their staff to educate and lobby for policies and legislative priorities established by FCNL’s General Committee. Diane has led FCNL’s program expansion, including adding lobbyists and new programs to engage grassroots citizens, young adults and more Quakers to lobby for peace, justice and a sustainable planet.
V. Other Actions
A. Watch CCL training webinars on whatever area of CCL interests you or public webinars like: https://carbontracker.org/nyt-netting-zero-webinar-making-2021-the-year-we-break-fossil-fuel-addiction/
B. Check out https://www.facebook.com/Mt.PleasantCitizensClimateLobby regularly to see articles like this that Marie posts: Federal Reserve joins international banking group focused on fighting climate change. You don’t need a Facebook account to check ours.
VI. Very useful information to learn from and share
A. Climate beliefs and behaviors crunched every which way: https://climatecommun ication.yale.edu/visualizations-data/ycom-us/
B. “The Impact of a Carbon Fee and Dividend Policy [specifically H.R. 763] on the Finances of U.S. Households,” calculated by income, age, etc. https://citizensclimatelobby.org/household-impact-study/
C. First report by a governmental committee, CFTC, on U.S. financial risks Managing Climate Risks in the U.S. Financial System
Next meeting: Thursday, March 18, 2021, 6:45 p.m. for update video: meeting: 7:00- 8:30 p.m. on Zoom
