March 2023 - Chesapeake Climate Action Network

Summer Maryland Campaign Fellowship

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network seeks a paid Campaign Fellow to assist the Maryland Director with research, policy development, and outreach.

About the Position

The Maryland Campaign Fellowship is a terrific opportunity to build your organizing and power building skills. The ideal candidate will see opportunities to build relationships, inspire mobilization, and urge faster and more equitable change to address the climate crisis. They are energized by empowering others and are looking to put their creativity to work. The position is paid and will be supervised by the Maryland Director.

About Us

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is a mission driven non-profit dedicated to making a better world by addressing the climate crisis and systemic inequities in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. For 20 years we have run winning campaigns that have transformed our region. We have banned fracking in Maryland, passed the strongest clean energy legislation in the American South, created the first in the nation Building Energy Performance Standards in DC, and helped pass the national Inflation Reduction Act. Every year, our work brings us closer to the day when our needs are met without fossil fuels poisoning people or the planet in the process.

Right now in Maryland, we are working on bold campaigns to help our state meet our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals of 60% by 2031 and 100% by 2045. For over a decade, we have been pushing the envelope of what’s “politically possible” in Maryland, using every tool inside and outside of the box – from organizing to lobbying to bringing lawsuits.We are working to build more offshore wind, to electrify everything, shut down fossil fuels, and more.

What You Will Do

The primary responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to:

Climate Change Issue Education
- Research aspects of climate and energy policy to better inform advocacy
- Speak at public forums or college campuses on climate issues, including upcoming policy priorities and fossil fuel infrastructure fights
- Attend/assist in organizing key campaign mobilizations, such as rallies, hearings or other events

Content Creation & Written Advocacy Work
- Author Letters to the Editor regarding climate issues and priority campaigns to raise community awareness and promote action.
- Contribute to CCAN’s blog and social media platforms to encourage an engaged and active Maryland supporter base.
- Produce science-focused, accessible presentations on Maryland climate issues that can be used in public presentations and digital organizing.

Grassroots Community-Building
- Participate in community canvassing, including in-person canvassing (when allowable), phonebanking, texting, and virtual events such as online town halls.
- Gather comments from frontline communities.
- Strengthen grassroots efforts in Maryland to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized communities that are under threat from fossil fuel expansion and the threats of climate change

Qualifications

Qualified candidates will display the following capabilities and qualities:

Passion to learn more about climate policy; familiarity with climate issues is a plus.
Commitment to environmental justice and amplifying the voices of those being victimized by extreme extraction and the effects of climate change including Indigenous Americans, Black and Latino communities, low and moderate income communities, rural communities, and struggling farm families.
Strong dedication to justice, equity, and inclusion
Ability to work with social media and digital tools to convey complex ideas in accessible ways
Ability to work independently while working effectively with a team and seeking feedback and support when needed.
Strong time management skills.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Proven ability to multitask, while prioritizing measurable results

The Details

This position is based in CCAN’s Takoma Park office. Our staff works on a hybrid schedule, working in the office two days per week and from home three days. There will be occasional opportunities to work throughout the state. Mileage reimbursement is available for all CCAN-required travel except travel to and from the office (commute). The Maryland Fellow reports to the Maryland Director.

Compensation is $16.10 per hour for 20 hours per week during the summer over a period of 12 weeks. Exact schedule will be determined based on the intern’s availability.

How to Apply

Please fill out the Google form application linked here to apply. We will continue reviewing applications until the position is filled but preference for interviews will be given to candidates who apply before April 5th 2023. You will be prompted to answer a series of short questions and asked to submit a resume and writing sample. Please contact riley@chesapeakeclimate.org with any questions.

CCAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

CCAN on the Road: Spreading the Word about the Inflation Reduction Act

ARCHIVED PAGE. For more on Inflation Reduction Act, see updated page here.

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On an unseasonably warm and sunny winter day, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Solar United Neighbors visited the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to deep dive into the details about the Inflation Reduction Act. Our goal was to help folks realize the potential benefits of this bill and how it could personally impact their lives.

However, if you would have told me this day would come in July of last year, I might not have believed you. You see, CCAN started advocating for this bill in the early summer of 2021 when it was still called the American Jobs Plan. And we didn’t stop fighting for it as it underwent its many name changes and compromises to bend and evolve until a certain West Virginian Senator decided it was palatable. It was a disheartening time, being strung along for almost two years, trying every possible action we could imagine. But we never gave up. We agreed that no matter what happened, we wanted to be able to say “We left it all on the field.” Even when a lot of other organizations were sure there was no hope, we worked hard to keep the faith alive.

Shortly after celebrating the passage of this bill, we started to brainstorm ways that we could distill the massive amount of information contained within the IRA without overwhelming people. We know this federal investment is amazing, but unless folks are educated in how to tap into these programs they won’t be able to reap the benefits!

Bringing the Roadshow to Martinsburg

The desire to connect individuals and communities to these programs led to the birth of the Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow. Our first event held at the Martinsburg Public Library had a cross section of attendees, including engaged citizens, small business owners and impassioned advocates. Folks snacked on delicious food, chatted with one another and participated in a dynamic discussion and question-and-answer session after the presentation.

Later, we held a similar presentation online—you can watch it at this link. But read on for a summary of a few key takeaways:

Benefits for you: Making it easy to go electric!

The clearest way the IRA will help individual households is by providing funding to go electric, by switching your household heating and cooking systems to electric, retrofitting for efficiency, switching to electric cars, and even going solar.

Household electrification

Many homes run on gas for heating and cooking purposes. The IRA helps you switch to electric with direct and indirect financial assistance. Here are a few examples—but watch the webinar to learn more, or check out Rewiring America’s handy IRA benefit calculator.

Switching to an electric/induction stove: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $840
Heat pump water heater: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $1,750
Weatherization: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $1,600
Electrical panel: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $4,000. On top of this, rule 25C provides a 30 percent tax credit for an electrical panel upgrade capped at $600 per year when combined with another upgrade covered by 25C (like a heat pump or water heater)

Electric vehicles

Tax credits up to $7,500 for new electric cars will continue indefinitely
Tax credits of up to $4,000 for used electric cars

Go Green

Putting solar panels on your home has never been easier! The bill extends a 30% residential solar tax credit for 10 years
Standalone residential battery storage now qualifies for this 30% tax credit too

Benefits for the climate

The IRA turbocharges the clean energy industry in many ways, like by allowing nonprofits, public schools, faith-based organizations, local governments, tribal governments, rural electric co-ops, to receive 30% off new solar panels through direct payment. All told, the policy will cut annual emissions in 2030 by an additional one billion metric tons!

Benefits for the economy

Jobs, jobs, jobs: this policy results in JOBS. By boosting funding for major programs, the IRA will add:

Five million jobs in the clean energy sector
Nearly 380,000 jobs in agriculture to support farmers using regenerative practices
More than 50,000 jobs to help coastal communities protect themselves from sea level rise and storms
More than 100,00 jobs to restore our forests
More than 20,000 new jobs in the National Parks program

And much, much more! Watch the whole presentation here:

The evolution of this legislation was long and storied, with many changes as the bill progressed through Congress. The IRA Roadshow gave an opportunity for West Virginians to receive the most up-to-date and relevant information for their families and communities. But we’re here to provide human connection to legislation that happens in what sometimes seems like the faraway land of Washington, DC. By joining forces with SUN we were able to provide information and field questions that highlight the benefits of sensible, people-driven policy and how it can impact West Virginians and the nation as a whole in meaningful and sustainable ways.

Our inaugural event in Berkeley County was a success and we are looking forward to future Roadshows across West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and DC.

If you, your organization or municipality would like to host an event like this, please don’t hesitate to contact our West Virginia organizer, Holly Bradley (holly@chesapeakeclimate.org) or our federal policy director, Quentin Scott (quentin@chesapeakeclimate.org).

CCAN launches NoVA New Leaf: our first Northern Virginia action team full of ambition

CCAN launches NoVA New Leaf

Our first Northern Virginia action team full of ambition

We’re proud to announce the launch of NoVA New Leaf! NoVA New Leaf is a CCAN Action Member team that organizes for sustainable and equitable solutions for Northern Virginia. We aim to end fossil fuel dependency and improve resilience to climate impacts through education, collaboration, mobilization, and legislation.

NoVA New Leaf’s Policy Researcher, Bob Tolf, and CCAN Board Member, Natalie Pien, advocating for climate action at the Virginia Conservation Network’s Conservation Lobby Day.

NoVA New Leaf is one of the few groups where its leaders will ask you, “What do YOU want to do?” We’re looking for passionate environmental advocates of ANY background and experience levels to join us and help make Northern Virginia a leading force on climate action.

As a local chapter, we use a theory of organizing to focus on the BEST ways of taking action in our backyards. We train grassroots leaders to mobilize their communities. CCAN has had other iterations of local chapters throughout the state, but this time, NoVA New Leaf is supported by leadership development through an inclusive membership program. Now, we are choosing campaigns that are winnable, necessary, and support our shared mission.

Are you a Virginia/D.C. resident looking for ways to get involved in your community? A student looking for experience in organizing campaigns? A retiree interested in policy analytics? A neighbor who loves throwing parties and events in your neighborhood?

NoVA New Leaf meets every second Sunday of the month to discuss new and ongoing initiatives. This year looks like it will be our busiest year yet, so we are looking to grow our membership. Simply fill out this form to become a member today!

The Origin Story

Members sat around a table and decided on what to do as a group.

In a cozy house on a chilly Sunday afternoon, several CCAN volunteers gathered in Northern Virginia—all different backgrounds of experiences, ages, and walks of life brought together by a deep-seated necessity for change. There was food and discussions about what Northern Virginia needed for a more resilient, equitable, and sustainable future.

After the meeting, the newly formed NoVA New Leaf team engaged in a house tour, including a showcase of an induction stove and electric heating system to raise awareness of cleaner home energy sources.

Ever since then, NoVA New Leaf has had meetings all across Northern Virginia, engaged in state-level politics, and worked together with other climate activist groups to make a change.

CCAN volunteers brainstorming new ideas on how to ensure a sustainable and equitable future

CCANers canvassing neighborhoods and small businesses

CCANers demonstrating to support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative

CCAN organizer Ting Waymouth protests the Mountain Valley Pipeline

An Interview with Ting Waymouth, Internal Organizer!

We asked Ting Waymouth, NoVA New Leaf’s newly appointed Internal Organizer, on how she found her way onto the team.

“I first joined CCAN in the late spring of 2021, shortly after I had moved to Virginia from New York. I was searching both for community and for the opportunity to take action towards helping advance climate solutions, locally and/or beyond.”

Building a strong, active community of leaders is a necessary component of having resiliency in the face of an ongoing climate crisis.

“Not only were there opportunities to go to rallies and engage in actions (such as canvassing, tabling, a neighborhood chalk-the-walk event), but I was also invited—in fact, welcomed and encouraged—to bring my own ideas to the table.”

Ting was excited to be welcomed to all the planning meetings and felt motivated by the encouraging community—an experience that she has not often had.

“I didn’t end up sticking with [other climate action-related groups] because it felt difficult to be included in their projects. While [other groups were] friendly, I found myself listening in on hour-long phone calls to people dropping names I was unfamiliar with, without feeling like I could contribute much of anything, and ultimately that did not feel like a good use of my time.”

Unfortunately, this is an all-too-familiar experience for eager advocates looking to dive into climate action work and directly engage with their communities. Fortunately for Ting, she found NoVA New Leaf right on time.

“As someone who is still relatively new to the area and to climate work, I am excited to continue to build deeper connections with other people who also want to work towards climate justice and cleaner energy in Virginia.”

Not Yet Convinced? See Our Work!

In just half a year, NoVA New Leaf has accomplished many feats and is very active! See what we’ve accomplished so far:

AUG 2022: Rallied at the VA Department of Environmental Quality to support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) AND canvassed at local businesses in Alexandria to generate support for RGGI.

SEPT 2022: Canvassed residents in Arlandria to gather signatures for RGGI petition to the governor.

OCT 2022: Collaborated with CASA to canvass several Spanish-speaking neighborhoods in support of RGGI and tabled at the Alexandria Farmers Market.

DEC 2022: Hosted a solar & energy justice happy hour to collaborate with dozens of environmental activists with several groups working for our common goals AND gathered signatures for Christmas “Thank You!” cards in a Fairfax neighborhood to support Virginia Senator Chap Petersen’s environmental work with clean cars.

JAN 2023: Participated in Conservation Lobby Day, met with state legislators in support of the Affordable Energy Act, RGGI, and with accelerating Virginia’s transition to electric vehicles/clean cars, AND worked with Fairfax County Park Authority to help increase funding for our state parks!

FEB 2023: Adopted our first two campaigns—(1) No Pipelines and (2) Improving Fairfax Parks; finalized our group’s mission statement/branding while brainstorming future projects; AND participated in CCAN’s Polar Plunge!

US Fish & Wildlife Reissues Controversial Permit for Struggling Mountain Valley Pipeline – CCAN Objects

The MVP still lacks several permits necessary to finish the project. CCAN joins groups in seeking to block construction until ALL challenges are resolved.

RICHMOND, VA. Yesterday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) reissued a Biological Opinion detailing the expected and potential impacts on wildlife from the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). The previously issued Biological Opinion was vacated by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit last year, concluding that the MVP’s environmental assessment did not adequately protect endangered species like the Roanoke logperch and the candy darter. In yesterday’s announcement, USFWS said that MVP has addressed those concerns and therefore reissued the document, removing one of several permitting barriers that must be resolved before the project can be completed.

However, USFWS noted that petitioners in Fourth Circuit litigation had submitted “voluminous materials” to the Service as they were in the process of finalizing this Opinion and those materials were not addressed. USFWS said that the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and other agencies will need to assess whether those materials contain new information that might prevent them from relying on this Opinion to meet their obligations.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a 303-mile fracked gas pipeline running through West Virginia and western Virginia, majority-owned by Equitrans Midstream Corporation. If completed, it would account for the carbon equivalent of 26 new coal-fired power plants annually. The MVP is still waiting on verdicts from both the DC and the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals and requires a Clean Water Act 404 from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In addition, the MVP is seeking a renewed permit to cross the cherished Jefferson National Forest after two prior issuances were struck down by courts.

Chesapeake Climate Action Network and other environmental groups are objecting to the new permit and seeking to block any construction until all permits are acquired and unchallenged.

Statement from Elle De La Cancela, CCAN’s Central Virginia Campaign Coordinator:

“The Mountain Valley Pipeline still has much to answer for and a long way to go until the project is completed. The company’s exorbitant track record of vacated permits and water quality violations should signal that the MVP is incapable of abiding by the law. Coupled with our national and necessary shift to clean energy, I’m questioning — and I imagine investors are, too — how much money the MVP is willing to waste for a project that is billions of dollars over budget and totally out of step with national climate goals.”

In documents submitted to regulators, Equitrans expressed trepidation on a firm completion date. The company said that they were uncertain of returning the expected returns to joint partners. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is currently several years over timeline and $6 billion over budget.

Contact:
Elle De La Cancela, Central VA Campaign Coordinator, elle@chesapeakeclimate.org, 804-723-0441

KC Chartrand, Communications Director, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-620-7144

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Month: March 2023