Citizens’ Climate Lobby: Local & Bipartisan Efforts

Members of the Fergus Falls Chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby (from left) Dee Johnson, Peggy Underwood, Betsy Wells, Beth Monke, and Janell Mierisch helped during a recycling audit.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) is a grassroots lobbying organization focused on climate policy at the state and federal levels. Beth Monke started the Fergus Falls chapter in 2017. I recently talked with Beth and chapter co-leader Colleen O’Brien about CCL, including their climate work in terms of national policy and local community involvement.  

What is Citizens’ Climate Lobby? 

Founded in 2007 in California, the organization has grown to more than 530 active chapters worldwide, including 14 in Minnesota. Each chapter shares five areas of emphasis:  

• Lobbying: Advocating for a piece of legislation through guided contact with legislators.  
• Media: Writing letters to the editor to increase community understanding of climate change. 
• Grassroots: Building a new chapter and getting community members involved. 
• Grasstops: Working with influencers in communities.  
• Outreach: Sponsoring educational events such as speakers and films and being present in community activities. 

The Fergus Falls chapter creates a space for people who are passionate about climate issues to meet and partner with other organizations on local activities. Meeting the first Monday of each week at the Fergus Falls Library, Beth and Colleen encourage people interested in joining the chapter to visit the website.  

“This local chapter is the place to connect with other like-minded people,” said Colleen. “[People] who care about the environment and are doing what they can to move the needle.”  

Bipartisan Support 

CCL encourages collaboration between political parties, working towards a more robust, long-standing policy. For example, energy policy changes with the political swings, going right to left and vice versa. Bipartisan legislation helps that policy be steadier.  While climate policy may lean left, CCL has a high priority of supporting legislation that is bipartisan. More diverse thought in meetings also breeds innovative ideas.  

“I can appreciate having conversations with other people who maybe don’t see the world the same in all ways,” said Colleen. “But we care about having this Earth be available for our future and generations to come.” 

Local Efforts 

Typically, CCL operates on a federal level, but as the organization has grown, chapters have begun to support state legislation. On a federal level, CCL has supported initiatives like the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which offers significant incentives for transitioning to clean energy. While not bipartisan, the IRA is the most extensive climate legislation ever enacted.  

Other efforts include support of a carbon fee and dividend, urban reforestation efforts, increasing building electrification throughout the country, and permitting reform to speed up the process of getting wind and solar projects approved. 

Get Involved! 

Throughout the week of April 20-27, the Fergus Falls chapter is sponsoring multiple events, including a week-long Trash Dash, a talk from a popular children’s author Douglas Wood, and a seminar about getting started with native plantings. The week culminates on April 27 with an event at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center. Learn more about all of the events happening that week.  

Citizens’ Climate Lobby offers a place for people concerned with climate change to come together. There, they can connect and talk through the climate issues that impact them the most. Beth and Colleen start each meeting by celebrating wins. Focusing on the positive and staying pointed forward are great strategies for collaborative change-making. 

“It’s a matter of continuing to take small steps and keeping your eye on what is going well,” Beth said. “That’s the only way change ever happens.”