Karen Jackson: You can find the civic courage needed to face climate change

Did you savor the benefits of the democracy we live in as you celebrated our United States 245th birthday on July 4 -- the day that the Declaration of Independence was signed?

Many Americans pulled out the red, white and blue in honor of the day, while 70% of us worried that our democracy is in decline.

We can debate the decline, but more interesting is the debate about how we can build and rebuild our democracy and specifically how we tackle the changing climate of our common home -- our beautiful blue dot.

Some of us believe we cannot make a difference — that our voices are not heard by our elected government representatives. I once believed that I was powerless but now, as an advocate for a healthy climate, I have seen that using my voice makes a difference.

First, I needed civic courage to give me confidence to engage. How did I grow my civic courage? I joined an organization that taught me how to regularly, respectfully, and with focus, engage with my members of Congress. That organization is Citizens’ Climate Lobby.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby empowered me with new skills, dissolving the myth of powerlessness and encouraged me to move out of my comfort zone – to a place connecting to the question, “What story do I want my life to tell?”

The answer came as I read the core values of CCL: maintaining optimism, honoring diversity and relationships, being nonpartisan, working with integrity, developing personal power and staying focused on the goal. With these values and a meaningful story of desiring to be a person remembered for “trying and doing,” I went on to be a volunteer.

The CCL website sates this: “Our solution to climate change? Democracy. And we need you on our team.”

Does this statement ring true; have CCL voices accomplished anything through the democratic process? Yes. In June the Growing Climate Solutions Act passed the Senate with a bipartisan 92 to 8 vote. This legislation recognizes that farmers (natural stewards of our earth) could play a major role in mitigating climate change. It will help farmers and forest landowners financially, while incentivizing them to make their operations more sustainable.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby has supported this legislation since its initial introduction. Our volunteers have brought it up in hundreds of lobby meetings in recent years, and they sent 4,532 messages about the bill to Senate offices in May alone.

So far in 2021, with the main focus of pricing carbon pollution, CCL members have had more than 4,730 media publications, had more than 1,700 congressional meetings and 70,354 contacts with legislators. There are now five carbon pricing bills under consideration. With a broad grassroots coalition, including 1500-plus endorsements from prominent individuals, businesses, faith groups, local governments and nonprofit organizations backing these policies, American voices have helped the future look more favorable than ever for an economy wide price on carbon.

Professor Jim Hansen of the Earth Institute, Columbia University, when asked what is the most important thing a citizen can do for our climate said this and I paraphrase: “Join Citizens’ Climate Lobby and advocate for a simple carbon fee.”

There are certainly other organizations that are effective in creating political will for a healthy climate, and for supporting the kind of civic courage that connects to what you want your life story to reveal. Find the organization that supports and may even help you create the story, and gives you the skills to step into your personal power.

Could the month of July be the time to surprise yourself with doing something that you never thought you could do for your community and your country? Maybe it just starts with a simple letter to your representative. CCL can teach you how to effectively do that: Write Congress.

In the near future, when you get a bit more civic courage you could be sitting in the office of your Member of Congress who says “yes” to being the next co-sponsor for your bill.

Let’s build and rebuild our democracy one (important) step at a time so our families can thrive in safe and healthy neighborhoods.

Karen Jackson, Midway, is a retired pediatric nurse practitioner and an advocate for a safe and healthy climate.