Catherine Garton is not only a microbiology, applied statistics and energy science & policy buff. She is also the founder of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL) chapter at the University of Michigan. The student group is part of a larger nonpartisan grassroots organization which aims to, “build the political will for a livable world”, by advocating for climate change solutions. Specifically, the lobby desires a solution in the form of a Carbon Fee and Dividend policy. Although Garton, a sophomore, founded the campus chapter recently, the umbrella organization has been active for over a decade and oversees 1300+ chapters internationally. This week, co-hosts, Logan and Heena talked with both Garton and Lena Swirczek, another CCL student activist who is also involved in U of M’s Sustainable Living Experience (a sustainability-focused community at Oxford Houses on campus).
Garton and Swirczek praise the CCL for its optimism, respect, and appreciation vis-à-vis climate change issues- they say that’s what made them fall in love. Ingrained with these principles, the two students participated in the CCL’s Congressional Action Day in Washington D.C. where they met with politicians on both sides of the isle; listening first, and advocating later. “We don’t have time to be rude to each other, we work with everyone”, Garton stated. This uninhibited disregard for political affiliation is distinctive of any CCL member you may run into on the streets of Ann Arbor.
Ultimately, the CCL took home a hefty trophy this election season: HR 7173. The bill is an act entitled, the Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act, and it was introduced by six cosponsors at the federal level this past November (3 Ds, 3 Rs which is about as bipartisan as it gets). If passed, the act would introduce a revenue-neutral price of of $15/ton of carbon dioxide-equivalent at the production level. That money would then be redistributed to households across America.
For more information on the zealous student chapter, visit https://maizepages.umich.edu/organization/um-ccl
You can also get involved locally by visiting http://annarborccl.org/
Or, an empowering first step to climate action may be to, as Swirczek urges, “Find out who your representatives are.”
For those in the back, keep it hot, keep it here.
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