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Climate conversations: how do we know if they make a difference?

Conversations about climate may be an important part of the advocacy toolkit. Larger US has recruited a cohort to be trained on these conversations. The trainees, after being trained, feel significantly better able to have climate conversations. However, evaluating the impacts of the trainees having conversations outside of the training program is difficult. The goal is to understand if the conversations affect the beliefs of people in the conversations, as well as the broader impact on society.

Messy Conversations: How to Talk to Kids about Climate Change, with Mary Annaïse Heglar

How should we talk to kids about climate change? The world is beautiful, but the world is changing—and you can play a part in the change. Mary Annaïse Heglar's first book is out today, and it's a children's book about climate change. It's the first of three climate books Mary has coming out in the near future (the other two are a novel, called Troubled Waters, and an essay collection of Black writers on climate). She has been busy writing up a storm since we wrapped up Hot Take (and we've roped her into editing stories for Drilled, too).

Poll: Republican EV Owner in New Primary Season Ad Speaks to Bipartisan EV Ownership

Republican EV drivers outnumber Democratic EV drivers in many states, based on voter file data and vehicle records. In nine of the 31 states and DC that register voters by party, for example, more Republican voters are linked to records of electric vehicles – including insurance and repair records – than Democrats. Republicans, independents and third-party voters associated with electric vehicles also exceed Democrats in 24 of those states. There is a mix of market factors, such as consumer awareness, infrastructure, incentives and availability, that drive sales.

Just Infrastructure

This website is a celebration of Just Infrastructure projects taking root as federal water dollars flow. It is also a storytelling resource for those pushing for equitable spending and future funding. For example, from urban greening in New Orleans and Chicago to drought preparedness in the San Joaquin Valley and the Navajo Nation, federal funding and local organizing are laying the groundwork for a just and resilient water future. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act together include more than $60 billion for water projects.

Behind the scenes of Sunrise’s volunteer-led phone bank program

In the spring of 2020, Sunrise Movement had a goal of making 300,000 phonebank calls on six congressional primary races. Sunrise decided to create volunteer teams to manage other volunteers, liaise with campaigns, set goals, and develop strategy. The volunteer leaders of these teams took on a level of responsibility and autonomy typically reserved for staff. The team members took responsibility for setting goals, creating strategy and tactics, liaising with campaigns, and managing the work of thousands of other volunteers.

Reflections: What Went Wrong with the Sunrise Movement

The Sunrise Movement has had successes but also experienced internal difficulties. This article, a personal reflection on Sunrise experience, argues that the energy and mobilization of the 2018-2020 years that led to a surge of youth joining the Sunrise Movement won’t be possible in the next four years unless a new organizational strategy is built in the youth climate left. This author organized with a local Sunrise “hub” and then joined national leadership teams. However, Sunrise internal politics were based on who you knew.

One year later: The Inflation Reduction Act and climate progress

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is widely regarded as the most significant climate legislation passed by Congress. One year after it was signed into law, the Brookings Initiative on Climate Research and Action (BICRA) hosted a public event to assess its impact and progress towards its objectives of spurring investment in clean energy to reduce carbon emissions. John Podesta, senior White House advisor for clean energy innovation and implementation, engaged in a conversation with Brookings Nonresident Senior Fellow David Victor about the impact of the IRA on U.S.

Poll: State of The Rockies

The latest “State of the Rockies” poll finds that Western voters across party lines rate conservation issues as an important factor in their vote this year. For the first time in the poll’s history, the majority of Republicans say that conservation should be prioritized over maximizing fossil fuel production. 90% of voters in Western States support requiring oil and gas companies, rather than federal and state governments, to pay for all of the clean-up and land restoration costs after drilling is finished.

Poll: Here’s How To Get Republicans Behind Electric Vehicles

Cultural attitudes drive the partisan split on electric vehicles, as Democrats and Republicans disagree more about whether electric vehicles are for “people like them” than on any of the specific benefits or downsides of EVs. In this new survey of Americans with household incomes of $50,000 or more (intended to approximate the market for new cars in the U.S.), Democrats and Republicans have very similar answers when asked to name their two greatest concerns about owning an electric vehicle.