A group of advocates from the Bangor chapter of Citizens’ Climate Lobby will participate in a nationwide virtual lobbying push for climate legislation. The lobby meetings aim to build more support in Congress for a price on carbon emissions, which experts say is a crucial policy to fight climate change.
Beginning March 22, CCL volunteers across the country will hold more than 400 virtual meetings with both U.S. House and Senate offices. Volunteers from the Bangor area plan to meet with Susan Collins and Jared Golden.
“This year there’s a lot of momentum for climate action, and there is broad support for putting a price on carbon emissions,” said Seth Braun, a local CCL volunteer participating in the lobbying. Braun, 27, is an electrical engineer working in Orono who has lived in Bangor since 2016. “I’ve been excited to see business groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce talking more about the need to reduce emissions, as well as more of our elected officials.”
So far in 2021, people like Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, Republican Senator Mitt Romney, and Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse all have spoken up about the need for carbon pricing.
Including Braun, seven volunteers from the Greater Bangor area plan to participate in the virtual lobby meetings.
This lobbying push comes just days after high-ranking Democratic Senator Dick Durbin introduced a carbon pricing bill of his own. Several of his Senate colleagues (Sens. Whitehouse, Schatz, Coons, and Feinstein) all backed carbon pricing bills in the 116th Congress and are expected to do so again.
CONTACT: Seth Braun, asethbraun@gmail.com or 919-896-9098.
Citizens’ Climate Lobby is a national nonprofit organization with local chapters across the country. To learn more about our work, visit citizensclimatelobby.org.