Biden’s TPS extension falls short of protecting climate migrants

Biden’s TPS extension falls short of protecting climate migrants

Written by Nina Brown

Climate change could displace more than a billion people around the world by 2050. As global warming persists, CCAN has recently teamed up with other activist organizations to urge the White House to guarantee the United States as a safe haven for climate migrants to reconstruct their lives. Together, we sponsored a nationwide petition that received over 15,100 signatures nationwide in just a few days, urging the Biden Administration to redesignate temporary protected status (TPS) for El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal and Nicaragua and designate TPS for Pakistan. 

Climate change migration is commonly associated with the future submergence of coastal cities like New Orleans. However, the truth is, people are already being forced to abandon their homes due to climate change – factors such as landslides and the destructive consequences of drought on crop production are driving individuals to seek refuge elsewhere.  Honduras, El Salvador, and Nicaragua are all located in what has become known as the ‘Dry Corridor’, an area especially vulnerable to droughts.The intensification of droughts has resulted in crop failure, heightened food insecurity, and urgent migration in pursuit of improved opportunities. Similarly in Nepal, flash floods caused by the warming of the Himalayas have forced entire villages to migrate. These are some of the hardest hit nations by climate change and many people turned to the U.S. in hopes to rebuild their lives. 

What’s Being Done

TPS offers crucial safeguarding to climate change migrants by providing them with temporary legal status. Recognizing the need for urgent action, CCAN worked with other activist groups to mobilize support for redesignating TPS with a petition and rally led by CASA outside the White House. We thank our petition signers for affirming that these people must be protected from deportation, family separation and further environmental disasters. 

The Biden Administration seems to be listening! They just responded by extending TPS for certain immigrants from El Salvador, Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua—just a few of the countries disproportionately bearing the brunt of climate change-induced disasters despite contributing the least to global warming—to stay in the United States until 2025.  

What Needs to be Done

While this recent move will let 337,000 climate migrant families continue living in the U.S., it only applies to those who arrived in the U.S. by 2018, ignoring those who fled recent climate disasters.

Additionally, it did not extend TPS to the thousands of Pakistani migrants displaced by recent deadly floods that left a third of the country underwater and nearly half a million people displaced. These individuals fled to the U.S. in hopes of the chance to rebuild their lives and deserve protection from future climate disasters. In fact, a NASA study recently found that along with flooding, heatwaves will make parts of Pakistan soon uninhabitable. That’s why CCAN is still calling for further TPS designation for Pakistan.

What You Can Do

While the Biden Administration has taken a step forward by extending Temporary Protected Status for select immigrants from climate-affected nations, it is imperative to recognize that more action is required. As we approach a potentially unprecedented refugee crisis, it is crucial to safeguard all climate migrant families in the United States: sign our petition here to protect climate change migrants.

Sign the petition today!

Dominion Energy and Governor Youngkin unite behind corporate profit grab that would bankrupt Virginians and exacerbate climate change

Richmond, VA — Yesterday, Dominion Energy published its latest Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which outlines a series of methods to meet energy demand in its territory. Dominion recommends making unprecedented capital expenditures that it will pass on directly to customers. Included in the IRP is a push for small modular reactors (SMRs), a new nuclear reactor prototype that costs up to $10 billion each at a nameplate capacity of 300 megawatts of electricity and is currently operational only on one floating barge in Russia. A solar facility costs 3% as much per megawatt of nameplate capacity.

The IRP also imagines eliminating mandatory retirements of coal-fired power plants – a signature piece of Virginia’s plan to move to 100% clean energy – and expanding the use of gas-fired plants. Many case scenarios suggest Dominion abandon the clean energy goals outlined in the 2020 Virginia Clean Economy Act. All iterations of the IRP assume that Virginia will exit the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative by 2024, despite a lack of legal authority for Virginia to do so without the approval of the legislature.

The changes outlined in Dominion’s IRP would contribute directly to global warming and force Virginia to give up its position as a national leader on climate. Reckless capital expenditures on unproven energy technology and rolling back of climate progress are also key provisions of Governor Glenn Youngkin’s 2022 Energy Plan. He issued a laudatory press release late Monday night, raising the specter of a dangerous new alliance between Dominion and the Governor, who sparred over utility regulation this past legislation session.

Victoria Higgins, the Virginia Director for CCAN, stated:  

“We should recognize this unholy union between multi-millionaire Governor Youngkin and Dominion for what it is: a corporate profit grab that would bankrupt Virginians and exacerbate climate change. The state can meet demand without compromising our clean energy goals or forcing Virginians to choose between energy and food. Suggesting new fracked gas infrastructure in 2023 is patently absurd.”

Dominion Energy, a regulated monopoly, is responsible for its own energy planning and has historically steered towards large capital expenditures that provide the company maximum profit. As of February 2023, Virginians rank 8th in the country for highest energy bills.

Contact:
Victoria Higgins, 201-937-7017,  vhiggins@chesapeakeclimate.org
KC Chartrand, 240-620-7144, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org

# # #

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For more than 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Position Announcement: Virginia Organizing Internships

Chesapeake Climate Action Network is hiring two part-time summer interns to assist our organizing team in Virginia.

An organizing internship is a terrific opportunity to develop your skills in outreach, developing leaders, and building grassroots power to fight the climate crisis. Interns will educate the community, mentor and train new activists, and urge faster and more equitable change to address the climate crisis. The ideal candidates are energized by empowering others and are looking to put their creativity to work. We are hiring two paid positions: one in Northern Virginia and one in Hampton Roads. 

About Us 

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is a mission-driven non-profit dedicated to making a better world by addressing the climate crisis and systemic inequities in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. For 20 years, we have run winning campaigns that have transformed our region. We have banned fracking in Maryland, passed the strongest clean energy legislation in the American South, created the first in the nation Building Energy Performance Standards in Washington, D.C., and helped pass the national Inflation Reduction Act. Every year, our work brings us closer to the day when our needs are met without fossil fuels poisoning people or the planet in the process.  

We are deepening and expanding our base of grassroots activists throughout Virginia. Our Northern Virginia local chapter–CCAN NoVA New Leaf–is advancing an electrification campaign and a ‘reconnection’ campaign. In Hampton Roads, we are educating and mobilizing our neighbors to fight the Virginia Reliability Project pipeline, which is endangering our environment and communities.

What You Will Do

  • Grassroots Organizing Issue Education
    • Speak at public forums or partner events on grassroots organizing, including ways to join CCAN and theories of change.
    • Table at community events to identify and recruit potential supporters and volunteers.
  • Content Creation & Written Advocacy Work
    • Write Letters to the Editor regarding climate issues and priority campaigns to raise community awareness and promote action.
    • Contribute to CCAN’s blog and social media platforms to engage and activate our supporter base.
  • Grassroots Community-Building
    • Participate in community outreach, including in-person canvassing, phonebanking, texting, and virtual events like online town halls.
    • Gather comments on critical issues or policies from members of impacted communities. 
    • Strengthen grassroots efforts to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized communities that are under threat from fossil fuel expansion and climate change.

Qualifications 

  • Commitment to environmental justice and solving the climate crisis.
  • Dedication to justice, equity, and inclusion and amplifying the voices of those most impacted by extreme extraction and the effects of climate change, including Indigenous Americans, Black and Latino communities, low and moderate-income communities, rural communities, and struggling farm families.
  • Comfortable engaging members of the public and asking people to get involved.
  • Creative ideas for events and actions to engage volunteers.
  • Proficient in speaking and writing in English. Spanish proficiency is a plus! 

The Details

Interns will work from home and can expect to travel locally for community outreach events at least 2x per week. In Northern Virginia, most events will take place in Fairfax, Arlington, Alexandria, Prince William, and Loudoun. In Hampton Roads, most events will take place in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Chesapeake, Hampton, Virginia Beach, and Suffolk. 

Mileage or public transportation reimbursement is available for all CCAN-required travel except travel to and from the office (commute). The Northern Virginia intern reports to the Northern Virginia Coordinator. The Hampton Roads intern reports to the Hampton Roads Coordinator.

Compensation is $16.10 per hour for 10 hours per week during the summer over a period of 12 weeks. Exact schedule will be determined based on the intern’s availability.

To Apply

Please complete the Google form application to answer short questions and submit a resume. We will accept applications until the position is filled. Our target start date for this position is June 12, 2023. 

CCAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

U.S. Forest Service lets Mountain Valley Pipeline rip through Jefferson National Forest – CCAN protests

Richmond, VA — Today, the U.S. Forest Service published its Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (FSEIS) for the controversial Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP), a proposed 303-mile fracked gas pipeline through Virginia and West Virginia that would contribute the equivalent of 26 coal plants’ worth of carbon emissions. The FSEIS allows MVP to cross 3.5 pristine miles of the Jefferson National Forest and represents the company’s third attempt to receive approval for the controversial crossing. MVP suffered another blow last week when a crucial water permit for construction in West Virginia was thrown out. 

Outcry from impacted communities in Appalachia has been immense. Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) supporters submitted more than 4,000 comments over the last year in opposition to the pipeline during comment periods for numerous permits, including several hundred during the Forest Service comment period. Moreover, construction of large, new fossil fuel projects is incompatible with both national climate goals and global commitments, including President Joe Biden’s pledge to reduce emissions by over 50% by 2030.

Anne Havemann, the General Counsel for CCAN, stated: 

“We are gravely disappointed in the Forest Service’s decision to allow the Mountain Valley Pipeline to rip through the cherished Jefferson National Forest. With this decision, the Forest Service is not fulfilling its mission to ‘sustain the health of the nation’s forests’ so as to ‘meet the needs of present and future generations.’ Present and future generations need a pristine environment and a stable climate, not a fracked-gas pipeline that destroys forests, pollutes waterways, and exacerbates global warming. CCAN is committed to ensuring that no gas ever flows through the Mountain Valley Pipeline.”

In the last several weeks, MVP has had permits both vacated and issued by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. Industry analysts are now skeptical of a 2023 in-service date. Federal “permitting reform” to speed fossil fuel project approval is stagnant, and new legal challenges have been mounted against MVP’s recently reissued Biological Opinion by CCAN and partners. 

Contact:
Anne Havemann, 240-630-2146,  anne@chesapeakeclimate.org
KC Chartrand, 240-620-7144, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org

# # #

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: COMMUNICATIONS AND SOCIAL MEDIA INTERN

DESCRIPTION

Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) works with partners across the Chesapeake region to promote renewable energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and stop the expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure. Our campaigns focus on passing legislation that will dramatically reduce climate change pollution across the region, while cleaning up our air, improving the health of our communities, and creating good-paying new jobs.

We’re looking for smart, talented students for summer internships to stand up and take climate action. 

We’re the largest and oldest grassroots group fighting for bold and just solutions to climate change in the Chesapeake region of Virginia, Washington DC, and Maryland. We’ve put a stop to new coal plants in Virginia, brought 100% clean power to Washington DC, and fully banned fracking in Maryland.

OUR CAMPAIGNS

In 2023, we’re still fighting: to stop massive fracked-gas pipelines across the farms and forests of Virginia, to bring a Climate Stimulus to Maryland, and to enact strong climate action at the federal level.

We and our supporters surrounding the nation’s capital are going to keep building the powerfully diverse grassroots climate movement our region needs – building local resistance, raising our voices, and taking concrete action.

OUR COMMUNICATIONS INTERNSHIP

Interns at CCAN work side-by-side with our experienced communications experts to create compelling content and run impactful media campaigns across our region. They gain valuable experience for careers in the communications and media industries. 

SPECIFICALLY, YOUR TASKS MAY INCLUDE

  • Learning the ins-and-outs of managing media lists and reaching out to reporters.
  • Drafting social media posts using brand templates, web graphics, factsheets, and/or analyzing social media content.
  • Working in coordination with the comms manager to use WordPress to make minor content edits to our website ensuring content is relevant and timely.
  • Making edits to our events calendar to keep supporters in the know with all CCAN happenings
  • Conceptualizing, editing, and/or drafting blog posts and language for the website.
  • Assisting our  fundraising team with the creation of digital assets and ad materials for our annual “EV Raffle”
  • And having an amazing opportunity to learn what it’s like to work at an organization that climate activist Bill McKibben has called the “best regional climate organization in the world.”

WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR

  • Passion to learn more about climate policy; familiarity with climate issues is a plus.
  • Commitment to environmental justice and amplifying the voices of those being victimized by extreme extraction and the effects of climate change.
  • A keen eye for new communications platforms and tools 
  • Strong organizational skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal skills, and an ability to share important information in creative, attention-grabbing, and humorous messages.
  • A quick learner.
  • A good understanding of social media spheres.
  • Experience with graphic design.
  • Strong dedication to justice, equity, and inclusion. 

DETAILS

This position is based in CCAN’s Takoma Park office. The CCAN team is currently working on a hybrid schedule (Tuesday/Thursday in the office, Monday/Wednesday/Friday remote). There will be occasional opportunities to work throughout the region. Mileage reimbursement is available for all CCAN-required travel except travel to and from the office (commute). The intern reports to the Communications Director. 

Compensation is $16.10 per hour for 20 hours per week during the summer over a period of 12 weeks. Exact schedule will be determined based on the intern’s availability.

TO APPLY

To apply, fill out the following Google Form Application, where you will be prompted to upload your resume, cover letter and a writing sample. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Equal Employment Opportunity: CCAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

 

CCAN condemns Mountain Valley Pipeline permit news

US Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals upholds Mountain Valley Pipeline water permit; CCAN objects


Richmond, VA — On March 29, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled to uphold the Clean Water Act 401 permit for the Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP). The Court found the DEQ’s granting of this critical stream-crossing permit “was neither arbitrary nor capricious.”  

The Clean Water Act 401 permit addresses water crossings in the state of Virginia. This permit would allow for both trenchless and boring construction under protected waterways. The MVP is currently facing legal challenges to the 401 permit in West Virginia. Additionally, it lacks the Clean Water Act 404 permit – the federal companion permit issued by the Army Corps of Engineers.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline is a 303-mile fracked gas pipeline running through West Virginia and western Virginia. If completed, it would account for the carbon equivalent of 26 new coal fired power plants annually. The pipeline has been the subject of national debate with Sen. Joe Manchin’s attempts to push the project through Congress by limiting oversight and relaxing regulations. MVP LLC is additionally seeking a new permit to cross the Jefferson National Forest. Lacking these permits, the MVP cannot begin any construction.

Elle De La Cancela, the Virginia Campaign Coordinator for CCAN, stated: 

“We are disappointed in the court’s ruling today. Time and time again, the MVP has shown that it has been unable to maintain water quality standards in the Commonwealth. We fear the impending impact on wildlife and the climate if construction were resumed.”

With a formal application in 2015, the Mountain Valley Pipeline was scheduled to be completed in 2018. It is now years past its deadline and $6 billion over budget, due to mounting concerns on construction and legal challenges. Prior cases over water quality violations resulted in millions paid to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality and the West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection. 

Contact:
Victoria Higgins, 201-937-7017,  vhiggins@chesapeakeclimate.org
KC Chartrand, kc@chesapeakeclimate.org, 240-620-7144

# # #

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Thousands Call on Air Pollution Board to Keep Virginia in RGGI

Thousands call on Air Pollution Board to keep Virginia in RGGI

Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is widely supported by Virginians and law in the General Assembly – but Youngkin’s Air Board persists with its plan to pull out.

Richmond, VA – Thousands of Virginia residents have spoken up to keep Virginia in the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI), opposing Governor Glenn Youngkin’s efforts to remove Virginia from this highly popular and successful climate program. 

As of 9:08 AM on March 31, the final day for public comments on the Virginia Air Pollution Board’s proposal for withdrawal, more than 6,000 Virginians had submitted comments, with an overwhelming 87% majority in favor of RGGI. During the previous Notice of Intended Regulatory Action (NOIRA) public comment period, about 95% of comments – surpassing 750 in total – expressed opposition to the proposed repeal and in support of ongoing participation in RGGI. This shows that a consistently vast majority of Virginians have spoken out in favor of keeping the state in RGGI during each round of public comments.

Virginia joined RGGI by law through HB 981, the Clean Energy and Community Flood Preparedness Act, which requires Virginia to participate in the allowance auction process through RGGI. This year, 61 legislators affirmed that HB 981 requires Virginia to participate in RGGI, and that removal via the air board is “improper and illegal.”

Victoria Higgins, Virginia Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, stated: “The proposed action by the air board offends our democratic norms and the rule of law, bypassing the will of the people and their chosen representatives in the General Assembly. HB 981 is not a vague directive for state agencies to administer RGGI when and as they see fit. It is a mandate.” 

Students, elected officials, and citizen advocacy groups from all walks of life have spoken out in support of RGGI, a regional carbon market that sets a cap on overall carbon emissions from power plants and provides funding for climate-vulnerable neighborhoods. It sends money to coastal communities to protect themselves from floods and to low-income Virginians for energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. This program also helps clean up air pollution and drives economic growth, bringing more than half a billion dollars to the Commonwealth in its first year. 

“The importance of Virginia’s participation in RGGI cannot be overstated,” said Sen. Lynwood Lewis, D-Accomack, who carried the 2020 legislation allowing Virginia’s participation. “It is by and large the most consequential piece of legislation I sponsored during my two decades in the Virginia legislature… Not only is the legal authority of the Governor to remove Virginia from RGGI in question, but to do so would put the future of our flood-prone and environmentally vulnerable communities in serious jeopardy.”

Grace Holderman, student at Brown College, said in a public comment: “As a Virginia college student, RGGI impacts me personally because it helps protect the future of my generation and generations to come. RGGI has already reduced greenhouse gas emissions in Virginia and other states, so repealing it would put us back on track to endanger the health and future of all people, especially young people like me and those in vulnerable communities.”

Daniel Walden, medical student and representative of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, wrote in a comment: “Since Virginia joined RGGI in 2021, it has helped thousands of us avoid health problems. Data from other RGGI states indicate that, over five years, improved air quality saved residents of those states from over 6,000 asthma attacks, over 100 preterm births, and, potentially, over 500 deaths. Those same benefits now apply to Virginians. Those arguing against RGGI say it’s too expensive for taxpayers. But sickness costs taxpayers, too. The EPA has estimated that improving air quality results in public health benefits that exceed the costs by over 30 times. Put simply, for every dollar we put into RGGI and programs like it, we taxpayers save $30 down the line–and we are healthier for it, too.” 

There has been an immense outpouring of support for RGGI around the state. Concerned residents have marched, rallied, lobbied, and called their officials. A recent poll found that overwhelming, bipartisan majorities of Virginians—including a plurality of Republicans—want to stay in RGGI. Yet four appointees on the Virginia Air Pollution Control Board – all hand-picked by Gov. Youngkin – voted to remove the Commonwealth from RGGI. 

Already, RGGI has: 

  • Lowered emissions. Since RGGI was founded, emissions from power plants in RGGI states have dropped by 50%, double the amount that emissions have dropped in non-RGGI states.

  • Improved public health. Even just in its initial 5 years, over 8000 asthma attacks were avoided.

  • Provided money to Virginians:

    • Over $265 million to the Community Flood Preparedness Fund – VA’s only source of proactive flood prevention. 

    • Over $294 million to fund energy efficiency retrofits for low and moderate income homes and new, energy efficient affordable housing.

The Virginia legislature had the opportunity to change the law during the 2023 General Session, but one bill was introduced that would do so, which was swiftly voted down in committee. Despite this, the Board is expected to continue ignoring the will of the people and Virginia’s elected representatives and continue with this unpopular, unlawful move. 

“Members of the Air Board are not intended to be political pawns at the whim of the Governor,” Higgins continued. “This action is expressly political in nature, being carried out solely based on campaign promises made by the Governor. It violates the duties and distorts the character of the Air Board. It is a dangerous precedent to set that should alarm all parties invested in the existence of nonpartisan Citizen Boards which fairly administer the regulations of the Commonwealth.”

Learn more about RGGI and its importance to Virginia. 

 Virginians rally to support the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network is the oldest and largest grassroots organization dedicated exclusively to raising awareness about the impacts and solutions associated with global warming in the Chesapeake Bay region. For 20 years, CCAN has been at the center of the fight for clean energy and wise climate policy in Maryland, West Virginia,  Virginia, and Washington, DC. Learn more: www.chesapeakeclimate.org 

Breaking news: Exxon ending all fossil fuel projects immediately!

Breaking news:

Breaking news: Exxon ending all fossil fuel projects immediately!

Did you hear? Exxon has had a change of heart and decided to end all fossil fuel projects immediately! It is leaving oil and gas behind and will now be a 100% clean, renewable energy company. It’s even got a new name. No more Exxon. Now it is “Ex-Exxon.” 

Can you believe it? Can you believe that “Ex-Exxon” is going to abandon dirty fossil fuels and lead the way in the fight against climate change?

If so, I’m sorry to have to say…

Happy April Fools’ Day!

We totally made it up. We only wish it was true. But now YOU can take one small step to fight back against greedy oil companies that are fueling our climate crisis.

Play the ultimate April Fools’ prank on big oil and gas by donating to climate action today. When you support the work of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) you’re saying “No More Fossil Fools.” 

CCAN is currently tackling three major fossil fuel projects. You may have heard of them –  Mountain Valley Pipeline, Virginia Reliability (Ripoff) Project, and the highly controversial Willow Project. These dirty-energy projects have huge repercussions for future generations, with lifetimes of 30 to 40 years, and climate damages lasting centuries.

We’re fighting these projects every step of the way, and you can too! Oil and gas companies are only concerned with one thing, lining their own pockets. They destroy our waterways, pollute our airways, and spew heat-­trapping methane into our fragile atmosphere. 

Help us keep up the fight against oil and gas companies by chipping in $5.00 a month. Every single donation makes a difference and, when you give monthly, our team can better plan for future campaigns. It’s also a pretty great April Fools’ prank on “Fossil Fools!”

If one of every ten CCAN supporters donated just $5.00 a month we would raise a massive $611,730 in one year! That is almost a third of our annual income and would be a huge boost to our team, allowing us to do even more to battle climate change. 

Thanks for all you do.

Summer Maryland Campaign Fellowship

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network seeks a paid Campaign Fellow to assist the Maryland Director with research, policy development, and outreach. 

About the Position 

The  Maryland Campaign Fellowship is a terrific opportunity to build your organizing and power building skills. The ideal candidate will see opportunities to build relationships, inspire mobilization, and urge faster and more equitable change to address the climate crisis. They are energized by empowering others and are looking to put their creativity to work. The position is paid and will be supervised by the Maryland Director. 

About Us 

The Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) is a mission driven non-profit dedicated to making a better world by addressing the climate crisis and systemic inequities in Maryland, Virginia, and DC. For 20 years we have run winning campaigns that have transformed our region. We have banned fracking in Maryland, passed the strongest clean energy legislation in the American South, created the first in the nation Building Energy Performance Standards in DC, and helped pass the national Inflation Reduction Act. Every year, our work brings us closer to the day when our needs are met without fossil fuels poisoning people or the planet in the process.  

Right now in Maryland, we are working on bold campaigns to help our state meet our ambitious greenhouse gas reduction goals of 60% by 2031 and 100% by 2045.  For over a decade, we have been pushing the envelope of what’s “politically possible” in Maryland, using every tool inside and outside of the box – from organizing to lobbying to bringing lawsuits.We are working to build more offshore wind, to electrify everything, shut down fossil fuels, and more.   

What You Will Do

The primary responsibilities of the position include but are not limited to: 

  • Climate Change Issue Education
    • Research aspects of climate and energy policy to better inform advocacy
    • Speak at public forums or college campuses on climate issues, including upcoming policy priorities and fossil fuel infrastructure fights
    • Attend/assist in organizing key campaign mobilizations, such as rallies, hearings or other events
  • Content Creation & Written Advocacy Work
    • Author Letters to the Editor regarding climate issues and priority campaigns to raise community awareness and promote action.
    • Contribute to CCAN’s blog and social media platforms to encourage an engaged and active Maryland supporter base.
    • Produce science-focused, accessible presentations on Maryland climate issues that can be used in public presentations and digital organizing.
  • Grassroots Community-Building
    • Participate in community canvassing, including in-person canvassing (when allowable), phonebanking, texting, and virtual events such as online town halls.
    • Gather comments from frontline communities. 
    • Strengthen grassroots efforts in Maryland to protect the most vulnerable and marginalized communities that are under threat from fossil fuel expansion and the threats of climate change

Qualifications 

Qualified candidates will display the following capabilities and qualities: 

  • Passion to learn more about climate policy; familiarity with climate issues is a plus.
  • Commitment to environmental justice and amplifying the voices of those being victimized by extreme extraction and the effects of climate change including Indigenous Americans, Black and Latino communities, low and moderate income communities, rural communities, and struggling farm families.
  • Strong dedication to justice, equity, and inclusion 
  • Ability to work with social media and digital tools to convey complex ideas in accessible ways
  • Ability to work independently while working effectively with a team and seeking feedback and support when needed. 
  • Strong time management skills. 
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Proven ability to multitask, while prioritizing measurable results 

The Details

This position is based in CCAN’s Takoma Park office. Our staff works on a hybrid schedule, working in the office two days per week and from home three days. There will be occasional opportunities to work throughout the state. Mileage reimbursement is available for all CCAN-required travel except travel to and from the office (commute). The Maryland Fellow reports to the Maryland Director. 

Compensation is $16.10 per hour for 20 hours per week during the summer over a period of 12 weeks. Exact schedule will be determined based on the intern’s availability.

How to Apply

Please fill out the Google form application linked here to apply. We will continue reviewing applications until the position is filled but preference for interviews will be given to candidates who apply before April 5th 2023. You will be prompted to answer a series of short questions and asked to submit a resume and writing sample. Please contact riley@chesapeakeclimate.org with any questions.

CCAN provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

CCAN on the Road: Spreading the Word about the Inflation Reduction Act

ARCHIVED PAGE. For more on Inflation Reduction Act, see updated page here.

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On an unseasonably warm and sunny winter day, Chesapeake Climate Action Network and Solar United Neighbors visited the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia to deep dive into the details about the Inflation Reduction Act. Our goal was to help folks realize the potential benefits of this bill and how it could personally impact their lives. 

However, if you would have told me this day would come in July of last year, I might not have believed you. You see, CCAN started advocating for this bill in the early summer of 2021 when it was still called the American Jobs Plan. And we didn’t stop fighting for it as it underwent its many name changes and compromises to bend and evolve until a certain West Virginian Senator decided it was palatable. It was a disheartening time, being strung along for almost two years, trying every possible action we could imagine. But we never gave up. We agreed that no matter what happened, we wanted to be able to say “We left it all on the field.” Even when a lot of other organizations were sure there was no hope, we worked hard to keep the faith alive. 

Shortly after celebrating the passage of this bill, we started to brainstorm ways that we could distill the massive amount of information contained within the IRA without overwhelming people. We know this federal investment is amazing, but unless folks are educated in how to tap into these programs they won’t be able to reap the benefits!

Bringing the Roadshow to Martinsburg

The desire to connect individuals and communities to these programs led to the birth of the Inflation Reduction Act Roadshow. Our first event held at the Martinsburg Public Library had a cross section of attendees, including engaged citizens, small business owners and impassioned advocates. Folks snacked on delicious food, chatted with one another and participated in a dynamic discussion and question-and-answer session after the presentation. 

Later, we held a similar presentation online—you can watch it at this link. But read on for a summary of a few key takeaways:

Benefits for you: Making it easy to go electric!

The clearest way the IRA will help individual households is by providing funding to go electric, by switching your household heating and cooking systems to electric, retrofitting for efficiency, switching to electric cars, and even going solar.

Household electrification

Many homes run on gas for heating and cooking purposes. The IRA helps you switch to electric with direct and indirect financial assistance. Here are a few examples—but watch the webinar to learn more, or check out Rewiring America’s handy IRA benefit calculator.

  • Switching to an electric/induction stove: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $840
  • Heat pump water heater: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $1,750
  • Weatherization: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $1,600
  • Electrical panel: Rebates cover 100 percent for low-income households and 50 percent for moderate-income households for costs up to $4,000. On top of this, rule 25C provides a 30 percent tax credit for an electrical panel upgrade capped at $600 per year when combined with another upgrade covered by 25C (like a heat pump or water heater)

Electric vehicles

  • Tax credits up to $7,500 for new electric cars will continue indefinitely
  • Tax credits of up to $4,000 for used electric cars

Go Green

  • Putting solar panels on your home has never been easier! The bill extends a 30% residential solar tax credit for 10 years
  • Standalone residential battery storage now qualifies for this 30% tax credit too

Benefits for the climate

The IRA turbocharges the clean energy industry in many ways, like by allowing nonprofits, public schools, faith-based organizations, local governments, tribal governments, rural electric co-ops, to receive 30% off new solar panels through direct payment. All told, the policy will cut annual emissions in 2030 by an additional one billion metric tons!

Benefits for the economy

Jobs, jobs, jobs: this policy results in JOBS. By boosting funding for major programs, the IRA will add:

  • Five million jobs in the clean energy sector
  • Nearly 380,000 jobs in agriculture to support farmers using regenerative practices
  • More than 50,000 jobs to help coastal communities protect themselves from sea level rise and storms
  • More than 100,00 jobs to restore our forests
  • More than 20,000 new jobs in the National Parks program

And much, much more! Watch the whole presentation here:

 

The evolution of this legislation was long and storied, with  many changes as the bill progressed through Congress. The IRA Roadshow gave an opportunity for West Virginians to receive the most up-to-date and relevant information for their families and communities. But we’re here to provide human connection to legislation that happens in what sometimes seems like the faraway land of Washington, DC. By joining forces with SUN we were able to provide information and field questions that highlight the benefits of sensible, people-driven policy and how it can impact West Virginians and the nation as a whole in meaningful and sustainable ways.

Our inaugural event in Berkeley County was a success and we are looking forward to future Roadshows across West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland and DC. 

If you, your organization or municipality would like to host an event like this, please don’t hesitate to contact our West Virginia organizer, Holly Bradley (holly@chesapeakeclimate.org) or our federal policy director, Quentin Scott (quentin@chesapeakeclimate.org). 

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