Engaging with Congress on Climate Change Solutions

How are federal policy and people’s lives connected? With your GlobalGiving gift and the support of others like you, EESI co-sponsored a screening and panel discussion of After Coal, a documentary about how traditional coal communities are coping as the world continues its transition away from fossil fuels. When you renew your support today, we will continue to highlight the importance of federal assistance for such communities.

In the film After Coal, Carl Shoupe, a third-generation coal miner from Harlan County, Kentucky, explains, “Coal came in the 20^th century like blasting guns and that was a good thing back then. Now it’s the 21^st century and it’s a thing of the past.”

Carl tells us that his grandfather helped start the mine, but shares that “I don’t see it as part of my future or my grandchildren’s future.”

So, how do policymakers respond to Carl’s needs, and those of his grandchildren? How does the federal government help to facilitate a just transition away from coal? EESI and its partners hosted a free screening and panel discussion with experts to help the policy community understand the struggle these communities are going through and what can be done to help them.

In fact, Representative Hal Rogers of Kentucky recently introduced the RECLAIM Act, with bipartisan support. This bill would make $1 billion in federal funds available to vulnerable, historically coal-dependent communities.

If enacted, it would help these communities, which are struggling with high unemployment due to the loss of coal jobs, by making federal funds available to restore abandoned coal mine lands—areas that can contribute to the economy through the growth of new business and tourism opportunities!

When you give to EESI through GlobalGiving, you are helping policymakers understand the connections between their policy decisions and how they can truly help people improve their communities, restore their lands, and bring additional economic opportunities!

Thank you again for your support. You are making Congressional offices, advocacy groups, and media understand that there are ways to help coal-impacted communities transition to a more sustainable and equitable regional economy!

Links:

• EESI-sponsored "After Coal" Film Screening and Panel Discussion
• EESI webinar "Can Coal Country Thrive in a Clean Energy Economy"
• "After Coal" Film Trailer

Today is Global Giving Bonus Day, starting at 9am EDT! Because you are a supporter of clean energy and climate policy through EESI’s project on Global Giving, I wanted to make sure you were aware of this incredible opportunity to make an even greater impact TODAY, starting at 9am EDT!

As of 9 am EDT, Global Giving’s partner nonprofits (including EESI) will start competing for Global Giving's matching funds. As we are a Global Giving Superstar partner, donations made to EESI through the Global Giving website will be matched at 50% for gifts of up to $1,000 per donor, while funds remain!

With such a great opportunity, and with so many nonprofits competing on the Global Giving platform, matching funds are expected to run out very quickly, so please give right at 9am EDT!

$110,000 is available in Global Giving Bonus Day matching funds today! Each donation you make today—from $10 to $1,000—will help EESI compete for two bonus awards of $1,000: one for being the organization earning the most funds today, and the other for having the most individual donors. This is the biggest Global Giving matching gift opportunity of the year! 

You know you are helping to advance clean energy and climate policy with your gift, allowing EESI to hold timely briefings with well-regarded experts.

Did you know that you are also helping to educate the next generation of individuals working to find innovative solutions to address climate change, participants in the Richard L. Ottinger Internship Program? You are! This is crucial for fostering clean energy progress in the United States, and indeed around the world! EESI’s former interns are now working on domestic policy issues, but also on issues in the Philippines and Sri Lanka. 

For instance, one of EESI’s summer 2015 interns, Sharmen Hettipola, is now leading a project to sustainably retrofit a school in Sri Lanka. Her proposal won a $10,000 grant from Projects for Peace, a program that encourages undergraduates attending U.S. colleges to design projects that promote peace.

Sharmen’s project will sustainably rebuild three classrooms and multiple bathrooms in a small village school in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Repairing the building and creating more space will prevent the loss of one-on-one attention from teachers, motivating students to continue with their studies. Sharmen visited the Mailapitiya School in 2012, and members of her extended family, all of whom live in and around the Mailapitiya district, have visited the school many times, establishing connections with the staff and the students.

Sharmen explained, “My time as an intern at the Environmental and Energy Study Institute heavily influenced the content of my winning project proposal. As the communications intern at EESI, I was given the opportunity to read some of the biggest environmental news stories of the day and many of them focused on the need for international environmental action.”

Reading these news stories at EESI helped her realize the connection between poverty and environmentalism. She worked closely with Ellen Vaughan, EESI’s High Performance Green Buildings Policy Director, to revise her proposal and incorporate features like the use of local materials and recycled content, the installation of a natural ventilation system, the incorporation of feasible sources of renewable energy, and more.

EESI works to give all interns substantive and interesting experience and exposure to the policy community in Washington, DC.

Your renewed support—especially today, on Bonus Day—helps EESI continue to educate young people, like Sharmen, as well as members of Congress about the myriad ways to support action on climate change and renewable energy. Thank you for your commitment and support.

Sharmen told us, “My time as an intern at EESI turned into one of my favorite summers and I definitely miss it this year! I thank EESI for their resources and their continued work in inspiring citizens to take action in creating a more sustainable world.”

Thank you so much for supporting EESI as we continue to work for a more sustainable world, by finding innovative solutions for energy and climate challenges—especially today, Global Giving Bonus Day.

Links:

• Where Are They Now: Series on the Work of EESI's past interns
• Article on Sharmen's work leading a sustainable school retrofit
• Subscribe to EESI's emails to hear about all our events!