Extreme weather is how the public experiences climate change on a regular basis. From deadly flooding to destructive wildfires to tornado outbreaks well outside of the country’s so-called “tornado alley,” these disasters are becoming more frequent, more damaging, more expensive and more deadly. The price tag for extreme weather is going up every year. Communities and the economy are being devastated by increasingly damaging storms, floods, and fires, heat, and drought. We simply can’t afford not to address the root cause of these growing impacts: Climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution.
Unfortunately, federal action on climate is going in the wrong direction: rolling back climate and clean energy investments, cutting vital pollution standards and funding from the agency responsible for protecting public health and the environment. While we have little power to reverse these rollbacks in the short term, we can build for the future and make sure we keep the reality of climate change top of mind for average Americans, decisionmakers and the media alike. The Bekenstein intern at CAC will help us connect the dots for these key audiences, making the link between climate change and extreme weather, and how increasingly dangerous weather events are putting Americans in harm’s way.
The work ahead:
As part of the government affairs team, the focus of this project will be helping educate decision makers on the cost of climate change. This internship will have four parts:
- Track extreme weather events and federal announcements rolling back climate, emergency preparedness, environmental justice, clean air, and clean energy initiatives, and synthesize how these rollbacks will increase climate pollution and impact public health to support CAC’s advocacy work and help decision makers on the Hill defend progress.
- Find compelling ways to turn your analysis into facts, stories, and examples of how climate and clean energy rollbacks impact communities in the geographies where CAC has deployed field resources and ensure these stories are easily understandable to key audiences (e.g. activists, local electeds, and Members of Congress).
- Help us identify how extreme weather events are impacting local communities, including financial, infrastructure, and human impacts, as well as strategies for rebuilding sustainability.
- Help the CAC government affairs team with other projects including lobby meetings and national fly-ins, press conferences, briefings, monitoring Congressional action, and other events.
Qualifications
The Climate Action Campaign (CAC) is looking for a dynamic and passionate candidate who is a self-starter. You will have top notch writing and research skills; you’ll be a people person, eager to learn, and excited to develop ideas and products that will inform our campaign strategies in the years to come.
In addition to research and writing, this role will include opportunities to help develop strategies defending federal climate progress. It also includes opportunities to engage with people directly involved in solving the climate crisis on the ground and with some of the nation’s top climate policy, advocacy and strategy experts.
Knowledge of federal climate policy is helpful but not essential.
Background
CAC is a vibrant coalition of national environment, environmental justice, and public health groups, working together to drive ambitious, durable federal action based on science, to address the climate crisis. Our goal is to reduce climate pollution and accelerate the transition to clean energy and a sustainable society in ways that support justice, jobs, improved health and quality of life for all.
The Campaign serves as an important center of gravity and convening body for dozens of organizations working together to defend ambitious federal climate policy. This role will aid the coalition in ensuring we can robustly account for and tell the stories of the importance of climate policies to defend against anticipated rollbacks.
