Hurricane Milton is top of mind for the team at republicEn.org. We know many of our Florida members and friends are at best without power and internet, and we cannot imagine the damage that may have been sustained. Hoping for minimal losses and a speedy rebuild, as well as a refocused effort to address climate change and the impacts that create the conditions for more intense storms.
This week’s must read/watch: Are Texas lawmakers in line with voters on climate change (CBS News Texas)
Check out this feature on how the issue of climate change resonates with Texans, which profiles our friend and EcoRighter, Larry Howe, who hits the nail with this assessment: “If you want my vote, you’ve got to step up on climate and prioritize the issue,” Howe said. “If you’re not prioritizing that issue with the body of evidence on it, then how can I trust you on national security, the border, immigration, the budget — any of those other issues?”
EcoRight Speaks, Season 9, Episode 8: my reflections from the CCL Third Coast Regional Conference… and the 4 Larrys
For this episode, we decided to go with a slightly different format. I wanted to be able to share some of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby Third Coast regional conference with you. At this conference a few weeks ago, I delivered the keynote address of the morning and also served on a panel on climate change communication. Though I don’t have recordings from either of those events, I do have lots of other tidbits to share. It was a fantastic conference and I was so honored to get to attend and meet so many passionate climate activists, especially the four Larrys, pictured above! And yes, one of the Larrys is the same Larry Howe featured in the article above.
Coming up next week, my conversation with former Congressmen Bob Inglis and Carlos Curbelo on conservative climate leadership.
And in a preview of what’s to come, in a few weeks we will be featuring Sherri Goodman, national security and climate change expert and author of the book Threat Multiplier: Climate, Military Leadership, and the Fight for Global Security. She co-authored the op-ed Why you won’t hear the military arguing about climate change for Politico Magazine.
“Within the last year, the military deployed nearly 50 times to address wildfires, storm surges, extreme heat, drought, flooding and more — with 41 of these deployments occurring within the U.S. The National Guard is now called on to combat raging wildfires at a rate 12 times higher than just eight years ago, fighting flames nearly year round. With 2024 projected to be the hottest year on record, U.S. troops, alongside local first responders, anticipate having to address more wildfires and hurricanes than ever before,” she and Leah Emanuel write. “The U.S. military has reorganized itself around the knowledge that climate change poses an unprecedented risk to national security.”
Quote of the week:
“I started having meetings in my home and would invite some of the most far-right people in my state [of Utah],” Congressman John Curtis said at his Conservative Climate Summit, held last week. “I’d feed them dinner and start talking about climate. I would challenge them to go home, go into the bathroom, look into the mirror, and say the word ‘climate.'”
Bob Inglis attended the summit and we will soon be bringing you his reflections and a few of his conversations in a future podcast episode.
🎂🎉 Speaking of Bob, today is his birthday! 🥳 Please join us in giving him a huge EcoRight chorus of happy birthday wishes! 🎂🎉
See you next week!