The Citizens Climate Lobby is an advocacy group that works to change national policies around climate change. Ruthie Brown is a co-founder and co-chair of the Aspen chapter of the lobbying group, which works primarily with Republican lawmakers. Elizabeth Stewart-Severy sat down with Brown to discuss how the local chapter has been working to influence national policy.
Brown said the organization focuses on finding shared values, especially with Republican lawmakers, rather than on partisan politics.
“We look for areas of commonalities,” she said. “Those areas are the economy, creating jobs, boosting national security, and also saving American lives.”
Citizens Climate Lobby has proposed a national carbon fee and dividend program to address issues related to climate change. Fossil fuel producers would be subject to a fee, which would then be distributed to all American citizens. The idea also calls for an end to government subsidies for oil and gas production.
“It would bring the production price for renewables down, and therefore competitive,” Brown said. This situation, she said, would help reduce emissions.
The Aspen chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby has about 100 members, and there is also a chapter in Carbondale.
