February 2019 Meeting Notes

Attendees:

Jerry Denning, Charlene Lange, Del Holland, Barbara Eckstein, John Macatee, Silvia Quezada, Jim Throgmorton, Claire Muerdter, Peter Rolnick, Jamie McCoy, Eric Johnson

 

We watched the CCL national video meeting and heard Dr Natasha DeJarneett’s perspective on climate change as a public health expert. Some notable items:

• Climate change causes lost workplace productivity due to increased allergies & asthma
• 88% of the burden of climate change falls on children
• Gastrointestinal illness outbreaks were 50% higher after extreme rain events
• Mental health drugs are less effective in hot humid weather
• Health professionals are trusted by everyone (they’re not seen as “partisan”). Nurses are the most trusted.
• Mark Reynolds asked us to call our Congressmen (Rep Loebsack in our case) and ask him to co-sponsor the bill

 

We conducted the communication exercise in which we practiced listening. Some tips we discovered:

• Be very careful when reflecting back what you’ve heard another person say; it’s easy to sound condescending or be irritating to the other person. It’s better to say, “I think I understand what you’re saying, but can you tell me more”, or just quote back exactly what they said and confirm that’s what they meant
• We also acknowledged that even when we think we understand what the other person is saying, we really have only a surface-level understanding. Their perspective comes from many deep and various places and taking the time to dive deeper can help uncover where they’re coming from.

 

Our various sub-groups reported in:

• Jamie McCoy/Endorsements
  • Discussions are ongoing with Cathy Glasson and Nordex/Acciona
• Peter Rolnick/Iowa State CCL Coordinator
  • State Rep Mary Mascher is interested in crafting a bill. More will be discussed at the state CCL meeting on April 27
  • Btw, there’s a state CCL meeting on April 27, Mason City
• John Macatee/Loebsack Liaison
  • We met with Rep Loebsack’s Regional Director, Dave Leshtz, on February 1
  • He hadn’t heard about the bill(!)
  • He mentioned the most important bits for him are the jobs the EICDA creates and the money it puts in pockets (from the dividend)

 

Chapter Plan for 2019

• We briefly discussed what our chapter should focus on this year
• Growing membership is a priority (many hands make light work)
• Climate Action Grants from City of Iowa City
• Pursue the University student community
• Tabling events
• Where do we fit into the Iowa City area ecosystem? What do we do that we can offer to other groups?
• Phone bank our membership list to re-engage people

 

Links

• Bob Hendrick on how to talk with progressives & Green New Deal
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYylLjdR7Nk

 

Action Items For You

• When talking to others keep in mind that “convincing them” is not the goal; building a relationship is the goal. Expect that you are not going to get them to agree with you in the course of the conversation.
• We need a new op ed writer for the February/April slot with the Press-Citizen.
• People should think about whether they want to and can attend the June CCL Conference and Lobby Day (June 9th – 11th in Washington DC).
  • Let me know if you:
    • Will go
    • Won’t go
    • Would go but don’t have the money
    • Don’t know