Campaigns
We want every parent (and grandparent, aunt, uncle and anyone else who loves kids) to feel that advocating for climate solutions is part of their job description. By combining on-line activism and social media with on-the-ground organizing, we can build a powerful, parent-led force that delivers the change our kids deserve! To date, Climate Parents campaigns have focused on pushing politicians to discuss climate change, incorporating climate change into the celebration of parent holidays, and our newest focus area: making sure American children learn the facts about climate change in school.
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President Dad, it's time to ACT on climate!
For Father’s Day, we asked our members to post messages to the President—who has often spoken about climate change through the lens of concern for his own kids and the next generation. We asked the Father in Chief to match his strong words on climate change with bold action that he has authority to take without waiting for Congress. We developed an interactive map/Father’s Day card featuring messages to the President from hundreds of supporters across the country. Climate Parents member John Friedrich also wrote a Father’s Day piece calling on the Father in Chief to step up action on climate change, which was published in the Tahoe Daily Tribune and Common Dreams. -
The Kansas State Board of Education Stood Up for Climate Science: Let's THANK them!
Following up on our victory in Kentucky, Kansas Climate Parents also circulated a petition to the State Board of Education in support of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Their effort came in response to a bill to block the new science standards that came within three votes of passing the state legislature. Fred Heeren, a Climate Parents member from Olathe, KS, delivered the petition signed by nearly 3,000 Kansans to the Board at their June 11 meeting, which helped produce an 8-2 vote in favor of the NGSS. Check out news stories here, here, and here. After the vote, one Kansas Board member wrote this note to Climate Parents: “Thank you so much for your support for the science standards which included climate change. Your voice did make a difference..without people like you supporting these standards, we could have had a different outcome. Please stay involved.” -
Tell Key Kentucky Legislative Committee to Support Climate Science in Schools
More than 4,000 people signed a Climate Parents petition to the Kentucky Board of Education urging them to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards, which would require — for the first time — comprehensive instruction on climate change. The petition was authored by Sheila Anderson, a grandmother and member of Climate Parents from Frankfort, KY, who took action after reading that Kentucky Senate Education Chairman Mike Wilson opposes teaching kids climate science. Sheila presented the petition to the Board of Education on June 5, and offered powerful testimony together with several other Kentucky Climate Parents & Grandparents. The Board responded unanimously passing the new science standards, which now face review by the Kentucky legislature, including the committee chaired by Mr. Wilson. Check out media coverage of our effort here, here, and here. -
For Mother's Day 2013, we asked Climate Parents members why they are part of this community.
In honor of Mother’s Day, we invited all of our members to share their personal motivations for working to combat climate change. Moms, dads, grandparents, aunts and uncles filled up our Climate Parents Tumblr page with images of their families, along with messages about why fighting climate change has become part of their job description. Check out the inspirational comments and photos of determined Climate Parents in action here. As we continue to build Climate Parents, it will be grounding to have a library of images and insights on our website that remind us why our fight is so important! More than anything, it’s our smiling kids. -
Tell the Candidates: Our Kids Deserve to Hear a Plan for Fighting Climate Change
Climate Parents held parent-led rallies in the run-up to two of the three presidential debates calling on the candidates to outline their plans to reduce carbon pollution, scale-up clean energy and protect our kids and communities from climate impacts. Our rallies generated media coverage in the Miami Herald and Huffington Post, helping force climate change into the electoral conversation despite both candidates’ near total avoidance of the subject. Climate Parents is now in the process of developing a campaign to urge the Obama Administration to take bold actions to reduce carbon pollution. Please feel free to contact Lisa Hoyos with any questions, ideas, etc.: lisa@engagementlab.org