Democracy Works When Citizens Participate

During election season, politics can seem hopelessly divisive. However, ten volunteers from the Morristown chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby discovered something very different when they visited congressional offices on July 28. They traveled to Washington, DC, paying their own way, to participate in Citizens' Climate Lobby's Summer Conference and Lobby Day. The Morristown group's volunteers included young, middle-aged, and retired individuals with varied professional experience. Two high school students and their fathers lobbied Congress, highlighting advocacy as a family activity that spans generations. The lobbyists met with both Republican and Democratic congressional offices to advocate for practical climate solutions.

Over the past several years, Karen D'Orazio has participated in Citizens' Climate Lobby's annual lobby days in Washington, DC. She commented, "As in years past, the biggest surprise on lobby day is how close rather than apart many of our values are. It provides me with hope that we can bridge our differences and work together as a nation to reduce our carbon footprint and protect our children and our children's children."

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Respectful conversations can happen across party lines, and climate solutions don't have to be partisan. Republicans and Democrats might differ in how they prioritize common values, but most of us are willing to engage in constructive dialogue. Tim Bescherer stated, "I had an opportunity to meet with staff from two Democratic and one Republican district. They knew about permitting reform, and we had good conversations. It's always amazing to me the quality of Citizens' Climate Lobby's members and the staff we get to meet with on both sides of the fence. It gives me hope that we can make progress. It was great to see so many young people engaged with us trying to make a difference."

The main topic of this year's lobby day was permitting reform. Erika Papaccioli remarked, "It was exciting to be able to talk about the potential for permitting reform to help with both energy affordability and the environment. This helped us take a bipartisan approach to our discussions, which is important to Citizens' Climate Lobby's mission."

New Jersey residents stand to benefit from permitting reform when new energy sources connect to the electrical grid. Increasing electricity supply will stabilize costs and reduce the likelihood of power outages. Today, wind and solar energy account for most new energy generation and are less expensive than energy from other sources. In addition, renewable energy does not pollute the air or contribute to global warming, which is associated with costly and dangerous heat waves, drought, flooding, and sea level rise. Drought and high temperatures have caused alarming increases in the number and intensity of wildfires in New Jersey.

As Anika Gupta, one of our chapter's youngest lobbyists, observed, "Lobbying in DC was an impactful experience that provided an outlet for young people like myself to share our voices in national politics. As a 15-year-old high school student, it's easy to think that my beliefs have no place in congressional offices. However, with guidance and encouragement from our chapter's senior members, Citizens' Climate Lobby's training, and my forest fire research, staffers truly paid attention to what I had to say, reminding me that youth voices are the future for clean energy and climate resilience."

Democracy is strengthened by ordinary citizens who take time to become informed and express their views. All New Jersey residents deserve to have their voices heard, and bipartisan conversations remain possible. Respectful civic engagement can still make a difference. Our state's congressional delegation must continue to work across party lines on practical solutions such as permitting reform to address rising energy costs and the worsening effects of climate change.

Linda DeLap of Morris Plains is a retired technical writer and serves as Group Leader for the Morristown chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby. For information about Citizens' Climate Lobby, go to www.citizensclimatelobby.org.