Below is the first of four messages sent each week in November, 2024 about how our organization is working to fix the climate.
November 7, 2024
Dear Friend of American Climate Partners,
I had the good fortune to volunteer as a Greene County Election Official at the Dyke, VA precinct yesterday. Arriving at 5 am and working till 9 pm, I saw a record turnout of 700 rural area voters enthusiastically cast their ballots. I talked to several of them and they were happy because they felt they had been heard.
Since our founding in 2006 we have been a non-partisan organization – an essential ingredient to be successful going forward – for any organization focused on climate. With the new administration there will be challenges and opportunities as I see it for American Climate Partners. As for challenges – there may be some increased risk to our federal funding though I believe that to be minor. Other new government funds that we might pursue going forward, those I expect will be harder to come by in general beginning 2026.
As for opportunities, government support for climate will wane, that much seems obvious. So our work then becomes more important to society in the absence of government. Because of our apolitical DNA and our focus on common sense, boots on the ground solutions, we are in a better position to survive than other climate-focused non-profit organizations.
Many in our country have grown tired of experts. To be effective going forward with climate programming we would be wise to take heed. I was at a farm meeting a few days ago when some folks came up to me and asked, “Can you just simply tell us in 30 seconds what you guys think is the problem and how you’re going to fix it?” I said, well, there are three drivers of climate – water, carbon, and nitrogen. There is too much water and carbon in the sky, and too much nitrogen is in the ground and rivers. Pointing first to the sky and then to the ground, we need to move carbon and water from up there to down here. Then, pointing first to the ground and then the sky, we need to move nitrogen from down here to up there. A wise old friend later told me that was the first time anyone ever explained what’s going on in a way she can understand and remember.
We are going to do a better job this Fall with messaging as we approach our end of year Annual appeal. Please look for our next three weekly messages where I will explain how we are going to fix the climate. We want to inform and enroll the general public in straightforward language and a populist message using the sound science at the foundation of our organization’s two rivers programs – Rapidan Institute and StreamSweepers – and our two land programs, Southern Climate Restoration Solutions, and SoilKeepers.