Marin Chapter of Citizens' Climate Lobby

"Action is the Antidote to Despair" - Joan Baez

The Marin Chapter of  Citizens’ Climate Lobby supports all effective and socially just efforts to draw down COemissions and reverse climate change. Our strongest advocacy is for a national, annually escalating carbon fee and dividend.

This policy will help enable and accelerate the development of renewable carbon-free technologies.

The Marin Chapter meets each month (currently on-line) to discuss the economics of carbon fee and dividend and the current political climate for legislation. Our chapter president is Peter Joseph and our Steering Committee includes knowledgeable journalists,  economists, energy professionals, community organizers, and others from Marin County.

Check out our most recent Newsletter!

An Overview of Carbon Fee and Dividend:

  1. Place a steadily rising fee on the carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution from fossil fuels:

  • Collect carbon fees (taxes) from the fossil fuel industry for the extraction and import of oil, gas, coal.
  • Start the fee at $15/metric ton of CO2- equivalent emissions of fossil fuels, escalating by $10/metric ton each year.
  1. Return 100% of the net fees directly to households as a monthly dividend:

  • About two-thirds of Americans will receive more in dividends than they will pay in higher prices caused the portion of the fee that the fossil fuel companies elect to pass along.
  • The monthly household dividend will inject billions into the economy, protect family budgets, free households to make independent choices about their energy usage, spur innovation, and build aggregate demand for low-carbon products at the consumer level.
  1. Impose a border carbon adjustment (BCA) on commodity imports from countries that lack a meaningful carbon price. This levels the playing field between the US and trading partners:

  • The BCA will (1) discourage US businesses from relocating where they can emit more CO2 and (2) motivate other countries to adopt similar carbon pricing policies.


Carbon Pricing: Why We Need It, How It’s Working, and How to Build Support (Jonathan Marshall, 2nd Edition, January 2025)

New for 2025, from Jonathan Marshall. 
To better understand WHY a price on carbon is imperative in fighting global climate change…
Read this:

Carbon Pricing Book 2d edition – Marshall

Upcoming Events:

Hello neighbors and everyone concerned about our rapidly changing climate.  This year we need to be more active than ever! Please join our chapter meetings  and the National Call each month where we discuss the economics of a carbon fee and dividend at the national level. 

At the California State level, we are encouraging our Governor, Assembly and Senate to establish the infrastructure to support a state-wide migration off of fossil fuels and toward an all renewable electric environment. 

At these meetings, we also plan for various events during the year to educate others on the facts on climate change and how a carbon fee and dividend can supercharge all other efforts. We also have a continuing effort to lobby Congress climate change solutions.

These meetings are also a great opportunity to ask questions and learn how we can quickly slow down and reverse climate change for the next generation. 

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Saturday November 8, 2025:
At 9:00am Join the Marin and Santa Rosa Chapter CCL Meeting

Renowned climate scientist Dr. Ben Santer spoke to us on August 9, shortly after the release of the DOE’s disputed report challenging decades of established climate science. The report was intended to justify rescinding the EPA’s “endangerment finding,” the legal basis for US GHG regulations since 2009. Much has happened since, some of it encouraging, some not so much.
Dr. Santer will describe how the scientific community quickly organized a united response, which helped our National Academy of Sciences to produce its own report which resoundingly refuted the DOE report. 
 
Ben will also share his reaction to Bill Gates’ recent essay suggesting that funding for climate mitigation is diverting funds from helping feed the world’s poor — as if they’re somehow unrelated.
Click here to join us on Zoom!

NOTE: There is no national call this Saturday (November 8th)

But don’t miss the Fall Virtual Conference the following week!
Friday & Saturday, November 14-15 ,2025

Grounded in our values and guided by a new strategy, CCL is pushing climate action forward.

CCL’s new strategic plan will be revealed along with the traditional exciting events. Learn CCL plan’s to move forward in the current challenging environment.

What to expect:

  • Equip yourself to be an effective climate advocate in the current political landscape.
  • Learn the policy details of permitting reform, a critical component of America’s clean energy future.
  • Reconnect with CCL’s values and unique culture, so you’re ready to carry our new strategy forward.
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About Citizens’ Climate Lobby in a Short 2 Minute Video:

White Papers and Articles that can help you better understand Carbon Fee and Dividend:

  • Carbon Pricing: Why We Need It, How It’s Working, and How to Build Support (Jonathan Marshall, 2nd Edition, January 2025)

New for 2025, from Jonathan Marshall.  Understand WHY a price on carbon is imperative in fighting global climate change!

Carbon Pricing Book 2d edition – Marshall

Written testimony to the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee following its March 23, 2022 hearing on Promoting American Energy Security by Facilitating Investments and Innovation in Climate Solutions.

“Prosperous Sweden, which first introduced carbon taxes in 1990, today emits only a third as much carbon dioxide per dollar of gross domestic product as the United States.”

“Three pending climate bills would achieve Biden’s bold climate targets, satisfy budget reconciliation criteria, and meet the all-important political criterion of achieving public support.”

“While a steadily rising fee on fossil fuel pollution helps deliver swift and meaningful environmental justice, the dividend delivers a remarkable measure of economic justice.”

“Here’s a way to manage both fossil fuel lobbying power and the economic impact of a rapid reduction in fossil fuel use: get the fossil fuel companies to PAY individuals to stop using their products.”

(Click Here for an archive of White Papers and other published articles and letters.)

Locally Published Newspaper Opinions and Letters:

  • Marin IJ Voice (Jonathan Marshall and Ray Welsh)

PG&E’s electricity rate reform is needed to move forward)
May 6, 2023

  • S.F. Chronicle Opinion (Ray Welsh)

How Newsom’s $400 California gas rebate idea can be scaled up to fight climate change April 23, 2022

Who Supports Carbon Fee and Dividend in Marin?

Several Marin organizations have endorsed previous congressional bills supporting and carbon fee and dividend.  They include:

  • Marin Board of Supervisors
  • College of Marin Board of Trustees
  • Canal Alliance
  • MCE (Marin Clean Energy)
  • SolarCraft
  • Turning Green 
  • Indivisible Marin
  • Mike’s Bikes
  • Marin County Bicycle Coalition
  • Good Earth Natural Foods
  • KW Botanicals
  • Jayli
  • EcoRing
  • Crook Beales Design
  • Simple Solar

Take Action Right Now:

Join CCL Today

Join Citizens’ Climate Lobby to stay up-to-date on events and information regarding climate action. This is also a great way to connect with the community.

If you are you a new member or you want to get more involved…
  • You can also sign up for an information session and learn more about Citizens’ Climate Lobby and how you can make a difference – it covers the basics about our approach and our preferred solution. Get your questions answered live!
  • If you want to become more involved LOCALLY here in Marintake this brief questionnaire that can provide areas where you can contribute and make of difference:

Write to Congress

Contact Senator Adam Shiff here

Contact Senator Alex Padilla here

Contact our Representative Jared Huffman here