<description>In Citizens Climate Radio's latest installment of our policy series, hosts Elissa Tennant and Dana Nuccitelli dive deep into the latest updates from Capitol Hill. With the Senate Finance Committee’s budget proposal now public, they unpack what it means for the clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

How do the House and Senate versions compare? What would repealing these tax credits cost American households and jobs? What role does energy security—and even AI—play in the clean energy conversation? Elissa and Dana bring clarity to a complex policy moment and offer listeners tangible next steps for action.

You’ll also hear about upcoming CCL leadership changes, summer conference plans, and two thoughtful listener voicemails—including one from someone who really wants to bring back Energy Star.

🎧 Topics Covered:

Senate vs. House proposals on clean energy tax credits

The mysterious “bird bath” process

Projected increases in household energy costs

Threats to clean energy manufacturing and jobs

What to expect next in Congress

How you can make your voice heard

📞 Call or text us with your questions or comments: +1 (619) 512-9646

🗳️ Take action to defend clean energy tax credits: https://cclusa.org/IRAdefense

🎟️ Join us at the Summer Conference in Washington, D.C., July 20–22: https://cclusa.org/conference

🎙️ Citizens Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education.</description>

In Citizens Climate Radio's latest installment of…

In Citizens Climate Radio's latest installment of our policy series, hosts Elissa Tennant and Dana Nuccitelli dive deep into the latest updates from Capitol Hill. With the Senate Finance Committee’s budget proposal now public, they unpack what it means for the clean energy tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act.

How do the House and Senate versions compare? What would repealing these tax credits cost American households and jobs? What role does energy security—and even AI—play in the clean energy conversation? Elissa and Dana bring clarity to a complex policy moment and offer listeners tangible next steps for action.

You’ll also hear about upcoming CCL leadership changes, summer conference plans, and two thoughtful listener voicemails—including one from someone who really wants to bring back Energy Star.

🎧 Topics Covered:

Senate vs. House proposals on clean energy tax credits

The mysterious “bird bath” process

Projected increases in household energy costs

Threats to clean energy manufacturing and jobs

What to expect next in Congress

How you can make your voice heard

📞 Call or text us with your questions or comments: +1 (619) 512-9646

🗳️ Take action to defend clean energy tax credits: https://cclusa.org/IRAdefense

🎟️ Join us at the Summer Conference in Washington, D.C., July 20–22: https://cclusa.org/conference

🎙️ Citizens Climate Radio is a project of Citizens’ Climate Education.

What’s at Stake for Clean Energy Tax Credits? With Elissa Tennant and Dana Nuccitelli

<description>In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, we dive into the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—the biggest climate legislation in U.S. history—and the urgent effort underway to protect its clean energy tax credits.

CCL’s Content Marketing Manager Elissa Tennant joins CCL’s Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli to break it all down. You’ll learn what the IRA funds, how clean energy tax credits work for individuals and businesses, and why these programs are now under threat. Dana also explains the budget reconciliation process, the challenges in Congress, and the surprising level of bipartisan public support for clean energy investment.
You'll leave this episode knowing exactly why the IRA matters—and what simple actions you can take to defend it.

Featured Guests:
Elissa Tennant is CCL’s Content Marketing Manager, leading strategy and creation for web, social media, and volunteer resources.

Dana Nuccitelli is CCL’s Research Manager, an environmental scientist, and an award-winning climate journalist with a background in physics and over a decade of science communication experience.

Full transcript and more: visit www.cclusa.org/radio
Resources Mentioned:
📄 Take action to defend clean energy tax credits: cclusa.org/IRAdefense


📅 Register for the 2025 Citizens' Climate Lobby Summer Conference: cclusa.org/conference


🌟 Get involved with other climate actions: cclusa.org/action


🦖 Schoolhouse Rock: Tyrannosaurus Debt (explainer video): Watch on YouTube


🧠 Join CCL’s Nerd Corner (for policy deep dives): CCL Community - Nerd Corner


Highlights:
Why the Inflation Reduction Act focuses so heavily on clean energy.


What “tax credits” mean for individuals, businesses, and the broader economy.


How budget reconciliation works—and why it's mostly a partisan process today.


Why Republicans and Democrats alike have reasons to support clean energy tax credits.


How CCL volunteers are defending climate investments—and how you can help.


We Want to Hear from You
Email: radio @ citizensclimate.org
Text/Voicemail: 619-512-9646
Social Media: Follow us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.</description>

In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, we div…

In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, we dive into the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA)—the biggest climate legislation in U.S. history—and the urgent effort underway to protect its clean energy tax credits.

CCL’s Content Marketing Manager Elissa Tennant joins CCL’s Research Manager Dana Nuccitelli to break it all down. You’ll learn what the IRA funds, how clean energy tax credits work for individuals and businesses, and why these programs are now under threat. Dana also explains the budget reconciliation process, the challenges in Congress, and the surprising level of bipartisan public support for clean energy investment.
You'll leave this episode knowing exactly why the IRA matters—and what simple actions you can take to defend it.

Featured Guests:
Elissa Tennant is CCL’s Content Marketing Manager, leading strategy and creation for web, social media, and volunteer resources.

Dana Nuccitelli is CCL’s Research Manager, an environmental scientist, and an award-winning climate journalist with a background in physics and over a decade of science communication experience.

Full transcript and more: visit www.cclusa.org/radio
Resources Mentioned:
📄 Take action to defend clean energy tax credits: cclusa.org/IRAdefense


📅 Register for the 2025 Citizens' Climate Lobby Summer Conference: cclusa.org/conference


🌟 Get involved with other climate actions: cclusa.org/action


🦖 Schoolhouse Rock: Tyrannosaurus Debt (explainer video): Watch on YouTube


🧠 Join CCL’s Nerd Corner (for policy deep dives): CCL Community - Nerd Corner


Highlights:
Why the Inflation Reduction Act focuses so heavily on clean energy.


What “tax credits” mean for individuals, businesses, and the broader economy.


How budget reconciliation works—and why it's mostly a partisan process today.


Why Republicans and Democrats alike have reasons to support clean energy tax credits.


How CCL volunteers are defending climate investments—and how you can help.


We Want to Hear from You
Email: radio @ citizensclimate.org
Text/Voicemail: 619-512-9646
Social Media: Follow us on X, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok.

Saving Clean Energy Tax Credits-- Inside the Inflation Reduction Act Fight

<description>Elise Silvestri explores how art can strengthen climate advocacy with Carrie Ziegler, an interdisciplinary Artist, Speaker, and Community Engagement Expert. Carrie talks about her process for creating and executing the Chrysalis Project: Transforming Together, an art and climate policy project that enacted powerful change over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the participating students, Brisa Sabel, shares her experience of the successful campaign and the  joy and inspiration it gave her. 

Peterson Toscano has a surprisingly good news story: like our responses to climate change, the format of CCR is adapting! [insert finalized details here]

Listen to Carrie Ziegler discuss the power of art storytelling in making meaningful, local climate policy.

Carrie Ziegler harnesses the collective power of art to drive social and environmental transformation. Through her Art in Action initiatives, she collaborates with diverse entities—local governments, organizations, schools, and universities—to create multi-dimensional works that blend participant creativity with pressing societal issues. These projects inspire active engagement, bringing communities together to create lasting change. Along with the Chrysalis Project, Carrie also led the Plastic Whale Project, where students created a life-sized whale out of plastic bags. The whale played a pivotal role in successfully passing a ban on single-use plastic bags in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County, Washington.

Based in Olympia, Washington, Carrie is recognized internationally, bringing her impactful vision to global forums, including Aotearoa (New Zealand), Ghana, France, Mexico, and Canada. She empowers Artists and Change Makers to maximize their societal impact through art, inspiring a broader movement of change driven by creativity. Complementing her hands-on work, Carrie is penning her inaugural book, Eclosion: An Artist’s Path to Power and Peace. In this work, she intertwines her memoir with a practical guide for unleashing personal and collective potential, offering a blueprint for transformative change through art—a light for a world in desperate need of inspiration.

Check out her work on her Instagram, @carriezieglerart.</description>

Elise Silvestri explores how art can strengthen c…

Elise Silvestri explores how art can strengthen climate advocacy with Carrie Ziegler, an interdisciplinary Artist, Speaker, and Community Engagement Expert. Carrie talks about her process for creating and executing the Chrysalis Project: Transforming Together, an art and climate policy project that enacted powerful change over Zoom during the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the participating students, Brisa Sabel, shares her experience of the successful campaign and the  joy and inspiration it gave her. 

Peterson Toscano has a surprisingly good news story: like our responses to climate change, the format of CCR is adapting! [insert finalized details here]

Listen to Carrie Ziegler discuss the power of art storytelling in making meaningful, local climate policy.

Carrie Ziegler harnesses the collective power of art to drive social and environmental transformation. Through her Art in Action initiatives, she collaborates with diverse entities—local governments, organizations, schools, and universities—to create multi-dimensional works that blend participant creativity with pressing societal issues. These projects inspire active engagement, bringing communities together to create lasting change. Along with the Chrysalis Project, Carrie also led the Plastic Whale Project, where students created a life-sized whale out of plastic bags. The whale played a pivotal role in successfully passing a ban on single-use plastic bags in Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, and Thurston County, Washington.

Based in Olympia, Washington, Carrie is recognized internationally, bringing her impactful vision to global forums, including Aotearoa (New Zealand), Ghana, France, Mexico, and Canada. She empowers Artists and Change Makers to maximize their societal impact through art, inspiring a broader movement of change driven by creativity. Complementing her hands-on work, Carrie is penning her inaugural book, Eclosion: An Artist’s Path to Power and Peace. In this work, she intertwines her memoir with a practical guide for unleashing personal and collective potential, offering a blueprint for transformative change through art—a light for a world in desperate need of inspiration.

Check out her work on her Instagram, @carriezieglerart.

Can Art Impact Climate Change Policy? Promoting Common Sense Solutions Through Art

<description>In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, co-hosts Peterson Toscano and Elise Silvestri dive into the pressing issue of climate anxiety with Kate Schapira, creator of the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth in Providence, Rhode Island. Kate shares her decade-long journey of listening to people’s climate worries, how she transformed these conversations into actionable climate engagement, and the insights she presents in her book, Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth: How to Live With Care and Purpose in an Endangered World.

This episode also features an inspiring good news story: a group of students in Tucson, Arizona, successfully passed a climate action resolution for their school district, securing funding for sustainability initiatives and setting an example for youth-led climate action.

Tune in to learn how listening, storytelling, and collective action can transform climate despair into meaningful change.

Show Notes
Learn more about Kate Schapira and her work: KateSchapira.com
Read Kate’s book: Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth</description>

In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, co-hos…

In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, co-hosts Peterson Toscano and Elise Silvestri dive into the pressing issue of climate anxiety with Kate Schapira, creator of the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth in Providence, Rhode Island. Kate shares her decade-long journey of listening to people’s climate worries, how she transformed these conversations into actionable climate engagement, and the insights she presents in her book, Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth: How to Live With Care and Purpose in an Endangered World.

This episode also features an inspiring good news story: a group of students in Tucson, Arizona, successfully passed a climate action resolution for their school district, securing funding for sustainability initiatives and setting an example for youth-led climate action.

Tune in to learn how listening, storytelling, and collective action can transform climate despair into meaningful change.

Show Notes
Learn more about Kate Schapira and her work: KateSchapira.com
Read Kate’s book: Lessons from the Climate Anxiety Counseling Booth

Can Talking About Climate Change Reduce Anxiety? Find Out How

<description>For episode 101 of Citizens Climate Radio, we highlight two powerful voices shaping the climate conversation—Elise Silvestri, a college student and musician passionate about climate justice, and Linda Sue Park, an award-winning author using storytelling to inspire young activists.

Elise, who has worked on the Citizens Climate Radio team for six months, shares her journey through eco-anxiety, activism, and music production. She believes that addressing the climate crisis requires radical imagination—envisioning the world we want to create rather than just reacting to the crises around us. Elise also introduces us to Linda Sue Park, whose latest book, Gracie Under the Waves, follows a young snorkeling enthusiast as she discovers the urgent need for ocean conservation.

Facing Eco Anxiety with Imagination and Action
Elise Silvestri knows firsthand the overwhelming anxiety that can come from thinking about climate change. Like many young activists, she has struggled with fears about the future, moments of paralysis, and the emotional weight of the crisis. In this episode, Elise shares how she transformed her eco-anxiety into action—first through climate organizing with the Sunrise Movement and later through audio engineering and music production.

By blending her passion for music with climate activism, Elise has found ways to build resilience for herself and the communities she works with. From powering live sound stages with solar energy to using podcasting as a medium for climate storytelling, Elise exemplifies the power of creativity in climate advocacy.

Linda Sue Park on Finding Your Climate Passion
Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park joins the conversation to discuss Gracie Under the Waves, her latest book for young readers. Inspired by her love for snorkeling, the book follows Gracie’s growing awareness of coral reef degradation and its broader implications for the health of our oceans.

"Gracie's journey parallels my own. At first, I just wanted to snorkel. Then I realized that the coral reefs were imperiled, and I had to do something." —Linda Sue Park.
Linda encourages young readers to find their own path into climate activism by connecting their passions to climate justice. Whether through art, science, writing, or community work, she believes that the most effective advocacy comes from personal investment.

"There are many ways to help our planet. The most effective way is to connect it to something you already love—because then your enthusiasm is genuine, and you won’t get tired of talking about it." —Linda Sue Park.

Learn more: https://lindasuepark.com/

The Power of Community and Collaboration
In their conversation, Elise and Linda emphasize the importance of community in climate activism. Linda notes that for too long, Western culture has celebrated rugged individualism—but collaboration is essential when it comes to the climate crisis.

"For a very long time, children's books emphasized the idea of solving problems alone. But that time has passed. We are stronger when we work together." —Linda Sue Park.
Elise echoes this sentiment, recalling how her work with Sunrise Movement helped her feel less alone in her climate anxiety. By finding a community, she could channel her fear into tangible action.

Join the Conversation
What motivates you to take climate action? How have you navigated eco-anxiety in your own life? We'd love to hear your story!
📩 Email us at radio @ citizensclimate.org
 📞 Call or text our listener voicemail line: (619) 512-9646
 💬 Follow us on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok 


</description>

For episode 101 of Citizens Climate Radio, we hig…

For episode 101 of Citizens Climate Radio, we highlight two powerful voices shaping the climate conversation—Elise Silvestri, a college student and musician passionate about climate justice, and Linda Sue Park, an award-winning author using storytelling to inspire young activists.

Elise, who has worked on the Citizens Climate Radio team for six months, shares her journey through eco-anxiety, activism, and music production. She believes that addressing the climate crisis requires radical imagination—envisioning the world we want to create rather than just reacting to the crises around us. Elise also introduces us to Linda Sue Park, whose latest book, Gracie Under the Waves, follows a young snorkeling enthusiast as she discovers the urgent need for ocean conservation.

Facing Eco Anxiety with Imagination and Action
Elise Silvestri knows firsthand the overwhelming anxiety that can come from thinking about climate change. Like many young activists, she has struggled with fears about the future, moments of paralysis, and the emotional weight of the crisis. In this episode, Elise shares how she transformed her eco-anxiety into action—first through climate organizing with the Sunrise Movement and later through audio engineering and music production.

By blending her passion for music with climate activism, Elise has found ways to build resilience for herself and the communities she works with. From powering live sound stages with solar energy to using podcasting as a medium for climate storytelling, Elise exemplifies the power of creativity in climate advocacy.

Linda Sue Park on Finding Your Climate Passion
Newbery Medal-winning author Linda Sue Park joins the conversation to discuss Gracie Under the Waves, her latest book for young readers. Inspired by her love for snorkeling, the book follows Gracie’s growing awareness of coral reef degradation and its broader implications for the health of our oceans.

"Gracie's journey parallels my own. At first, I just wanted to snorkel. Then I realized that the coral reefs were imperiled, and I had to do something." —Linda Sue Park.
Linda encourages young readers to find their own path into climate activism by connecting their passions to climate justice. Whether through art, science, writing, or community work, she believes that the most effective advocacy comes from personal investment.

"There are many ways to help our planet. The most effective way is to connect it to something you already love—because then your enthusiasm is genuine, and you won’t get tired of talking about it." —Linda Sue Park.

Learn more: https://lindasuepark.com/

The Power of Community and Collaboration
In their conversation, Elise and Linda emphasize the importance of community in climate activism. Linda notes that for too long, Western culture has celebrated rugged individualism—but collaboration is essential when it comes to the climate crisis.

"For a very long time, children's books emphasized the idea of solving problems alone. But that time has passed. We are stronger when we work together." —Linda Sue Park.
Elise echoes this sentiment, recalling how her work with Sunrise Movement helped her feel less alone in her climate anxiety. By finding a community, she could channel her fear into tangible action.

Join the Conversation
What motivates you to take climate action? How have you navigated eco-anxiety in your own life? We'd love to hear your story!
📩 Email us at radio @ citizensclimate.org
 📞 Call or text our listener voicemail line: (619) 512-9646
 💬 Follow us on Instagram, X, LinkedIn, Facebook, and TikTok 




Snorkeling and Climate Change with Linda Sue Park and Elise Silvestri

A monthly podcast for climate advocates hosted by Peterson Toscano & the CCR Team, high school and college-aged climate change action figures. We help you talk about global warming: its causes & impacts.

Citizens Climate Radio Climate Change Podcast

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