Author: Madeleine Para

We’ve been having some very encouraging conversations in our latest round of phone banking. Our new script is very different from what we have used in the past because it is based on deep canvassing. It leads off with asking people about their opinions on the environment and climate solutions, and some people really want to talk about it! While callers still receive many of the usual responses such as wrong number, not home, voicemail and hangups, the conversations that we do have seem to be connecting emotionally with environmentalists who don’t typically vote.

Two of our phone banking volunteers share their recent experiences below:

“I had a few in-depth, heartfelt conversations while phone banking one night last week using our new script. One woman I talked to said she was uncomfortable about what seemed to her like “the weird shifting of the seasons.” She said she was also very frustrated that some people just don’t see it. After asking her to tell me more, she talked about how winters are so much shorter now and we shared our mutual sadness that snow is no longer practically guaranteed for Christmas anymore. One of her family members lives in northern Wisconsin, and they never even got their snowmobiles out last year. The snowmobile trails were not opened even once. She confirmed that family traditions were very important to her. She and I agreed that many things are very different now because of the weird weather caused by climate change. After we had talked, she was absolutely sure she would be voting. She thanked me for talking with her.”  – Jill Mitchler

“Using a deep-canvassing-inspired phone banking script and the polished call list, I had an incredibly fulfilling phone banking session last week with several deep conversations! With one caller, I shared my experience of wildfire smoke clouding my neighborhood, and they talked about how they knew people in California who were affected by other wildfires. We developed a shared understanding of our love for those we care about. The phone call comforted me. It affirmed my belief that there are others like me who want to talk about their deep-rooted feelings about climate change with people who want to understand, not debate. As a bonus, the caller I mentioned committed to go to the polls and even agreed to a text reminder! Thank you to all of the previous phone bankers who worked hard to clean up the call list and make my phone banking session a motivational experience.” – Jun Gesteland

We are phone banking twice a week through the end of October. Give it a try! In addition to having some inspiring discussions by telephone, we’re learning and practicing skills that can be used in our everyday, face-to-face conversations. Every phone banking session includes training.

Tuesday mornings – 10:00 to 11:30 am CT (if you don’t need training you can just come at 10:30 or whenever you want to start) Zoom Link:  https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/j/86403066619? pwd=lrOXb1RSpeKoUj4BGEHaHc9ACh06VH.1 Meeting ID:  864 0306 6619   Passcode:  123

Thursday evenings – 6-7:45 pm CT Link:  https://citizensclimate.zoom.us/j/87024242304?pwd=OWKcfiUiaARQUE7MNcpr1f2GLPcceZ.1 Meeting ID:  870 2424 2304  Passcode:  123

Please consider joining us; we’d love to have your help. And if it’s out of your comfort zone, remember that’s where the magic happens!

The Wisconsin Climate Voter campaign is moving ahead to turn out thousands of environmental voters for the November 5th general election. We did a fantastic job of educating voters through our postcarding, phone banking and conversations leading up to the August primary, and we also helped defeat the constitutional amendments that would have slowed down our transition to clean energy in Wisconsin.

Here’s the plan for our work this fall as we head into the November election:

1. Postcarding! We will again mail 20,000 handwritten postcards to encourage low frequency voters to be sure to vote in November. Most of those are already distributed to people. the postcards must be put in the mail on October 15th. Email cclwisco@gmail.com if you or someone in your chapter would like to get involved. More info here.
2. Phone banking starts Thursday, September 19, 6-7:45 pm and will continue every Thursday night until the election. We would love to have more help with this. The interactive script will be more climate-focused and, as always, training is provided each week. In addition, we’ll hold a special training on our new script on Thursday September 12th. More info here.
3. Individual action by each of us to reach out to our personal and casual networks remains important.  You have many tools for doing that: email, postcards, social media, and personal conversations. You can get ideas and make a plan using our November Election Personal Worksheet. 
4. Join our new Zoom co-working sessions! Climate work is more fun when you have company, so bring your work to the zoom session and work alongside other people. You can also get ideas or help while you’re there. We’re holding them twice a week in September and October (on Tuesday and Saturday mornings from 9:30-10:30 am). Learn more about it on our website post. 
5. Stay up-to-date on our plans, and get everything you need at our campaign website page:  https://cclwi.org/wisconsin-climate-voter-campaign/ or in the CCLWI calendar.  

Thank you to everyone who has participated in our Climate Voter Campaign. Your work has made a difference! Hundreds of us have taken action both big and small and it adds up on election day.