Summer of Action 2022

This summer, CEC received a grant from the EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) to host a Summer of Action in partnership with the Houston Climate Movement. The purpose of this Summer of Action is twofold: to educate the community and electeds and to advocate for solutions that work for all of us.

Our city is both the epicenter of the US fossil fuel industry and an area hard hit by climate disasters.

Through a series of events, we plan to facilitate community healing, provide opportunities for climate education and advocacy, and support frontline leaders in building more resilient communities.

Timeline:

The Summer of Action began in June with two community listening sessions, where we gave community members a chance to voice their concerns, process their climate grief, and connect with one another. The first one was held on June 26. Thank you to everyone for attending and showing your strength and vulnerability.

In July, we hosted 3 Knowledge and Skill Building sessions to support the needs of community members (as identified in the listening sessions) in preparation for advocacy meetings with elected officials later in the summer. The topics included Climate Action 101, Deep Dive on Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and Justice40 Initiative, and Legislative Advocacy.

In August, CEC organized meetings with members of Congress (MoC). Community members involved in HCM, particularly those harmed by the climate crisis, were invited to join these important meetings to discuss the urgency of climate action. 

The Summer of Action will culminate with a Community Climate Summit in early September. The Summit will provide a space for frontline community members and environmental advocacy professionals to come together, share resources, learn about neighborhood-specific issues, identify sustainability strategies, create a shared vision, and develop action plans to help protect the health of Houston communities.

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We are so excited to see how energizing the Summer of Action has been and appreciate everyone who has attended the past events. Stay tuned for more information on the Community Climate Summit!