CEL Climate Lab
CEL launched the CEL Climate Lab in 2011 to strengthen the U.S. climate organizing and communications landscape, particularly in terms of rapid response capacity. We believe the primary obstacle to climate action in the U.S. is a lack of cultural and political will, and we pursue three primary strategies for building that will:
- Increase the Urgency. We help Americans recognize climate change as an urgent threat to our economy and safety.
- Expand the Coalition. We seek to expand the coalition of those engaged in promoting climate action and a clean energy future.
- Draw the Line. We strive to make those who deny climate science or stand in the way of action politically toxic.
Our Approach
The CEL Climate Lab is all about filling gaps. We have great respect for the numerous organizations working to promote climate action in the U.S. But we also know that ongoing innovation is needed to spur the massive cultural and political shifts needed to move the needle on climate change.
Following the approach of our parent organization, the CEL Climate Lab incubates new organizing projects, experiments with innovative new strategies, and fosters collaboration across the field. We focus on high leverage opportunities where our expertise in tech-savvy, culturally-resonant campaigning can make the biggest impact, and and we practice continual experimentation and testing. Our work fuses the latest online organizing tools with the power of traditional offline action to push policymakers, change the media narrative, and win concrete victories. Read more about our projects below.
Current Projects
Forecast the Facts is a grassroots, online community of more than 100,000 members who take action to end climate change denial and spread information about climate impacts.
The Climate Relief Fund is a new, collaborative fundraising effort that raises money for the victims of climate-fueled extreme weather and lifts up spokespeople from impacted communities.
By capitalizing on cultural moments, fighting fossil fuel development, and ensuring kids learn climate science in school, Climate Parents is working to make fighting climate change part of every parents’ “job description.”
Learn More
Our "Climate ChangeD" series of shareable social media graphics features visually arresting examples of current climate impacts, with a focus on extreme weather.
Projects in Development
Past Projects
Fighting Fracking
In the winter of 2012, the CEL Climate Lab produced compelling television ads to support the grassroots organizing campaign that has successfully delayed the introduction of fracking in New York State.
During the 2012 election, the CEL Climate Lab led a coalition of groups to call out the “climate silence” of both presidential candidates in a two-month, multi-faceted campaign that forced climate change into the national conversation.
