Get to Know: Dr. Eliza Nemser

And Find Out How You Can Drive Climate Policy

In response to one of our recent issues in which we urged our readers to do more to build bipartisan support for climate policy, many of you asked for specific suggestions on how you can best engage in politics. I immediately thought l should introduce you to my friend Eliza Nemser, whose organization Climate Changemakers answers just that question. Eliza and team provide a roadmap for you to take action and advocate for bold, science-based equitable climate solutions. You can see some of their impressive recent work here.

Meet Eliza Nemser

“What can I do?” lament many climate-concerned citizens with regard to our inadequate public climate policy and the daunting divisiveness and polarization around the issue.

Let’s ask Eliza.

1. What are the most promising initiatives underway at your organization?

At Climate Changemakers, we're cultivating effective climate advocates, and to me, that’s inherently exciting. We do this by equipping volunteers with opportunities and resources to advance timely, high-impact climate policies.

For example, since the Inflation Reduction Act’s passage, we’ve been focused on mobilizing volunteers to fast-track the rollout of various federal climate programs. Working in collaboration with EDF Action, we just launched our Solar For All campaign. We’re rallying constituents nationwide to let states and municipalities know how to tap into the $7 billion in EPA grants aimed at catalyzing solar energy development in disadvantaged and low-income communities.

We’ve also begun to expand our reach by hosting our flagship ‘Hour of Action’ events for partners, from fellow climate organizations to companies of all sizes where employees are looking for team-building opportunities that include meaningful climate action.

2. Many people feel climate advocacy is broken. What aspect do you think needs the most Improvement?

This is a critical area of focus for us: prioritizing personalized, sustained engagement over “clicktivism,” even if it takes a bit more time. Researchers like Professor John Cluverius at UMass Lowell have found that high volume constituent correspondence (like mass email campaigns) can backfire because of the “astroturf effect” — the messages are trusted less because they lack personalization and don’t appear to convey genuine constituent sentiment.

I believe clicktivism can also have a concerning secondary effect: while it’s enticing to take action with a few easy clicks, it doesn't inspire a sense of agency and may contribute to a feeling that one’s actions won’t make a difference, leading to less engagement, or worse, despair.

For impactful advocacy that moves policymaker opinion, Dr. Cluverius identified a “sweet spot” that balances correspondence quality with volume. Genuine, personalized messaging is most effective, and it doesn’t take thousands or even hundreds of messages to get policymakers’ attention. We should communicate clear policy asks framed by our own words and perspectives.

3. A few days ago, the Republican candidates for President (minus Trump) had a debate. They were asked about the climate challenge, and not one of them expressed any interest in addressing the matter. How discouraged about this partisan divide should we be? We also recently asked our readers — whether they are professional environmentalists or simply concerned citizens — to reach out to and engage with Republicans in an effort to build bipartisan support for climate action. In your view, was this naive of us or can we really make a difference?

Climate denial, dismissal, and a focus on false solutions is all deeply discouraging, that’s for sure. And the fact that these conversations are still ongoing against a backdrop of extreme weather events and tons of human suffering evokes a painful cognitive dissonance. 

Here’s the thing: while Democrats passed the historic Inflation Reduction Act without Republican support, when you look at the range of climate policy solutions — from mitigation to adaptation, and at all levels of government — there’s no question that durable policy results will require a great deal of bipartisan cooperation.

Everyone can help achieve this, because it’s all about relationships. Building honest, cross-partisan relationships based on shared values and incentives can pave the way for real progress.

The starting point — whether you’re talking to your uncle, neighbor, or an elected official — is emphasizing common ground and fostering open dialogue, prioritizing relationships over partisan agendas. A great place to build those connections with policymakers is at the local level, where issues related to the clean energy transition may not be as hyper politicized as they are on the national stage. 

4. If you were in charge and could institute any single public policy today, what would it be?

The time has come and gone for fossil fuel subsidies. 

5. What’s the most satisfying thing you have accomplished at Climate Changemakers?

I love this question, because while starting a nonprofit has certainly been a challenge, it has also been very fulfilling. Working with a dedicated team of cofounders, staff, advisors, and volunteers who “get it” has been enormously rewarding. It’s heartwarming to watch volunteers discover their agency and grow as advocates, and reading their unsolicited testimonials is an ongoing testament to our impact.

I also deeply value our collaborations with partners like Rewiring America, Climate Town, Evergreen Action, ClimateVoice, Drawdown Labs of Project Drawdown, Science Moms, and most recently, EDF Action.

Our recent Solar For All campaign launch event with EDF Action was particularly meaningful to me because we set a new attendance record for our “Hours of Action.” These events are not webinars; they are actual climate action coworking sessions, so it was pretty thrilling that — on a Monday evening in August — 177 volunteers joined the Zoom call ready to roll up their sleeves and take meaningful action.

6. Your mission is helping others engage in advocacy. Can you share a story of someone who had a “win” after following your roadmap?

These wins are constantly streaming in, it’s amazing. We have a steady beat of changemakers getting Letters to the Editor and Op-Eds published in newspapers across the United States; many have thanked us for giving them the tools and encouragement to write.

One inspiring story comes from a volunteer who reached out to their councilwoman and got a quick response inviting them to “sit down and help make a plan” for how to disseminate information to her constituents about home electrification incentives available through the IRA.

We’ve also seen some great examples of that essential bipartisan bridge-building at the local level. For instance, a changemaker in Maine had a confrontational call about building electrification with their Republican state legislator, only to receive an unexpected call back from him the very next day, during which he was more open-minded and requested more information on the topic.

On a grassroots level, a volunteer was inspired to use our Hour of Action model to organize an event at their church, prompting collective action on regional environmental initiatives.

7. Now let’s talk about how to get people involved. Please share a piece of advice for young people who want to push for more ambitious public policy. And how about some advice for old-timers (like me) too?

The youth climate movement is on fire, and senior volunteerism has long been an instrumental force in American democracy, but there’s something of a missing middle. So, my first piece of advice is to this missing middle — let’s broadly say folks between about 20 and 60 years old — and the advice is: get in the game, we need you! 

The rest of my advice is universal: we need more changemakers (a changemaker on every block!), and more people leveraging their social capital by asking people in their orbit to engage. Pushing for more ambitious public policy necessitates a two-pronged approach: electoral and policy advocacy. I’m asked this “what can I do?” question a lot, so we’ve made it easy to plug in at Climate Changemakers. Here’s my answer in a nutshell:

L Lend your voice and advocate, voting isn’t enough.

E Engage with a community. 

A Allocate the time and make it a priority. 

D Develop a habit of sustained engagement. 

E Elevate your civic participation, be courageous and ready to level up. 

R Reach out into your own sphere of influence, set a visible example to inspire others to take action.

8. At the Instigator, we believe that everyone has some important and special capability they can use to make a positive impact on the world. What’s your’s?

I have a strong sense of purpose, and I’m not afraid to follow my gut and navigate complexity.

Thank you, Eliza!