The Chesapeake Climate Action Network

is the first grassroots, nonprofit organization dedicated exclusively to fighting global warming in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Our mission is to educate and mobilize citizens of this region in a way that fosters a rapid societal switch to clean energy and energy-efficient products, thus joining similar efforts worldwide to slow and perhaps halt the dangerous trend of global warming.



The Chesapeake Climate Action Network was officially launched on July 1st 2002 with a seed grant from the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. For at least a year prior to that date, current director Mike Tidwell had begun organizing and advocating around global warming issues in the Maryland/Virginia/DC region. Principle among these early activities was the conversion of Mike’s home almost entirely to renewable energy and the initiation of Saturday open houses every other month. These clean energy open houses drew early supporters to the cause and helped launch CCAN’s email/networking database.