The Biden administration has overcome obstacles in Congress to secure funding for the American Climate Corps, a federal program to work towards providing employment opportunities in the clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience fields for thousands of young Americans.
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The American Climate Corps will be a collaborative effort among various federal agencies, including the departments of Commerce, Interior, Agriculture, Labor, and Energy, as well as the Environmental Protection Agency and AmeriCorps. The White House has announced significant progress in establishing its climate corps for young people.
The success of the ACC largely depends on the interest of young Americans who want to join the program. To engage with these young people and discuss how to implement the program in different areas facing diversifying climate realities, the corps will be hosting "virtual listening sessions" in January. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Ed Markey are expected to participate in these talks.
Since the announcement of the ACC, nearly 50,000 people from all states, territories, and Puerto Rico have expressed their interest in joining by signing up to learn more. A portal to apply for the program will be launched next spring, as said by the White House.
The White House also compared the ACC to President Franklin Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, which was established in 1933 to provide employment opportunities for young men during the Great Depression by focusing on preserving public lands.
Maggie Thomas, special assistant for climate to President Joe Biden, expressed that this program is exceptional in the lifetime of most of the people involved. The administration initially attempted to fund the program through the Inflation Reduction Act, which was approved by Congress last year but the funding was eventually removed from the final version. The White House now plans to utilize funds from various agencies to support climate-focused initiatives and bring the vision of the American Climate Corps to life. Additionally, the federal program will collaborate with existing climate corps programs in California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Washington.
Thomas said that although they still believe that Congress spending is a good idea, they are also utilizing their creativity to ensure that every available tool is being used to address the climate crisis. They are involving multiple agencies and the younger generation to tackle the crisis from various angles.
The White House is currently working on establishing the ACC to provide more opportunities for young people to pursue careers in environmental justice. To support this vision, they are utilizing existing funding and targeting the EPA's Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change Grants program. This program received $2 billion in funding from the Inflation Reduction Act last month, which will be used to implement projects and hire staff focused on reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in marginalized communities.
Thomas explained that they are including the option for local communities to utilize this tool in their funding opportunities. They want to ensure that if this tool is suitable for a community, there are avenues for them to apply and receive funding. At the federal level, they are working to coordinate the various programs and establish the necessary infrastructure to make these local programs successful.
Enobakhare, the associate administrator for public engagement at the EPA, said that the agency is specifically focusing on engaging young people and ensuring their involvement in this work. She emphasized that young people are not hesitant to ask questions and that the EPA is actively sharing the impact of climate change on communities and emphasizing the role young people play in finding solutions.
According to NBC News.
