Photo from Who, What, and Why
Following the tradition of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, John F. Kennedy's Peace Corps, and Bill Clinton's Americorp, the Biden/Harris Administration, through Executive Action, launched the creation of the American Climate Corps On Wednesday, September 20, 2023.
Originally a provision of the Inflation Reduction Act that was pulled during negotiations, this Corps, when fully instituted, may, according to the White House Press Office:
"...Put more than 20,000 young people on career pathways in the growing fields of clean energy, conservation and climate resilience."
Interested individuals may click here to find out more information about joining the American Climate Corps.
According to the White House Press Office, this program "builds on nearly $500 million of Biden-Harris Administration investments to expand pathways into good-paying union jobs by prioritizing Registered Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeship programs, including in clean energy and other climate-focused careers."
At an event in California earlier this year, President Joe Biden said of the potential of Climate Corps:
“When I think of climate, I think of jobs. When I think of climate, I think of innovation. When I think of climate, I think of turning peril into progress,”
Designed to be a partnership between the federal government and state/local private and public entities, the Corps will work to achieve the following goals.
- Train young people in clean energy, conservation, and climate resilience-related skills.
- Use existing federal departments, organizations, and resources to coordinate the program through Americorp where the new Climate Corps will be a "hub" where members can pay some of their post-secondary expenses after serving.
Arizona is one of five new states (Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Utah are the others) along with California, Colorado. Maine, Michigan, and Washington, that will be forming state-based climate corps.
Phoenix Vice Mayor and Congressional District Three House Candidate Yassamin Ansari, a clean energy and sustainability advocate, with a record of combatting climate change at the city level, signaled her support for the American Climate Corps by posting:
History has shown that programs designed to challenge the youth to serve the larger community like the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Peace Corps, and Americorps have largely been successful.
If history is indeed a guide, the American Climate Corps can as well.
No comments:
Post a Comment