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Within weeks, the country will deploy 9,000 people to begin restoring landscapes, installing solar panels, and taking other steps to help steer the country toward a cleaner, greener future.
The first of these workers were inducted into the US Climate Corps on Tuesday during a virtual event from the White House. The swearing-in represents another step forward for the Biden administration’s ambitious climate agenda. The program, announced by President Joe Biden within days of taking office in 2021, is A modern version of the Climate Conservation Corpsa New Deal-era project that put 3 million men to work planting trees and building national parks.
During the ceremony, the first members of the Corps promised to work “on behalf of our nation, our planet, its people and all its species, for the better future we hold before our eyes.”
The US Climate Commission was among the first things Biden announced as president, but it took some time to secure funding and get started. more than It is expected that 20,000 young people will join During the program’s first year, according to the White House, as new openings came online US Climate Action website In the coming months. Pay varies depending on location and experience required, with open positions ranging from about $11 to $28 per hour.
The administration is promoting the Corps as a way for young people to start their green careers. in April, The White House announced a partnership with Futuresa non-profit construction company, indicating that the program may help fill the country’s needs Shortage of skilled workers Which could help electrify everything. The White House will also appoint members to the so-called “Energy communities“Like former coal mining towns to help with environmental remediation and other projects.
“Whether it’s managing forests in the Pacific Northwest, spreading clean energy across the Southwest, or promoting sustainable agricultural practices throughout the heartland, the President’s U.S. Climate Corps is equipping thousands of young Americans with the skills and experience needed to foster a more sustainable future, Only tomorrow, White House climate advisor Ali Al-Zaidi said in a press release on Tuesday.
The launch of the U.S. Climate Corps may appeal to young voters who played a crucial role in Biden’s 2020 election victory over President Donald Trump and many more, according to exit polls, I’m not sure they’ll vote for him again. Polls show that this same demographic supports climate action, with more than three-quarters of young Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, doing so. Saying they want the United States to take steps to address climate change.
The pledge corps members took on Tuesday was written by Barbara Kingsolver, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author best known for exploring the consequences of climate change in her 2012 novel. Flight behaviour. Kingsolver told Grist that the Climate Authority is “one of the most exciting things happening in the country right now.” I have seen growing anxiety among younger generations inheriting a warmer world. “I’ve always believed that anxiety can be a paralyzer or a drive that drives you into action, and that you’ll go farther and feel better if you focus your anxiety on action,” she said.
This article originally appeared on grinding in https://grist.org/solutions/american-climate-corps-swearing-in-ceremony/. Grist is an independent, non-profit media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future. Learn more through grist.org