After facing opposition from Congress, President Biden plans to utilize his executive authority to establish a climate initiative resembling the New Deal. The White House announced on Wednesday that this program will serve as a substantial green-jobs training program employing around 20,000 young adults. The participants will engage in various tasks such as building trails, planting trees, installing solar panels, and other conservation efforts to combat catastrophic wildfires. While a similar program had been proposed in previous versions of the comprehensive climate law last year, it was eliminated due to Republican opposition and concerns over expenses. Despite this setback, Democrats and environmental advocacy groups persisted in their pursuit of this plan, urging President Biden to issue an executive order. Consequently, the initiative is now known as the American Climate Corps, according to the White House.
The inspiration for this program is drawn from the Civilian Conservation Corps, which was established during the 1930s as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. In a letter addressed to the White House on Monday, the Sunrise Movement and other organizations emphasized the urgency of addressing the climate crisis in the wake of heat waves, wildfires, and floods that wreaked havoc and resulted in numerous casualties this summer. Although previous executive orders and legislation have demonstrated significant progress in meeting the Paris climate goals and campaign promises, the events of this summer have underscored the need for even greater ambition in tackling this crisis, according to these groups.
Furthermore, over 50 Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Ed Markey and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, voiced their support for President Biden. In a letter, they emphasized that the scale of the climate crisis demands a comprehensive response from the government. They cited recent climate-related disasters such as deadly heat waves nationwide, devastating floods in New England, and wildfires in Maui as evidence. While the White House did not disclose the cost or funding source of the program, Democrats had proposed $10 billion. Nevertheless, Republicans have largely criticized the initiative as a wasteful proposal that may even displace workers adversely impacted by the pandemic. Representative Bruce Westerman, the chair of the Natural Resources Committee, dismissed the program as unnecessary and refuted the notion that it would assist with land management.
One noteworthy difference between the original Civilian Conservation Corps and the new corps is that the US economy is not currently in a state of depression, unlike during the 1930s. Additionally, the new corps is expected to prioritize diversity, contrasting with the predominantly white and male workforce that existed 90 years ago. The White House’s climate adviser, Ali Zaidi, stated that the administration will collaborate with at least six federal agencies and partner with ten states. Some states, including California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan, and Washington, have already implemented similar programs. Moreover, five additional states are initiating their own programs: Arizona, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Utah. The initiative aims to provide job training and opportunities for service to address climate change through various projects, such as coastal wetland restoration to mitigate flooding risks, deployment of clean energy solutions, forest management to prevent wildfires, and implementation of energy-efficient measures to reduce utility bills.
(Read more Climate Corps stories.)
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