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Yesterday the White House launched the American Climate Corps with the hope of putting 20,000 young people to work over the next year combatting climate change and promoting clean energy. President Joe Biden signed an executive order days after taking office that called for a strategy to create a Civilian Climate Corps. Biden and congressional allies had sought funding for the program in the original climate and social spending legislation dubbed the “Build Back Better Act,” but the proposal was stripped from the final Inflation Reduction Act legislation.
The new program announced this week will pay participants, and most positions will not require previous experience. The Biden administration is also proposing new regulations aimed at making it easier for participants to enter federal public service after the program. White House climate policy adviser Ali Zaidi said on a call with reporters, "we’re not just opening up pathways to decarbonization, we're opening up pathways to good paying careers, lifetimes of being involved in the work of making our communities more sustainable, more fair, more resilient in the face of a changing climate.”
The American Climate Corps is modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps program that put millions to work during the Great Depression. The idea for a climate-specific corps is supported by the youth-led climate activist group, the Sunrise Movement. "I am thrilled to say that the White House has been responsive to our generation's demand for a Climate Corps and that President Biden acknowledges that this is just the beginning of building the climate workforce of the future," said Varshini Prakash, the group's executive director, who has advised the White House on climate issues.
In a separate announcement this week, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced a $15 million funding commitment for the Indian Youth Service Corps, a program designed to provide Indigenous youth with Tribally-led public service opportunities through construction, restoration, or rehabilitation of natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, or scenic resources. “Through the Indian Youth Service Corps, the Biden-Harris administration is providing meaningful education, employment and training opportunities to Indigenous youth through conservation projects on public and Tribal lands,” said Secretary Haaland.
Extremist group that compares 30x30 to genocide is getting taxpayer money
At least five counties in Western states have paid tens of thousands in taxpayer funds to the American Stewards of Liberty (ASL), a right-wing extremist group that is pushing disinformation and fueling opposition to the science-backed national conservation goal of protecting 30 percent of America's lands and waters by 2030 (the 30x30 goal). In an effort to whip up opposition to 30x30 and court local elected officials with extremist views, ASL leaders are comparing the 30x30 goal to “genocide.”
While ASL might be lacking support from governors and members of Congress who previously worked alongside the group, it seems to be finding financial backing and support in some Western counties. CWP Deputy Director Aaron Weiss told The Daily Beast, which reported on ASL's county-level support, “You’ve seen American Stewards retreating into their conspiracy theory comfort zone, as they were not able to successfully build that bridge into more respected conservative circles.” Some watchdog groups like Accountable.US have accused ASL of engaging in lobbying work, a violation of its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status.
ASL is headlining a three-day “Stop 30x30” conference in Texas this week that will feature the screening of a new film by the right-wing media group Epoch Times. The film, “No Farmers No Food: Will You Eat The Bugs?” is a reference to a conspiracy theory about elites trying to crack down on food supplies and making people eat insects.
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The Biden administration continues to deliver on their ambitious conservation agenda, from five new national monument designations and land protections to this newly redesigned Civilian Climate Corps. These policies are imperative not only to turn the tide on climate change, but to safeguard our environment and the long-term economic health of the $862 billion outdoor recreation industry.”
