Biden’s pitch to youth: ‘Get paid to fight climate change’

By Robin Bravender | 04/22/2024 04:33 PM EDT

The president urged young people to become part of the inaugural group of American Climate Corps members.

President Joe Biden speaks at Prince William Forest Park in Virginia.

President Joe Biden speaks at Prince William Forest Park on Monday in Triangle, Virginia. With Biden are (from left) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Za'Nyia Kelly of the Michigan Healthy Climate Corps and Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

President Joe Biden issued an Earth Day plea for young people to join the first wave of his new green jobs program.

Speaking in Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park and joined by congressional climate champions Monday, Biden announced that Americans across the country can now submit applications to join the American Climate Corps, a new program aimed at putting young people to work combating climate change.

The president’s speech came as part of a week of planned climate and conservation announcements from the administration. This Earth Day marks the last one before the November presidential election, and the administration is using the week to roll out some long-anticipated environmental announcements.

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That includes an announcement from the president Monday that the administration is putting $7 billion into grants for residential solar in low-income and disadvantaged communities as well as his call to apply for climate corps jobs.

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