NOTICE ~ ‘American Climate Corps’ ~ Federal Green Jobs Training Program Much Overdue!

Training, Education, Public Awareness, Job Placement, Progress

From an Article by Jackie Ostfeld, Outdoors for All Campaign, Sierra Club, September 20, 2023

BIG. NEWS. After years of advocacy and grassroots pressure, President Biden responded to our overwhelming pressure and just announced the American Climate Corps!

This is a big deal. This executive action creates a massive green jobs training and placement program that will build pathways for good, union careers to tackle the climate crisis. There’s so much work to be done to build the clean energy economy, make our communities more resilient to extreme weather, clean up air and water pollution, and close the nature equity gap – and this program will create 20,000 new jobs to do exactly that.

One thing’s for sure: It never would have been possible without the advocacy from hundreds of thousands of people signing petitions, sharing on social media, and marching for climate action. The Sierra Club and our broader movement have been calling on President Biden to create a green jobs program since his inauguration, and this victory is a testament to our collective work.

This program will prioritize the communities most harmed by pollution and climate impacts, and create pathways to family-sustaining careers in the public and private sectors. It will train and mobilize a diverse generation of young people in conservation and climate resilience related work, from restoring coastal wetlands to planting trees in communities suffering from extreme heat to deploying clean energy and more.

After a summer of devastating climate disasters, this is exactly the kind of bold action we so urgently need. To everyone who marched, phonebanked, and advocated for climate action – this victory belongs to all of us.

P.S. This is a historic step towards averting the worst effects of climate change, restoring lands, and building a clean energy future. We always have more work ahead on these fronts. Donate today to support our grassroots organization to secure more landmark victories like this – the pressure we’re building for climate action is working!

>>> Thank you for all you do, Jackie Ostfeld, Director, Outdoors for All Campaign,

Sierra Club, 2101 Webster St., Suite 1300, Oakland, CA 94612

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SEE ALSO ~ Rare Bounty from Cleaning Up Toxic Waste? Article by Betsy Lawson, Mountain State Sierrian, September 2023

Bull Run, north of Masontown in Preston County, runs orange with acid before it drains into the Cheat River. Bright orange streams are an all-too-common sight in West Virginia. Acid mine drainage (AMD) refers to the acidic water that forms when surface water and air are exposed to iron sulfides, like pyrite, a solid waste byproduct of coal mining. The chemical reaction creates sulfuric acid, which is highly corrosive. It breaks down surrounding rocks and causes toxic metals to enter and dissolve in the water. Could there be a financial incentive for cleaning up our toxic, orange streams?