The Young Americans Fighting Climate Change

Most mornings, Giorgio Zampaglione, 27, wakes up early and heads into Shasta-Trinity National Forest, in Northern California, for work. He and his team of seven other young people will spend hours removing invasive plants, tagging saplings that are competing with stronger trees for removal, and doing other hands-on work to prevent wildfires and protect the woods.

“Sometimes you drive for an hour and you see massive forests, and then you get to one little spot and you do like, one 2-acre section,” Zampaglione says. “So it feels a little bit like, ‘Dang, there’s a lot more to do.’ . . . But the little drip in the big well does make a difference.”

Meanwhile, Chiena Ty reports for work in Sacramento, where she creates graphics, videos, and other communications for the California Natural Resources Agency (C.N.R.A.). She’s particularly focused on telling the story of the 30 x 30 initiative, which aims to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Her social media posts educate the public, explain what the agency is up to, and celebrate the beauty of nature

Most mornings, Giorgio Zampaglione, 27, wakes up early and heads to work. He and his team of seven other young people work in Shasta-Trinity National Forest, in Northern California. They will spend hours removing invasive plants and tagging saplings that are competing with stronger trees for removal. These tasks and other hands-on work are meant to prevent wildfires and protect the woods.

“Sometimes you drive for an hour and you see massive forests, and then you get to one little spot and you do like, one 2-acre section,” Zampaglione says. “So it feels a little bit like, ‘Dang, there’s a lot more to do.’ . . . But the little drip in the big well does make a difference.”

Meanwhile, Chiena Ty reports for work in Sacramento. She creates graphics, videos, and other communications for the California Natural Resources Agency (C.N.R.A.). Her main focus is on telling the story of the 30 x 30 initiative, which aims to conserve 30 percent of the state’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Her social media posts educate the public, explain what the agency is working on, and celebrate the beauty of nature.

Both Zampaglione and Ty are members of the American Climate Corps, a new organization that aims to provide young people—including teens—with skills to take on all sorts of environmental jobs, from wind and solar production to disaster preparedness to land conservation. A collaborative effort between seven federal agencies, it officially launched last June, with the goal of employing 20,000 young people in the first year. By the end of that month, 9,000 people had begun working in paid American Climate Corps positions.

“I’m really excited about the fact that this gives young people the opportunity to turn climate anxiety into climate action,” says Yasmeen Shaheen-McConnell, senior adviser for the American Climate Corps, “and prepares them for the future while they’re doing it.”

Both Zampaglione and Ty are members of the American Climate Corps. It is a new organization that wants to provide young people—including teens—with skills to take on all sorts of environmental jobs. Those jobs work on wind and solar production, disaster preparedness, land conservation, and more. Launched last June, the American Climate Corps is a collaborative effort between seven federal agencies that has the goal of employing 20,000 young people in the first year. By the end of that month, 9,000 people had begun working in paid American Climate Corps positions.

“I’m really excited about the fact that this gives young people the opportunity to turn climate anxiety into climate action,” says Yasmeen Shaheen-McConnell, senior adviser for the American Climate Corps, “and prepares them for the future while they’re doing it.”

The main inspiration for the program comes from the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.), established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. That popular New Deal program put nearly 3 million young men to work protecting America’s public lands during the Great Depression. (First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt pushed to include women in the program, but the president’s cabinet questioned the propriety of sending women into the forest to do manual labor.) During its nine years of existence, the C.C.C. planted billions of trees, built flood barriers, constructed trails and shelters in parks nationwide, and more.

Today that model has been updated to address modern climate concerns. Around the nation, different American Climate Corps roles are tailored to each area’s needs. In Colorado, for example, young people help communities at high risk for wildfire, while in Michigan they promote public transportation use. In Maine, they protect coastal wetlands, and in New York, they help weatherize buildings to keep energy bills low.

“The climate crisis looks really different in Flint, Michigan, than it does in California,” explains Shaheen-McConnell. “We can fight the impact of climate change in our communities in the ways that it really affects our communities.”

The main inspiration for the program comes from the Civilian Conservation Corps (C.C.C.). The C.C.C. was established in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt as part of the New Deal. It put nearly 3 million young men to work protecting America’s public lands during the Great Depression. (First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt pushed to include women in the program, but the president’s cabinet questioned the appropriateness of sending women into the forest to do manual labor.) The C.C.C. existed for nine years. During that time workers planted billions of trees, built flood barriers, constructed trails and shelters in parks nationwide, and more.

Today that model has been updated to address modern climate concerns. Around the nation, different American Climate Corps roles are designed to each area’s needs. In Colorado, for example, young people help communities at high risk for wildfire. They promote public transportation use in Michigan. While in Maine, they protect coastal wetlands, and in New York, they help weatherize buildings to keep energy bills low.

“The climate crisis looks really different in Flint, Michigan, than it does in California,” explains Shaheen-McConnell. “We can fight the impact of climate change in our communities in the ways that it really affects our communities.”

A key goal of the program—aside from fighting climate change—is to prepare young people for jobs of the future, many of which may be affected by extreme weather: Electricians may need to learn to install solar panels, for example, while construction workers may need to deal with new engineering requirements, and insurers may need to manage climate risk.

“That’s really the idea: How can we put a whole new diverse generation of young people to work and make sure that they’re making an important impact today, while also giving them the skills that they need to succeed for tomorrow?” says Maggie Thomas, special assistant to the president for climate.

Not everyone is sold on the idea, however. Many Republican lawmakers have criticized the program as a waste of taxpayer money.

“It’s just some big, useless government agency with no real direction, just to hire a bunch of climate activists,” Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas said of the American Climate Corps after it was announced.

A key goal of the program—aside from fighting climate change—is to prepare young people for jobs of the future, especially those that may be affected by extreme weather. Electricians may need to learn to install solar panels, for example, while construction workers may need to deal with new engineering requirements. Insurers may need to manage climate risk.

“That’s really the idea: How can we put a whole new diverse generation of young people to work and make sure that they’re making an important impact today, while also giving them the skills that they need to succeed for tomorrow?” says Maggie Thomas, special assistant to the president for climate.

Not everyone is sold on the idea, however. Many Republican lawmakers have criticized the program as a waste of taxpayer money.

“It’s just some big, useless government agency with no real direction, just to hire a bunch of climate activists,” Representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas said of the American Climate Corps after it was announced.

But many of the young people involved have found their Climate Corps work rewarding.

“I personally feel very excited and proud to be able to share the work I do,” says Ty, the C.N.R.A. graphics and video designer.

Zampaglione, the forest worker, agrees.

“I actually feel like I’m gaining experience and skills and knowledge in a field that I really care about . . . but also, you know, we are actually doing something.”

Both Ty and Zampaglione say they encourage other young people, even those still in high school, to apply for American Climate Corps positions. (Some roles are open to those under 18.)

“There’s nothing more personally impactful, but also impactful to the general community, than donating time,” Zampaglione says. “I think when you donate time . . . you not only learn so much about what you’re doing, but you learn so much about yourself.”

But many of the young people involved have found their Climate Corps work rewarding.

“I personally feel very excited and proud to be able to share the work I do,” says Ty, the C.N.R.A. graphics and video designer.

Zampaglione, the forest worker, agrees.

“I actually feel like I’m gaining experience and skills and knowledge in a field that I really care about . . . but also, you know, we are actually doing something.”

Both Ty and Zampaglione say they encourage other young people, even those still in high school, to apply for American Climate Corps positions. (Some jobs are open to those under 18.)

“There’s nothing more personally impactful, but also impactful to the general community, than donating time,” Zampaglione says. “I think when you donate time . . . you not only learn so much about what you’re doing, but you learn so much about yourself.”