Fighting for Green Jobs and Reaching America's Youth -- The Baldwin Park, California High School Experience

Tomorrow I will have the opportunity to speak to students in my district at the first annual Baldwin Park High School Environmental Awareness/Career Day, an event hosted by the National Hispanic Environmental Council. This event is a unique opportunity for students in Baldwin Park, a heavily Latino school district, to learn about careers associated with the environmental and natural resources fields.

Having just returned from a fact finding tour on global warming to Greenland, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Belgium, I believe that efforts to teach our youth about the environment are necessary now more than ever. In my discussions with scientists and government officials in these countries, it became apparent that while it is up to our generation to be bold and have the courage to take action on global warming, it will be up to our youth to be innovative drivers of policy and new technology to bring our nation into the next century.

The National Hispanic Environmental Council's Baldwin Park High School Environmental Awareness/Career Day is one such opportunity to reach our youth. Every student has a role to play in improving our environment and our community. The environmental professionals available to them at this event can show them how doing their part can not only improve the community, but also provide them with a secure, successful career path.

I believe we must also invest in job training. A major national investment in renewable energy could create 3.5 million green collar jobs over a 10 year period. We must say to America's workers, particularly those in both urban and rural underserved communities, that "there is a place for you in the green economy." Investment should be not only in improving infrastructure, but improving economic opportunities. Job training can lead to self-sufficiency and prosperity through higher wages, access to benefits and more career choices. That is why I am proud to be drafting legislation to support green collar job training programs and pathways out of poverty for our nation's underserved communities.

I hope that encouraging our youth and ensuring underserved communities achieve economic security can be a part of this green future.