Words and terms explained.

What is the Civilian Conservation Corps?

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public relief program enacted during FDR's first 100 days in office that recruited young men to conserve and develop natural resources.

What's the significance?

The program put 3 million men to work during the Great Depression, while at the same time accomplishing the goal of reforestation after the Dust Bowl. It planted 3 billion trees, built 97,000 miles of fire roads, improved state and federal lands, and acted as emergency relief against flooding. Thus, FDR dealt with unemployment and an environmental disaster in one fell swoop, while also improving our public lands.

Who's talking about it?

David Woolner compared the Dust Bowl to the BP oil spill and called for a modern-day CCC to clean it up...Robert Reich at TPMCafe reacted to bad unemployment numbers by calling for a new CCC to put people to work and deal with the spill...Sasha Abramsky at The Guardian wants to funnel the anger against Big Oil and unemployment toward cleanup efforts...Scarecrow at Firedoglake thinks we should create an ‘environmental corps' in the manner of the CCC.