Five climate activists from the Sunrise Movement participated in a hunger strike in hopes of getting President Biden to take serious action responding to climate change. They started the strike on October 20th and said that they would continue it until Biden fulfills his promise to establish a Civilian Climate Corps. Their hunger strike lasted two weeks, ending on November 2nd.

While running for President, Biden said that he would establish a Civilian Climate Corps. It would not only create hundreds of thousands of Green jobs for Americans, but also provide funds to those affected by climate change and invest in renewable energy.

The group that the activists are a part of, the Sunrise Movement, is a call to action to stop climate change and create jobs along the way. That is exactly what they are wanting from Biden, and are holding him accountable for promises he made during his election.

This strike was inspired by climate crises such as the Texas grid failure and the wildfires in the West. After months of advocating, the activists took to the White House and U.S. Capitol and began their strike.

The activists had to use wheelchairs to conserve energy and had doctors that checked on them several times a day. Three of the strikers were temporarily admitted to the hospital and one of them even dropped out early for their health. 

“Hunger symbolizes what we’re starving for — what we deeply need in this moment,” said Girma, one of the original activists. “And it also shows the possible future that Biden is making really possible if he doesn’t start fighting for us.”

As a response to the hunger strikers, the White House released a proposal that included tax breaks for buying electric vehicles, support for those affected by climate change, and the Creation of the Civilian Climate Corps. Overall, the money and support going into it by the Biden Administration are less than was originally promised. This has led to mixed reactions to the proposal.

The activists have stopped their strike after Biden proposed the bill, and now they are campaigning for the bill to be passed by senators and legislators. More information is available about the movement at https://www.sunrisemovement.org/