At today’s College Park rally, President Obama reiterated his promise to our generation to build a better future. While health care reform remained the topic of the day, Obama emphasized that the promise includes a clean energy revolution.

This promise is a good sign. However, the promise to our generation will not be fulfilled unless our generation stands up and demands it. The President cannot and will not act alone. We must stand behind him and demand action from Congress to make this vision a reality.

I promised to be president who would build a better future, who would move this nation forward. Who would ensure that this generation, your generation would have the same chances and opportunities that our parents gave us. That’s what I’m here to do. That’s why I ran for President of the United States of America… Part of that promise is an economy that leads the world in science, and technology, and innovation. Part of that promise is a clean energy revolution that protects our planet, protects our security, creates jobs of the future right here in the United States of America.

All across America, young people are demanding clean, green jobs.

Young people are disproportionately affected during times of economic downturns and the current economy is particularly worse for young workers. Recently the New York Times reported that teenagers aged 16 through 19 are at the highest rate of unemployment since 1948 and job losses to young adults never recovered from the 2001 recession.

But that’s not all. According to a recent Economist article, “As the recession drags on, ever more youngsters are likely to find themselves left in economic limbo. Young people with jobs are more likely to graduate from high school and earn higher wages as adults. So lack of employment now may portend an even bleaker future.”

Several studies claim that clean energy and climate legislation could create as many as 2 million jobs. Legislation with strong energy efficiency standards could also be a lasting employment boom across the country decades for decades.