Little Miss Flint Talks Water & Climate With President Joe Biden

Little Miss Flint isn't quite so little anymore. The now 15-year-old Mari Copeny sat down with President Joe Biden to discuss Flint's ongoing water crisis and climate change.

Mari Copeny has been an advocate for clean drinking water in Flint since the water crisis began in 2014. At just eight years old, the ever-articulate Little Miss Flint helped bring international attention to lead-tainted drinking water in her hometown.

One on One With Joe Biden

Little Miss Flint had an opportunity to sit down with President Joe Biden as part of the 'Now This Presidential Forum.' In the video below, you'll see Copeny discuss climate change and the water crisis with the president.

"I can't vote yet, but my generation is going to be impacted by the climate crisis more than any other generation before us," Copeny said. "What message do you have for the people who vote without the youth or greater good in mind?"

Biden touted allocating $316 billion toward fighting climate change and $1 trillion for rebuilding the nation's crumbling infrastructure, referring to the $1 trillion infrastructure bill passed in November of last year. Although the primary focus of the bill is to help fix roads and bridges across the United States, Biden alluded to lead pipe replacement in cities like Flint and Benton Harbor, Michigan.

"We're going to make sure that every single lead pipe in America is out," the president told Copeny. "We're going to pay to have a new one put in in hundreds of thousands of homes."

Biden went on to blame Flint city officials who made the decision to change Flint's water source to the Flint river before launching into the possible effects climate change could have on future generations.

All Grown Up

At 15, Little Miss Flint isn't yet able to vote but we commend her diligence in her fight for Flint and for advocating for its residents.