Greenmarkets for All!

It’s Monday morning. Which means I’m in that post-weekend hangover. And since the air has yet to punch me in the mouth with the endless cold of New York’s winter, my thoughts are drifting back in the direction of the Farmers’ Market.

Since moving to Brooklyn last fall, I’ve changed my eating habits significantly. Most notably, I eat mostly local food. I know, that should be challenging in a bustling city, shouldn’t it? In reality, not so much. Granted, I’m not eating from my neighbor’s garden, but thanks to the Farmers’ Market, I’m eating mostly food produced within the Tri-State area. Really, I’m not joking.

With $40 (the cost of two pizzas), my girlfriend and I can purchase enough food to last us a week. And it seems more folks are joining along my line of thinking. With a bit of help from community organizations and local government, Farmers’ Markets are becoming a viable source of food for people from all walks of life, especially those from lower income communities.

Dig up some carrots after the jump!
… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Sean Gardner

Do It For The Birds And The Bees

Like many kids of the modern age, I’ve been told to ‘keep it safe’ and use safe sex practices. I can remember the awkward experience of “getting the talk” from my parents too. Hearing your mom say the word diaphragm is just plain weird. Hey, let’s face it, nobody wants to get a disease or be confronted with an accidental pregnancy.

But now, there’s another reason to play it safe: the environment.

According to a recent report, contraception in all forms is key to preventing climate change. The reasoning behind it is simple: climate change is linked to population growth, but in 40 of the world’s poorest countries, women do not have access to birth control. The report states that over 200 million women want to have access to condoms or other methods but can’t get them.

It’s a good thing to keep in mind, next time you’re at the drug store, picking up your chosen birth control method. You’re not just protecting yourself – you’re protecting our world. And that’s an ‘extended pleasure’ we can all get down with.

Posted by:

Steve Romain

BET and Radio One Under Fire

You can’t underestimate the power of black media, especially radio. The medium has been the voice and life line of urban communities. Word to Donnie Simpson, personalities like Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner have an incredible amount of influence, especially because of the consolidation that has gone on over the years.

Of course, the current state of urban America has many questioning whether Black owned media outlets are doing enough to empower their communities. Actually, to put it mildly, some people believe that moguls like Robert Johnson, Cathy Hughes and Debra Lee have sold their communities out to the highest bidder.

It seems like things are heating up. Just last week respected online music editor Andreas Hale quit his position at BET.com claiming that the network was too forgone to be saved. (It’s hard not to see his point. Did you see this year’s BET Awards? Slowly SMH in disgust. )

Up until now, BET has been the main target for media activists. But increasingly the folks at Radio One are being attacked for their corporatist and anti-community behavior.

Just check out this open letter to Cathy Hughes from Paul Porter. He’s really pissed at Radio One’s top boss for a number of reasons, note the block quote below. Sounds like fighting words.

Fear tactics seem to be today’s replacement for news and information. Unfortunately, the listeners you are licensed to serve continue to get your commentary with only entertainment news. While in DC, you made your mark as the “Queen of information”, branding “Information is Power” on your flagship station WOL-AM. News content is none existent in a world where a Black adult is 25 times more likely to hear a syndicated music host like Tom Joyner or Michael Baisden. Syndication on Black radio has increased at an alarming 343%, while white music syndication has decreased in the past ten years. The “less is more” philosophy basically adds up to controlling the messengers.

Click here for the rest of the letter.

Posted by:

Biko Baker

A Message from Van Jones

Van Jones sent this letter to his closest supporters earlier this week. He shouted out www.Ilovevanjones.com

Dear Friends:

My family and I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support that we have received over the past week or so. I resigned from the White House on September 6, and I have remained silent since then – in keeping with my promise not to be a distraction during a key moment in the Obama Presidency.

Over the past several days, however, many people have been asking how they can help and what they can do.

The main thing is this: please do everything you can to support both President Obama and the green jobs movement. Winning real change is ultimately the best response to these kinds of smear campaigns.

I ask everyone to:

1. Support President Obama’s efforts to fix our nation’s health care, energy and education systems. His victory last fall did not represent the “finish line” in the fight to renew America; his election was just the “starting line.” This autumn, it is time to make history again – with victories on health care and clean energy.
2. Sign up to support groups that are working for green jobs. As others seek to vilify or marginalize the movement for a clean energy economy, the leading groups deserve increased support. This is the year to ensure that the clean energy transformation creates good job opportunities for everyone in America.
3. Spread the green jobs gospel. The ideas and ideals of the green jobs movement are grounded in fundamental American values – innovation, entrepreneurship and equal opportunity. My true thoughts can be found in my book: The Green Collar Economy. Check it out from the library – or order a copy and share it with a friend. See for yourself why clean energy and green jobs are good for our country.
4. Stay connected and speak up for me via your favorite blogs (e.g., Huffington Post, Grist, Jack & Jill, etc.), on message boards and all of your favorite social networking platforms (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Supporters have set up a couple of them, to help you stay engaged, including: I Stand With Van Jones and I Love Van Jones.

In due course, I will be offering my perspective on what has happened – including correcting the record about false charges. In the meantime, I must get my family affairs in order and sort through numerous offers and options.

I want to be clear that I have nothing but love and admiration for President Obama and the entire Administration. White House staffers are there to serve and support the President, not the other way around. At this critical moment in history, I could not in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. The White House needs all its hands on deck, fighting for the future.

Of course, some supporters actually think I will be more effective on the “outside.” Maybe so. But those ideas always remind me of that old canard about Winston Churchill. After he lost a hard-fought election, a friend told him: “Winston, this really is just a blessing in disguise.” Churchill quipped: “Damned good disguise.” I can certainly relate to that sentiment right now.

Nonetheless, we must keep moving forward. Let’s continue our work to make an America as good as its promise. These are historic times. And we have a lot more history to make.

Sincerely,

Van Jones

Posted by:

Biko Baker

The End of The “College Industry”?

This semester, I’m not in school. I’ve almost completed my degree but like so many other Americans, I’m taking some time off to step out into the “real world” and make the money that will get me through the rest of school. It’s not a surprise. College costs – both public and private – have been skyrocketing, often outpacing the cost of living by 200%. Basically, for every new dollar earned, college costs go up two.

But colleges aren’t the ones making bank here – the lenders are. And they push so successfully on profit measures that students wind up paying down their debt for decades. But check it: right now, there’s a measure in the House to push private companies out of the college loan business for good, expanding the government’s direct loan program as well as boosting the Pell Grant.

I’m a big fan of the almighty P.G.; the Pell Grant has saved my ass for the past few years. Without the Pell Grant, I wouldn’t be able to afford school at all. But even now, the Pell Grant – which were my two favorite words in the English Language – isn’t enough. Even though I won’t see the positive effects of this bill during my years as a student, it’s a welcome and necessary change to the financing of higher education.

But questions still remain and there are many loose ends.

Is this measure enough? And is it a sustainable way to curb college costs?

Many believe that rather than simply reacting to bad lending practices, we need to proactively get to the root of why college costs are increasing so dramatically and rebuild educational financing from the ground up. Others believe that these privatized companies are the root of the problem and when they are taken out of the equation, the ‘system will right itself’.

And a few believe that students can live on ramen and beer alone, so screw ‘em.

What do you think?

Posted by:

Steve Romain