So Fresh and So Green | Madam Toussaint on Going Green, Art, Hip Hop, and Politics

My governor is going through a lot right now. Governor Paterson has been in the news every night lately and there are plenty who want him out of office even though the majority of the people would like him to finish his term. As a New York City resident and former NY State Parks employee it’s distressing to know that the scandal ridden governor still has tough choices to make like reducing funding for parks to balance the budget.

It seems the part of the park I worked at will be closing along long with other whole parks and historic sites on April 1st. This doesn’t seem to be a joke though. (more…)

For African Americans and other people of color, I hope you can support the clean energy solutions that will make our communities more prosperous. This isn’t the time to surrender to feelings of hopelessness and despair. It’s time to tell our friends, neighbors and elected officials why clean energy is good for our communities and our country.”
~Omarion

R&B singer Omarion has recently decided to kick the truth to the young Black youth and everyone else about clean energy in an op-ed post.

Omarion also explains that he recently finished The Hip Hop Caucus Clean Energy Now! tour with EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All and none other than Biz Markie among others. The tour was designed to bring together the youth, African Americans, the Hip Hop community, and various faiths to get active about the need for clean energy jobs and a greener future for all Americans. (more…)

Photo Credit: “Cylone Nathan’s Wonder Wheel Astroland” by Josh Goldstein

Today is the birthday of artist and bodega enthusiast Josh Goldstein. Josh has been doing some big things lately including participating in a huge Times Square ad for Target, museum exhibitions with fellow artist Gigi Bio and some new online treats at etsy.com.bodegaNYC.

You can get you very own (more…)

Photo Credit: “Lisa Simpson’s Wallpaper” by pleasingfalsetto

According to pcworld.com teens may have built your iPhone. Apparently this news was disclosed by Apple itself on its website in a section of their site called “Supplier Responsibility”.

But I don’t own an iPhone and I thought I might be in the clear. Of course I wasn’t. My iPod said it was made in China and maybe it’s not lying to me but apple.com report says its inspectors visited facilities in the Czech Republic, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, China, and the United States.

There were more problems too. Check out Apple: Underage Workers May Have Built Your iPhone at pcworld.com.

When this story broke I saw it in several different places. My first thought was what about the kids in parts of Africa that are knee deep in discarded computers? I don’t think these kids should compete. If we want to care about some of them we should care about all of them.
Further reading: Breeding toxins from dead PCs

Photo Credit: “Return To The Batcave” by Jake Dobkin

It was once called “The Lavender Lake”. Sounds like a nice place to go right? Nah, it wasn’t. The Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn, New York was so named by the locals because it was so polluted with lavender tinged industrial waste.

After decades of all kinds of industrial wastes from coal tar, oil refineries, tanneries and chemical plants, raw sewage, heavy metals the Gowanus Canal is now in a federal clean up program.

The federal Environmental Protection Agency has declared the site a Superfund. This is a program created in 1980 that gives the EPA the authority to clean up the most hazardous sites in the nation, force the local polluters to clean the site or face stiff penalties including paying the EPA 3 times their cost to clean up the site. It also means the site has a shot at a thorough and comprehensive clean up. If not pollution of the groundwater and in the area can leech into places that can still make people sick. (more…)

Photo Credit: Getty Images PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI-Feb. 28: Residents of the Tapis Vert internally displaced persons camp navigate the mud and sewage after overnight rains soaked the tent village February 28, 2010 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Tapis Vert, which means large green lawn in French, is normally used as a football pitch but is now home to some of Haiti’s 1.2 million people left homeless by last month’s 7.0 earthquake.

As soon as the passion of this moment fades, the US government will continue contributing to repressive trade policies that keep places like Haiti impoverished. Am I the only one disillusioned…concerned that almost nobody — especially those in our media or government — is talking about this?” ~Rick Steves

In an earlier post The Top 5 White People Worth Interrupting Black History Month For I gave Rick Steves honorable mention, but I wanted to talk about this some more.

I recently read his article about post and pre earthquake Haiti No Aid to Haiti. After reading some poorly researched and rather inhumane commentary I appreciated his take on the the shower of aid for Haiti.

I admit I greatly underestimated Rick Steves whom I know from his Public TV show Rick Steves’ Europe Through The Back Door. While I liked the show I used to wish he would go to other parts of the world, maybe even the Caribbean. If he did I never saw that show and who knows where else Rick Steves have been.

As a person of Haitian descent I was touched by his take on Americans giving aid to Haiti and impressed his knowledge of the binds so called developing countries are in. (more…)

Photo Credit: Reuters Pictures: U.S. President Barack Obama gives a thumb’s-up when asked about his health as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House February 28, 2010.

We already knew our president is young but now we know for sure he’s pretty healthy, and still smoking.

At the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. Obama’s doctor and the head of the White House medical unit, Jeff Kuhlman, examined him. Dr. Kuhlman pronounced him “fit for duty” adding the president will likely “remain so for the duration of his presidency” in his first check up since taking office.

It’s amazing what you can find out about a President. We can know more about Mr. Obama than many of us know about ourselves!

For example he exercises at least six mornings a week and plays basketball and golf. Unless you’re doing that too he probably still thinks you’re fat though. (more…)

Photo Credit: Gigi Bio “2 Turntables”

Black History month is now over but the Black History will continue on sofreshandsogreen.com as well as the Black future.

Valentine’s Day is also over so I wanted to put this up for you guys to commemorate the month of love ending too…because I care! And what’s greener than giving?

Once again house DJ for WBAI’s The Underground Railroad DJ3D along with Jersey’s own DJ C-Reality did their own sets recently on WBAI.

This time DJ C-Reality switched it up with some throwback Valentine’s surprises in his set that are sure to please – not too smushy and with a lot of heart as always.

DJ3D brought us up to date with a more current set that’s not your average and some Dilla to remember the late musician.

R.I.P. to the MCs we remember in February like Big Pun and Big L.

These 2 DJs are real pros and work so well together. It’s all about coordination! That’s why the pic above is so symbolic.

For bookings Contact: Premiere Artists Group at premiereartistsgroup.com
Questions or comments: dj3dnyc@me.com
AND
To contact DJ C-Reality email him at info@djc-reality.com.

Here’s a free download of 2 hour mix on Underground Railroad with Jay Smooth, the longest running Hip-Hop radio show.

The show delivers the finest in Hip-Hop music and culture on WBAI 99.5 FM if you live in the tri-state area or Live streaming on the net at stream.wbai.org from 12-2 AM EST on Saturday nights.

Why a free download? Because giving is green! And I can give this download for free because WBAI is a Non-commercial, listener sponsored radio station. Kind of like PBS or Channel Thirteen occasionally they ask for donations. The station is currently in fund raising mode. If you like what they do, if you like this mix, if you want to support the Underground Railroad with Jay Smooth donate to them HERE

Learn more about WBAI at wbai.org