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

The Earth we share is not just a rock tossed through space, but a living, nurturing being. She cares for us, she deserves our care in return.”
~Michael Jackson

Fresh off of the Grammy tribute here we have a quote from MJ himself. At the Grammy tribute to the late artist those in charge saw fit to use the song “Earth Song” with Celine Dion, Jennifer Hudson, Usher, Carrie Underwood and Smokey Robinson.

This quote makes it plain and shows that it isn’t odd at all that a Black person might say that. Free of vocabulary words like sustainability, dark green, CFL and carbon footprints here we have a statement about the environment all kinds of people, Black or otherwise, could get behind. It’s just that simple.

I think Michael Jackson genuinely cared for the environment and (more…)

King of the Hill aired their series finally Sunday and it kind of sucks for me to see it go. I avoided it like the plague for years but more recently came to really appreciate the show. Especially when they made dead on commentary about what’s going on in the world these days. Their episode about carbon offsets was dope and I thought illustrated what carbon offsets in a way that’s easy to understand. Sometimes the language and the jargon of going green is so unclear.

Here’s a short clip from the episode where Bobby and his friend sell Khan carbon offsets. And to think of all the characters from Beavis and Butthead Hank Hill’s was the one that took off!

We all emit a certain amount of carbon as a result of the things we do everyday from driving to showering to buying groceries. That’s based on gas usage to run your car, heat your water and ship your veggies. People try to be part of the solution by neutralizing their carbon emissions and significantly reducing their impact on global warming. Carbon is a greenhouse gas that can be harmful to the environment. Reducing my impact (carbon footprint) helps. But maybe I reduced my impact more than you. You can pay me to reduce mine even more or you pay me to do earth friendly things like making windmills to offset what you are not willing to do thereby still helping the planet (purchasing carbon offset credits). On a larger scale corporations and governments do this too because the amount of carbon they are allowed to emit is capped by law (compliance legislation, Kyoto protocol).

Publisher Merriam–Webster has offered new words for 2009 to be entered into their dictionaries. “Many of the new words address: concerns about the environment (carbon footprint, green collar), government activities (earmark, waterboarding),” and “pop culture (docusoap, fan fiction, flash mob, reggaeton)”. This year it seems there is some controversy though and not just from grammar cops like me. Green collar job promoters Green For All object to the popular dictionary’s definition of “green jobs”.

According to greenforall.org: “The dictionary defines “green-collar” as:

A green-collar job is a blue-collar job, upgraded to improve the environment and fight climate change.”

In the greenforall.org article “Green-collar” defined… incorrectly.” ‘green collar’ is further defined in relation to the phrase “blue collar”.

Among the new words is also the word vlog which I can define for you right now as a video blog. Check out my favorite vlogger Jay Smooth at illdoctrine.com

Merriam-Webster has also seen fit to “redefine” marriage by adding a second definition. True story. All jokes about Adam and Steve, no Bruno and no homo aside, this has some conservatives pretty cranky. To read more check out “Gay marriage gets recognition – in Merriam-Webster’s dictionary” at nydailynews.com.

Here’s the complete list of new words for 2009 merriam-webster.com

GREEN FACT: Green For All founder, The Great Van Jones, now works for President Obama and you as Special Advisor, White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).