Brooklyn Bedouin

The Green Collar Economy - By Van Jones

We just did our day of action, and that is now history. In this hyper-speed news cycle check out this recent article / editorial by Thomas Friedman, and then go to Van Jones’ site and buy the following book:

On October 7, Green For All founder and president Van Jones will release his first book: The Green Collar Economy. The book is a powerful argument for a national commitment to green economic development as a way to address our environmental and economic crises at once. Provocative, personal, and inspirational, The Green Collar Economy is not a dire warning but rather a substantive and viable plan for solving the biggest issues facing the country--the failing economy and our devastated environment. From a distance, it appears that these two problems are separate, but when we look closer, the connection becomes unmistakable.

Oh and the fly woman in the picture is Nicole Henderson, and yes, she is fly:

Nicole "Nikki" Henderson hails from Los Angeles, with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in African American Studies. During her graduate career, Nikki's research interests included theater, sustainability, environmental justice and political ecology as it relates to African Americans, and she lectures across California. Beyond academics, Nikki mentors at-risk youth through the foster system and has worked with the California Student Sustainability Coalition in lead roles for the past four years. She joins Green for All with a passion for ecology and social justice.

Green Jobs Events

Los Angeles, California
Community leaders join actor Tobey McGuire in East LA and call for green jobs. 65 youth, age 17-24, will performing a green retrofit of an affordable home from 9am-1pm with presentations by Speakers, including: Tobey Maguire- Actor; Iila Tiare Alii - Los Angeles/San Gabriel Watershed Council; Brad Carson- Jobs Create Peace, PV Jobs; Jeffery Richardson- Watts up America; Tezozomoc - South Central Farmers. Poets, DJ, Live Performances, Exhibitions, and Green Job Fair. 11:00 AM (Press Conference and Photo Op) - 3:00 PM LA CAUSA / Youth Build, 1117 Goodrich Blvd, East Los Angeles. At 6pm delicious dinner w/ veggies from South Central Farm and special screening of THE GARDEN with q/a Tezo at 821 Traction Ave #108 Downtown Los Angeles 90013.

CONTACT: Alli Starr: (415) 517-0123; alli@greenforall.org

ADVISORY:

Southeast Washington, D.C.
The Get Going, Go Green, Green Jobs Now event will educate, encourage and empower people to promote the creation of a strong green economy. The event will incorporate a neighborhood beautification service project on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, a Green jobs fair, and a rally. The rally will include musical performances and speeches by local and national leaders of the green jobs movement, such as Green For All President and Founder Van Jones and Former Mayor Marion Barry. MLK, Jr. Avenue Service Project 9:00am– 11:00am; Green fair and Rally 12:00pm to 4:00pm; Bethlehem Baptist Church (Anacostia Station Metro Station)

CONTACT: Nydria Brenda Humphries, Green Jobs Organizer: (202) 510-4908; nhumphries@gwipl.org

ADVISORY: http://www.greenjobsnow.com/media/press-releases/washington-dc-advisory-get-going-go-green-green-jobs-now

New Orleans, Louisiana
In Lafayette Square, at 2pm, rally will bring together 1,000 people, including diverse groups and individuals to urge our government to make an even greater investment in green jobs and clean energy. Speakers include Dr. Calvin Mackie, City Council Members Willard Lewis and Shelly Midura, Community Leaders Aaron Viles and Pam Deshiel, and a crowd of more than 1,000 at Lafayette Square, 601 South Maestri Place. Photo Op: Approximately 1,000 New Orleans residents wearing green hard hats and carrying picket signs calling for "Green Jobs Now!"

CONTACT: Dave Falkenstein, Green For All: (212) 691-2800

ADVISORY: http://www.greenjobsnow.com/media/press-releases/thousands-to-participate-in-green-jobs-now-a-day-to-build-a-new-economy-on-saturday-september-27

Atlanta, Georgia
Festival in the park with esteemed speakers, historically black college and university students, music, and solar panel demonstrations. The event will highlight Gov. Sonny Perdue’s Energy Challenge Executive Order and the correlation with green collar jobs. The “Let’s Raise a Million” CFL light bulb delivery campaign to culminate in park after over 200 volunteers complete delivering 10,000 bulbs to low-income households. An historic gathering of community and student leaders calling for green jobs now. Performances by local Georgian hip hop, country and other artists; John Brinson of Clayton Collaborative. The Beach at Clayton County International Park 2300 Hwy 138 SE.

CONTACT: Julian Mocine-McQueen: (415) 571-3633; julian@greenforall.org

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/5551

Oakland, California
The Ella Baker Center for Human Rights throws a free concert featuring the East Bay's hottest talent (including Femi) and testimonials from youth that showcase opportunities and solutions in the green economy. An afternoon of live music, free food, green-collar job demonstrations and putting out the call for Green Jobs Now! Mosswood Park, corner of Broadway and West MacArthur Boulevard. 1-4pm. Concert/program at 1pm; group photo at 3pm.

CONTACT: Abel Habtegeorgis, Ella Baker Center for Human Rights: (510) 285-8232; Abel@ellabakercenter.org

ADVISORY: http://www.greenjobsnow.com/media/press-releases/advisory-green-jobs-now-concert-and-rally

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Residents will celebrate the National Day of Action starting with a call to action and breakfast in front of the historic East Liberty Presbyterian Church, followed by volunteer opportunities at a vacant-lot sunflower biofuel harvest. After lunch, participants will meet back up in E. Liberty for a rally and press conference. Local artists will perform, half a dozen elected officials will speak, green economy workers will give their testimonies.

CONTACTS: Nathaniel Doyno, Director, Steel City Biofuels: (412) 418-4594; n.doyno@psu.edu. Vanessa German (412) 760-5864; aveasa@aol.com. Khari Mosley, League of Young Voters, (412) 403-2762; khari@youngvoter.net.

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/7500

Seattle, Washington
The White Center Energy Festival and Prosperity Project will rally more than 250 volunteers to reach an estimated 32,000 residents in approximately 7,800 households to educate residents of White Center about how to reduce energy consumption in their homes, save money on their utility bills and learn how to launch a lucrative career in the emerging green collar job sector. The doorknocking will be followed by a festival featuring live entertainment, speeches from local elected officials and noted personalities.

CONTACT: Stacy Noland; Phone: (206) 201-2314; Mobile: (425) 830-4083 (not for publication).

ADVISORY: http://www.greenjobsnow.com/media/press-releases/advisory-going-green-in-not-so-centered-and-not-so-white-white-center

South Bronx, New York
From 1-4 PM, Sustainable South Bronx will throw a concert and party at Hunts Point Riverside Park to highlight the accomplishments of over 100 graduates of the Bronx Environmental Stewardship Training (BEST) program. Graduates are now employed by groups such as New York City Parks Department and SSBx's very own SmartRoofs LLC. They're greening neighborhoods -- and their pockets. Attendees will come away with ideas on how to green their homes, their neighborhoods, and the planet. Performances from FIYAWATA, Architects and Demolition Men, and others. Speakers, including BEST graduates, the BEST Director, and the Director of the newly formed South Bronx Food Coop. CFL giveaways. Recycling education and monitoring led by kids from a local school. Healthy cooking demonstrations. Art activity for kids. Lafayette Ave & Edgewater Rd, Bronx, NY!

CONTACT: Sheila Somashekhar: (646) 400-5295; ssomashekhar@ssbx.org

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/5671

Williamson, West Virginia
Beginning at 12pm, the Green J.O.B.S. Cook-Out will have displays of small wind turbines, local and visiting speakers as well as many informational booths. There will be two movies played at the local community college. The first one (3:00pm) will be a informational movie about global warming (“Six Degrees”) and the second (6:00pm) will be coupled with a Q&A workshop discussing the technical “nuts and bolts” of installing small wind turbines. 1601 Armory Dr. Williamson Community College Rm 433 (movies and workshops) parking lot (cookout).

CONTACT: Nora Benevides: (916) 281-6030; nora@greenforall.org; Kathlyn Krasse: (304) 236-7629

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/7417

Chicago, Illinois
Green Village Building Now will be held at Our Lady of the Gardens School, 13300 S. Langley Blvd., adjacent to the Altgeld Gardens public housing project, organized by Blacks in Green and others. Attendees will be encouraged to sign petitions, help Little Black Pearl Art & Design Center to paint a mural, take photos with tools to show that they are ready for an inclusive Green Economy, and raise their voices to urge elected officials to invest in millions of green jobs and a Clean Energy Corps to repower America. Live mural painting, Kaotic Drumline, Mikkey Halsted & RGB Environmental Restoration Agency, farmers from Hopkins Park/Pembroke Township, free CFL light bulbs from Citizens Utility Board, and photo opportunity with entire group at 1:00 PM.

CONTACT: Naomi Davis, Blacks In Green: (773) 678-9541; naomi@blacksingreen.org

ADVISORY: http://www.greenjobsnow.com/media/press-releases/chicago-advisory-green-village-building-now-rally-for-green-jobs-now

Albuquerque, New Mexico
New Mexico Youth Organized and 1Sky New Mexico, along with many other environmental and community groups, will be hosting a solutions fair that will highlight energy saving solutions, environmental education, community gardening, green businesses, and the Albuquerque Green Job initiative. There will also be live, solar powered music courtesy of the UNM Solar Trailer and local folk band Young Edward, free food, and good times. This is going to be a fun, community event that will bring positive and determined people from throughout the city together to highlight the ongoing work towards cleaning up our environment, building pathways out of poverty via green jobs, and uplifting our environment and our people. 12:00PM to 03:00PM, 8th and Central, Robinson Park.

CONTACT: Juan Reynosa: (505) 907-3788; joowan1@gmail.com

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/5205


Oxford, Mississippi
Friday, September 26 Youth will set up 30 windmills/turbines (9 ft tall is main visual) on main glade of Ole Miss campus (next to campaign tents) at 7am; all day art installation through debate time; volunteers at installation will be wearing green hard hats and t-shirts. Students, guests, passers-by can add stories of a clean energy future and green jobs via writing on the blades of the windmills.

CONTACT: Brianna Cayo-Cotter: (415) 305-1943; brianna@energyaction.net

Minneapolis, Minnesota
Environmental Justice Advocates of Minnesota (EJAM) welcomes everyone to help create this new clean, green, inclusive economy! Hear from Rep. Karen Clark, Congressman Keith Ellison and others to discuss how we can share in the prosperity of a clean renewable economy. We will sign petitions, have an opportunity to be filmed, and build community through this event. 2100 Plymouth Ave. North Minneapolis Urban League.

CONTACT: Karen Monahan: (952) 220-1453; karenejam@yahoo.com

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/6000

Las Vegas, Nevada
1Sky Nevada in conjunction with Democracia USA and Nevada Conservation League are hosting a town hall meeting at 5400 Harris Avenue to discuss how green jobs can benefit the Latino community and how a green economy can benefit Nevada.

CONTACT: Cinthia Zermeno: (702) 791-1965; czermeno@planevada.org

Flint, Michigan
"Flint's Ready." Several hundred people, a solar panel manufacturer, and 3 local universities facilitating a seminar geared towards the unemployed.

CONTACT: Kathy Scheller: (810) 736-7849; kascheller@yahoo.com

DETAILS: http://events.greenjobsnow.com/greenforall/events/show/5892

Madison, Wisconsin
Representatives will be coming together at the 800 block podium on State Street at 12:30 PM from different sectors of the community including faith-based, social justice, environmental, labor, business, and community-development groups from Latino and African-American groups to talk about their stakes in the new green economy. Participants will listen to the speakers, take photo petitions, march down State Street, and sign petitions in front of the capitol building urging elected officials to invest in the creation of millions of green jobs and a Clean Energy Corps to re-power America.

ADVISORY:http://www.greenjobsnow.com/media/press-releases/1sky-new-national-environmental-campaign-holding-rally-for-green-jobs-now

Green Jobs Now... on the Road!

Just arrived just outside the beltway, preparing to support the local day of action event this Saturday. A few interesting things: there is a huge storm brewing in the Atlantic Ocean that is threatening to bring rain and wind to the events planned.

Walking through the airport with my Green Jobs Now shirt

I looked down and found crumpled $10 bill on the ground and then I ran into a traveling from DC to the Clinton Global Initiative meeting in nYc none other than Van Jones.

We briefed one another on the fracas of the current economic and political situation. And I passed him a flyer for his new book and then we parted ways.

Virginia has some interesting things to pay attention to.

There are “Green” Muslims in the mix and a young Muslim American running for US Congress that have cool politics.

Lots going on. Best to pay attention. Better to Understand. i really did find a $10 bill.

bb

Sleepless in San Francisco

love is the word.

what else can i do?

no use in beating myself up. i figure if you visualize something and believe in it enough, it will manifest in some form. i eff up all the time but balling up into a ball of negative energy is no good. impatience will only incapacitate you, warp your perspective, and make you generally unattractive.

i’m getting ready for bed and realize my phone’s ringer or vibrator isn’t working anymore - just at that moment. my friend ibrahim is supposed to show up any minute from sfo (via nyc) to crash in my living room. my apartment door buzzer also happens to not be working for the past couple weeks. i figure i’ll get up in 5 minutes to check my phone; i won’t pass out in 5 minutes, right? wrong. i wake up at 7.30am to tons of missed calls and texts.

i left my poor friend ibrahim stranded outside my apartment all night. he had to walk all around SF to find a hotel (most were full) to sleep for a mere 3 hours. yeah, not very awesome of me. at all.

i feel terrible. ibrahim keeps saying maybe there was something meant in it - why that happened. i’m not sure we both know why as of yet. but i was impressed in turn with his patience and composure and not wanting to tear my head off. so thank you, ibrahim, for exemplifying patience, humility, and forgiveness.

it’s odd. because even before this happened i was going to write about how i was trying to be patient with myself. really though, my practice of patience was lightweight. yesterday’s deed really goes to ibrahim.

thank you for tolerating my whackness, ibrahim. and i’m sorry.

Sarah Palin = ChristianTaliban

Good morning Palinites, you have cheered and jeered this Big Government Big Spending governor into a place by your side, and, basking in her celebrity we have all been dutifully distracted from the real inept man behind the “more of the same” mask.

Mr. McCain irreverently supported a free Georgia (as in Russian neighbor) recently when Russia rejoined the preemptively striking nations. In this REAL WORLD that exists with REAL THREATS we cannot blankly dance around power with petty slogans and pretty faux administrators. AKA: why is McCain siccing his newest lipsticked pitbull on national media talking about having Georgia joining NATO even if that risks confronting Russia?

Dumb.

What we know is that she has been flanked by every GOP think-tanker to cram her brain on everything from domestic policy to federal policy. What we know is that she is essentially using this new plank to espouse her ChristianTaliban views that look forward to bringing about the end of the world.

What knucklehead would provoke a fight with the other main Nuclear superpower on the planet? What else are we to assume about her and McCain and their worldview?

If these are indeed dangerous times and right-wing-God-talks-to-me (God is on my side) zealots ring the globe from American super churches to The mountains of Bora Bora , with the full force of dissention, angry white males and shaggy poor poppy farmers do we really believe that this man, the WhiteWarParty’s main guy, the thumbs up WackTalkExpress who chooses a political novice who governs a state that literally is smaller in population that my block in Brooklyn and (quite frankly) should be the sovereign territory of the native peoples… do we trust them, to make sane decisions… other than ones that would start the End Times?

Fugghetaboutit! McPalin is a joke and its not funny.

John McCain = WrongTalkExpress, Sarah Palin = ChristianoFacism

I found my Voice for the day.

If the Palinites manage to bring an ill prepared, “God talks to me” hack pointing her tarty finger at Iran because she will want to start “Palin’s War” and will be trampling over civil-liberties to assert her ChristianioFacist agenda to spin forward their rendition of the End of Days.

The real talk is that McCain, the venerable veteran, the tortured media darling, scion of power and pain, the freedom crushing man who voted against an MLK day, with no spunk, no ideas, sexist jokes, racist rancor, and a wife who’s family made money peddling poison --- He, they, who confirmed his candidacy to represent the WarParty in the least culturally reflective convention in many years - - they are not FIT to run this countryInDecline. Yes, America is declining because we have spurned thought for thoughtlessness… where red states mean meth states and policy takes a back seat to punditry and greed and power and clueless thinking.

And for the palinites… I, with my degree in Public Administration from Baruch College, at age 31 could run the government of Wasillia tomorrow. There are literally millions of Americans now that should be considered legitimately capable of running this nation. What the heck is Putin gonna say when he sits at the table with her?

He’s gonna laugh and really understand what is happening.

The AmericanExperiment has failed!

The McCain WrongTalkExpress rambles along a mile long and an inch deep. no substance, no clarity, just smoke, just mirrors - USA, you UGLY like a pig with lipstick.

Green Jobs Now!

I just was involved in a fellowship program, the Naitonal Urban Fellows: www.nuf.org where I received a full scholarship to Baruch College in NY (ironically where my dad graduated from and my mothers mother took business classes in the 1940’s!). the NUF program is a 14-month intensive MPA. My thesis was titled: An Analysis of Electricity Delivery Policy in New York City.

I have used that understanding now in my role as the Naitonal Field Organizer for a day of action to develop an inclusive Green Economy. YP4 is a partner in this effort, see: www.greenjobsnow.com, I encourage you to check out the website and see if there is an event in your area or sign up to host one.