The Green Obsidian

If there's anything that I love after a long day, it is a good Ted Talk from NPR and topics that I am really passion about that keep me engaged. And for this particular episode, it was so good that I had to share it with my LinkedIn family because they really had me onboard with one of my favorite topics -- FOOD WASTE--especially with one of the The Green Obsidian's highlighted champions Jasmine Crowe-Houston! Truthfully, I honestly think most of us don't realize how much food is thrown away every single day — from uneaten leftovers and spoiled produce, to parts of fruits and vegetables that could be eaten or repurposed, and even grocery store goods. Accordingly to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), their estimates show that in 2019, about 96 percent of households' wasted food ended up in landfills, combustion facilities, or down the drain to the sewer system, while the rest has been stated to go to compost. Listen, I know preventing food from going to waste is one of the most powerful actions you can take to not only save money in this economy because inflation is murdering our budgets, but also lowering your climate change footprint by reducing greenhouse gas emissions & conserving natural resources. But to do this realistically in our fast-paced and overproduced world, let's be real -- it's a challenge and I can honestly say this with my full chest as a sustainability girl who has to go to another district in the county just to drop off her compost monthly while stockpiling my freezer with food scraps since there's not location nearby. DEEP SIGH. If you are not intentional about sustainability and if our society isn't taking the time to make this type of urban planning amenity into consideration as a priority, managing food waste is harder than you think. And access to resources to be able to do this feasibly varies from multiple community standpoints. Whatever thoughts may be, what really resonated with me in this episode were the creative solutions that individuals built from identifying this gap. Uff! That gave me so much hope and inspiration. NPR really identified some heavy hitters that are really out here doing the work that will not only help us reimagine what sustainability looks like, but encourages others to join in this movement that can conserve the planet we live on to build long-term resilience and a realistic, sustainable future for all so that can eliminate food waste one plate at a time. Learn more on how you can support their work and/or get involved, check out their pages below: GoodrCo. Zero Foodprint Like. Share. Spread awareness. Onward. #foodwaste #foodsystems #sustainability #usepa #farmers #produce #compost #resilience #climatejustice #environment #conservation #reducereuserecycle #landfills #advocate #greenhousegas #emissions #carbonfootprint #naturalresources https://lnkd.in/ecCRrgvd

"I wanted my whole life to be custom." Before he became a master gardener, Ron Finley wanted to become a custom tailor. Why? Because he knew clothing fit black bodies differently than the standard white "specs". He wanted to create custom clothes that were custom fit for himself and his community. His "why" was about finding a need and delivering a solution. That "why" changed many years later when he was arrested in South Central LA for "gardening without a permit". What he did from that maddening moment forever changed the trajectory of his life and career...becoming a master gardener and making growing food and gardening a way of life and creating The Ron Finley Project. "Gardening is equal to freedom." Ron Finley is this week's guest on TO DINE FOR: The podcast. You can listen to our conversation from Alta restaurant in South Los Angeles here: www.apple.com/2F2CCAJ Or to watch the original episode on PBS here: https://lnkd.in/g8njQrXP

Environmental Justice Pioneer Dr. Robert Bullard Named Winner of 2024 ULI Prize For Visionaries in Urban Development | ULI Americas https://lnkd.in/gMFvgK74 @UrbanLandInst @BullardCenter

"Climate change is disrupting the day-to-day life and the systems that are important across the country for us to operate." 🚨 Brenda Mallory, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, United States Federal Government joined our broadcast at The Climate Hub during #ClimateWeekNYC. 🗽 📺 Re-watch this session presented by Kaiser Permanente and the World Economic Forum on We Don't Have Time 👇 https://lnkd.in/dMDYeZfa #climate #health #publichealth

“We've begged for a seat at the table. We begged for funding. We've begged for national organizations, green organizations, big funders, to listen to us, support us,” said Roishetta Ozane, a Sulphur resident and founder of the Vessel Project of Louisiana. “And we said, if we had the funding and the resources, we could win this thing. We could save our communities.” Listen to black women. Support black women. Fund black women. Jo Banner, M.A. Joy Banner, Ph.D. Deep South Center for Environmental Justice Beverly Wright Texas Campaign for the Environment Healthy Gulf https://lnkd.in/gMgKgAap

[Update: Unfortunately, due to the worsening storm conditions, we’ve made the difficult decision to reschedule the film night and panel for this week. The safety of our guests is our top priority, and with the potential for university closures and travel disruptions, we believe this is the best course of action.] I’m super excited to kick off our pilot Get Outside HBCU Campus Tour along with Outside at the Atlanta University Center Consortium, Inc. this week, and I’d love for you to pull up if you’re in the area (see deets on flyer and rsvp link below.) HBCUs Outside will be hosting a screening of the acclaimed documentary, Wade in the Water, followed by a panel discussion with the film’s Director, David Mesfin, Founder of Peace in the Wild, Taylor Crenshaw, Founder of The Unpopular Black, Courtney Lanctot, and yours truly 👋🏾. Don’t underestimate the power of showing up IRL. Here’s to hoping you show up with us 🤝🏾. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eC3ybhrd

Mom, The New York Times called me a Changemaker! Unreal. Super excited to have been named a Changemaker by the NYT ♥️ As part of this honor, I will be leading a discussion at the annual NY Climate Week Climate Forward Summit. My session will delve into the status of funding / general support for youth-led climate movements and how we can better resource emerging leaders and organizations. As an ED of a leading Black youth-led climate organization, I’m excited to share my insights on how supporting youth strengthens our collective capacity to build the strongest climate team possible. I can’t wait!!! Will I see you there?

We are officially 30 days out until the One Florida: 1st Annual Environmental Justice Summit in Orlando, FL !! Excited. Emotional. Anxious. Motivated. All the more reasons to push forward to plan an engaging and intentional summit for everyone, and we're hoping you can plan to attend. We encourage you to share with your networks within the Florida landscape! We're hoping to reach as many Universities/colleges, community groups, neighborhood associations, grassroots orgs, state and agency partners alike so we can leverage this moment as best as we can to fight for environmental justice across the state and empower our communities to do so. Register today using the link below and join the movement! #Florida #Climatecrisis #Climatechange #Cliamtejustice #Justice #HUD #FEMA #NAACP #EPA #USEPA #Region4 #Southeast #Environmentaljustice #Environment #Partnerships #Equity #Communityengagement #Relationshipbuilding https://lnkd.in/ekqDrens