Cows make Coach People!

 I'm blessed to be in a position to share what has been gifted to me...the passion for life and quality of life and life force of contentment with helping others see just how special, fragile and amazing this planet is. Not to sound too much like a tree hugger but life is so fixed within boundaries and sometimes we forget that the earth is just as alive as you and I. It gets sick, it responds and it attempts to get better. To no fault of its own it will do what it is supposed to do under the conditions we have created. To ignore the life of our planet the living energy of it that sustains us, to act as if it is unintentional and replaceable is to mock the creator in my opinion. So when you are flooded once again, when you realize your feet are frozen because of the below zero temperatures, when you reach for the ice or your inhaler this summer or end up at the University of Chicago emergency room gasping for dear breath because of smog and humidity, when you realize the crops at your garden can not grow because it is a drought and there is a water ban (like Chicago does) or that you can't swim at Lake Michigan because raw sewage has been released due to the sewer system overflowing, when you are wondering what that bulls eye mark is after you go hiking, or even wondering what will happen to your vine videos when so many people are trying to keep cool that it causes power outages and you can't charge your Iphone 5c....you'll realize that earth is simply attempting to right what we've wronged and she will make us as uncomfortable and sick as we have made her. 

So what then do we do? We meaning people that look like me.  Yes I'm Black and sometimes I forget that I have to reaffirm that while I'm accused of leading a white life and being interested in all things that are white it means that I am not Black.  In order to make my point clear I have to "get on your level" so to speak, I am an educated scientist driven to study this amazing planet we call home and a finesse for making others care too.  Others meaning my people....my beautiful Black people.

I think it is time that we hold ourselves accountable for the disinterest in the conversation of natural resources, climate change and or global warming.  Honestly I have no clue as to why it is so difficult to make these connections considering the consumerism of Blacks in America.  I find it hard accepting that a generation of people that fought for policies reconciling environmental injustice would be so very quiet as the threat of climate change floods our basements, has us shivering in our uninsulated homes and missing school because we chose to buy some Jordan's instead of waterproof insulated boots.

We aren't serious....(I'm laughing).

 I'm serious.

 Y'all aint! 

In Chicago when it was below zero I was good, my kids were good too.  They had their long johns, thick gloves, layers, hats, scarves, snow pants, they were ready for the weather, and I made sure of it.  I made sure of it because I kind of know Chicago like other large cities are changing, and we must be ready to change as well.

 I  also was ready because I study this stuff....but we all live it together. After winter in Chi-Beria (which in all honesty is cute, catchy and clever) I just knew Blacks would be all about preparing for and finding out about climate change....eeeeeh not so much.  I was disappointed at the lack of energy that was stimulated around the consequences of socio-economic status in a changing urban climate.  The fact that your child can not attend school because they don't have the proper climate clothes was honestly the most direct and in your face correlation I have ever seen play out in the public eye.  Do we not recognize that as the seasons pass it will be more than our clothes that will prevent us from being able to live in a prosperous way.  

I feel like I needed to say a little bit on this because I was thinking how do I say it again? How do I share my excitement for what a climate change position will do for the revitalization of our community health and wealth. The conversation is now off of trying to prove or disprove an environmental injustice from a factory it is obvious we are and will continue to be (all people) affected by a changing climate.  All means ALL. Every single living creature above and below ground as well as in the sea.  

So ultimately I have to take the very bougie position (insert haughty condescending laugh all in good humor of course) and tell my people....my beautiful Black people (takes deep breath)

The sun makes energy for plants. Plants use that energy to grow. Plants need water, light, and nutrients to give us food, fiber and fuel.  Unhealthy air, and water means unhealthy plants. Unhealthy air and water also means unhealthy people. Unhealthy air and water also means unhealthy animals. Unhealthy plants means unhealthy food for people and animals. 

 So my final rally cry is Cows make Coach! (hahahaha) Yes! Cows make our beloved leather Coach and Dooney & Bourke purses, belts, and shoes.  So if you love Coach and want to keep looking fly...care a little about our climate and change! 

Pick Your Plants Wisely

 In 2010 Blacks were reported to have the lowest amount of home ownership of any ethnic group at 45.4% however more often than not those African American homeowners are living in African American communities. When the housing and financial crisis hit, Black communities suffered tremendously, like in the Chicago community of Roseland where home ownership dropped from 64% to 53% in 2013. What people don't realize is that these were more than just houses, they were homes sitting on pieces of land. Living land, that requires attention and care.  The type of attention and care that also require energy and income to make it into something beautiful.  That beauty can be grass, a rock garden, a water feature, veggies, or flowering bushes, bird feeders, or mulch.

 The social consequences of segregation  such as inequity of eduction and distribution of resources and services are always discussed,  but what about the environmental consequences? Yes, the environment reflects the decisions of the people in an area.  While every individual in the African American community makes up their own minds about what they like and dislike, we do share similar world views and perspectives based upon our upbringing.  It is not a bad thing, it's just a thing.  Yet when we look at how environmental decisions are made in accord there are unintentional consequences. The natural areas of our homes creates a collective natural environment.  When we see our neighbor plant something it is more likely that we will plant it too.  What ends up happening is that we suffer from "Who wants to be like/who wants to be like/ The Jones'" (You should hear me sing it, lol I sound just like the Temptations).

So what on earth does this have to do with invasive species awareness month? I thought you would never ask! Our decisions to care for the pieces of land that are ours comes from first understanding how to make good decisions.  If you are a homeowner you are directly responsible for the decisions of what you do in your yard.  Together our communities and homes play a huge role in the environmental health of our cities, because often we are so segregated our choices for plants and landscaping turn into something much larger.  If all of us are unaware and chose invasive plants for our homes trust me it is not a good thing to have that in common with ALL your neighbors.  I celebrate our culture and closeness, but I am disheartened by our lack of information.

While invasive plants are sold in nurseries and plant stores if you don't know what is and what isn't invasive you buy whats pretty!  I know when I was planning my landscape at first it wasn't even a thought to consider what should and shouldn't be in my yard.  I thought if it was being sold it was ok.  This is so far from the truth. I also thought if I brought in a landscaper they would know, but they too were just as lost.

It really is YOUR responsibility if you are TRYING to ben environmentally friendly to first educate yourself.  Sometimes you may not have the mindset to do so, which is why you should follow me (shameless plug) as your green guide to the fertile land of sustainability....(insert Ease on down the road song here from The Wiz). It is ok that people in our community are starting from scratch, we have a lot to learn and lots to do so that our communities can contribute to our own health and the health of mother earth.

If you are wondering how to find out information on what to plant in your yard, there are very close friends to help at the Chicago Botanic Garden. On their website they have a list of plants in the Chicago region that are invasive including trees, shrubs and grasses.  If you are thinking of visiting a nursery looking for new life for your space take care to find out if you are adding to the problem through your purchases or being a leader and knowing what you grow is going to be a good thing for nature.  Below are the CBG's ways you can help control invasive plants. You know what we say...."when you know better, you do better" I'm remixing that to say "when you know better, you grow better".

• Learn about invasive plants.

• Phase out the invasive plants on your property.

• Plant only noninvasive species.

• Attend Garden classes and symposia about invasive plants and biodiversity.

• Volunteer to monitor threatened plants of the region.

• Volunteer for stewardship activities at the Garden and other natural areas.

I very much wanted to articulate how much land is owned by African Americans through home ownership here in Chicago, but came up short in looking at the Census data.  It appears as though you can get the average of home ownership but it doesn't tell you how much land in terms of the sizes of homes.  (Crossing fingers for an interested reader to find out and share for us!)

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