Earth Equity News

Obama Admin Teams with Grassroots Groups to 'Green the Block'. By Kate Sheppard, Grist, August 5, 2009. "Ensuring that low-income communities and minority youth benefit from green jobs programs is the goal of a new partnership between the White House and two grassroots organizations -- Hip Hop Caucus and Green For All. Two Cabinet members and leaders of the grassroots groups unveiled the Green the Block initiative Tuesday at a White House press conference, describing the partnership as as both a campaign and a coalition that is designed to build political support for greening efforts in low-income and minority communities. 'The 20th century was defined by civil rights and The 21st century will be defined by clean energy,' said Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr., president of the Hip Hop Caucus. 'Future generations will measure us by our success in transitioning from a fossil fuel economy to a clean energy economy, and in the process building opportunity and prosperity for our most economically disenfranchised communities'... The cabinet members -- EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan -- touted some of the investments that the Obama administration has made to assist low-income Americans through greening efforts. In the economic stimulus package, $14 billion is designated for housing upgrades, including $5 billion to make low-income housing more energy efficient." Open for Questions: Green the Block. The White House, August 4, 2009, video, 33 min. CEQ's Van Jones and Christine Glunz, answer questions about the "Green the Block" initiative.