You know, the tide is swaying and Hip-Hip has been charged with enacting change in its own community as well as the world at large. With that, I felt like I would help the Hip-Hop Generation continue to help by “going green.” If you ask Soulja Boy, “going green” might be the theme of his new album in terms of getting paid greenbacks. No. I am talking about helping save the Earth by being environmentally fiscal. Check it out. 1) Rappers and their followers love Styrofoam cups. Just look at Lil
Wayne. Every time you see him, he’s got a different Styrofoam cup with
something in it. If you are going to sip sizzurp, use a washable mug or
a cup that won’t end up in a landfill. The same thing applies for
people like Common, that love water. Reuse that water bottle, b! 2) Get your significant other to do the dishes by hand or better yet – do them together! He/she might not want to, but think of the Mother we all call Earth. Needlessly using the dishwasher is both a cost and water waster. My girl made me do the dishes! OK, I’m kidding. She left me, because I didn’t do dishes often enough. I was trying to save water! 3) When you aren’t in the house, kill the heat. Why heat a house with no occupants? You save fuel and money, homey! 4) Now a lot of us in Hip-Hop are saddled with these big SUV trucks since we
got them when they were hip and cool. Well, they are still hip and
cool, but the gas – in this economy – is almost crippling. That said,
it is a good idea to carpool when you can or take mass transit. Both
build lasting bonds with friends!
4a) They made fun of Obama when he said this, but make sure
the tires on those big ol’ rims are properly inflated. Don’t drive all
crazy either. It just eats up gas like the Fat Boys at the
all-you-can-eat spot. 5) If you aren’t on AllHipHop.com or one of your other favorite destinations, turn off the computer. Also, unplug the charger for your mobile device when you are not using it. The outlet is still passing energy even if you are not charging something. 6) Ok, you probably won’t hand wash your clothing like Emmett Otter’s mother, but when you do wash clothes, use cold water. If possible, let them air dry on a rack or line like back in the day. 7) Since a lot of metrosexual rappers are coming in and tight jeans are the rage, maybe some of you will pick up on this. If you eat less meat, you can help save energy and have a positive impact on the environment. If you do buy meat, buy it locally and support the people in your backyard. It takes loads of fuel and energy to store, refrigerate and transport meat. Eating less meat will help you stay in those skinny jeans, hipster. Pause for the cause. 8) Remember when bottled water was “spring water.” Those days are almost long gone when you look at the options as they now bottle tap water. So, I recommend that you use a water filter to purify the water in your home. Bottled water messes with the environment, even if they fix the bottle up. Like option No. 4, use a bottle you can fill over and over again. 9) It is hard for us to borrow from each other. Why? Because generally, when we loan something, we never see the object again! Where is Rae’s Killer tape anyway? Nevertheless, if you can borrow things like movies and books as opposed to buying new stuff, you can save on the trash accumulated. The same applies to things like power tools. Of course, there are some things that shouldn’t be shared, if you get what I mean. 10) In Hip-Hop, we are almost always ahead of the curve from a technological perspective. The only issue is, where do these items go after we move on? I have had everything from a Sidekick to an iPhone to a Razr and all other sorts of iPods and headsets. This applies to your Xbox, your Wii and whatever else you entertain yourself with. I don’t throw them away, because generally I horde them (not very smart either). But, we should not throw them away, because E-waste contains mercury and other toxics. Recycle or donate these items when you can to avoid them going into you drinking water. Also, consider writing them off come tax time, if you can. These are just a few things we can do to improve our Hip-Hop world…and the rest of the Earth too.-illseed