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Written by Suzanne Heibel   
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Friday, 21 November 2008

Celebrities Getting Green

Celebrities have become the bread and butter of our weekly news, whether we or they like it or not. Although tabloids usually focus on relationship status or weight and style changes, celebs do a lot of good for the environment that deserves positive attention. These aren't just famous people who pay thousands of dollars to attend an event that supports an environmental cause; these are people who put their efforts and money to good use because they feel it is the right thing to do, not because they were sent an invitation. Here are some of my favorites!

Leonardo DiCaprio

Leonardo DiCaprio is not just another pretty face in Hollywood. He is an activist of all trades, taking on everything from animal rights to global warming. He has produced three independent documentaries on global warming, and his latest, The 11th Hour, is the most impressive as it discusses how man's giant footprint has launched Mother Nature into an aggressive defensive position in the form of powerful natural disasters.1 His website, www.leonardodicaprio.org, is entirely dedicated to humanitarian causes. The only thing on the website resembling the actor's success is a modest self-portrait only to give the browser a face with the name. DiCaprio encourages all to quit using wasteful plastic bags and calls their use a “huge part of the problem.” Below that is a notice to eliminate junk mail as to reduce paper usage. DiCaprio’s Foundation partners up with environmental organizations to foster a broad-based coalition of environmental awareness and action.2 The man is not only saturated in handsomeness, he is also on the board for the Natural Resource Defense Council and Green USA.3

Jessica Alba

While the changed life that comes along for many with childrearing can sometimes result in a reduction of good eco-friendly life practices—like Jennifer Connelly, who ditched her vegan diet when she was pregnant with her first son4 —Jessica Alba is seeking to increase hers. Alba is known for being one hot mama, but this young mother has insisted on a raising her baby in an eco-friendly atmosphere. The actress is completely re-decorating her home to include garbage cans made out of recycled chip bags, a recycled couch, rugs constructed from used tennis balls, and non-toxic paint.5 Her aim is to reduce her carbon footprint and create a baby-safe atmosphere by inviting items into her home that are non-toxic and recycled.

Ed Norton

Edward Norton is actually Edward Norton Junior. His father, Edward Norton Senior works with the Nature Conservancy's Yunnan Great Rivers Conservation Project, a plan that seeks to protect the Chinese province, an environmental hot spot whose wildlife is at risk from poachers, loggers, and sporadic tourism.6 Ed Norton, the actor, narrates the project’s film titled “Voices of a Sacred Land.” But Norton does more than follow in his father's non-carbon footprints, he is involved in Earth Justice, the Grand Canyon Trust, the Wilderness Society, the American Museum of Natural History, and the Johns Hopkins Neuro-oncology Research Lab, and those are only the environmental organizations he supports.7 Norton teamed up with British Petroleum to create his own environmental organization: the Solar Neighbors Program, which donates a solar panel to a low income family every time a celebrity purchases one for his or her home (also involved is Will Ferrell).8 Basically, Ed Norton is an eco-baller.

Brangelina

As a activist power couple, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are teaming up with Global Green USA, a key organization behind the rebuilding of New Orleans and other such affected areas. Pitt—a huge architect buff—acts as jury chairman for The Holy Cross Project, a plan to not only rebuild the city but build it back emission-neutral.9 But don't think Jolie doesn't size up to Pitt's work; Jolie agreed to give $5 million over the next 15 years to support conservation of a Cambodian forest nearly 50,000 acres.10 I could go on and on about their humanitarian work, but for now we'll just keep it eco-focused.

Harrison Ford

The fact that Harrison Ford saves the world as Indiana Jones and as a real person is pretty cool. Ford works with Conservation International, an organization which is hush-hushly buying up huge chunks of land all over the world and labeling them no-touch zones. They also work with food chains—like Starbucks and McDonalds—to provide them with food from areas not over fished, or with coffee from indigenous farmers.11 Ford has been working with the organization for over 15 years and will continue doing so, especially since he is now a Vice-Chairman and sits on the executive board! But that's just the beginning, Ford has won tons of awards for recognition of his environmental action.12 My hero!

The List Goes On…

To be fair, these are just some of many celebs who put the environment first. Cameron Diaz, Cate Blanchet, Gweneth Paltrow, and many more have all made the list. Its feels refreshing, doesn't it, to know that those who many of us look up to are setting admirable examples to all of us.

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1http://www.leonardodicaprio.org/.
2 http://www.leonardodicaprio.org/aboutus/.
3 http://www.calfund.org/8/giving_dicapriofund.php.
4 http://www.ecorazzi.com/?s=jennifer+connelly.
5 http://www.latina.com/entertainment/daily-latina/more-daily-latina/
jessica-alba-goes-eco- friendly-her-home;
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20234800,00.html.
6 http://media.www.hlrecord.org/media/storage/
paper609/news/2007/10/04/News/Ed.Norton.Speaks.
About.Environmental.Reform.In.China-3015492.shtml.
7 http://www.bp.com/sectiongenericarticle.do?categoryId=9020223&contentId=7036994;
http://www. filmbug.com/db/381.
8 http://www.ecorazzi.com/2008/01/18/will-ferrell-sponsors-solar-panels-for-skid-row-housing/.
9 http://www.globalgreen.org/neworleans/holycross/; http://www.globalgreen.org/news/48.
10 http://www.planetark.org/dailynewsstory.cfm/newsid/20470/newsDate/15-Apr-2003/story.htm.
11 http://www.conservation.org/discover/business/Pages/overview.aspx.
12http://www.looktothestars.org/celebrity/74-harrison-ford.;
http://www.conservation.org/Pages/harrison_ford_landing.aspx.




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