Going Green

"Green: They are. Are you? Stars are setting out to save the planet. And they want you to help them.

Published: 04 February 2007

[...] The campaign, called Global Cool, will use pop concerts, webcasts and mass texting to get the message across. The organisers stress that they want to make people feel good by reducing their carbon footprints, rather than guilty about the amount of pollution they produce.

The Scottish singer KT Tunstall will front the campaign; she has personally saved more than four tons of CO2 a year by deciding not to have a car, installing energy-efficient lightbulbs, showering instead of having baths (except when "really tired") and unplugging all her electrical equipment when she is not using it. On top of that, she runs her American tour bus on biodiesel and makes her CDs carbon neutral.

The actors Orlando Bloom, Jude Law and Josh Hartnett have also joined the campaign. And a battery of other stars - including Brad Pitt, Jake Gyllenhaal, Cameron Diaz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Roberts and George Clooney - have reduced their footprints through the work of another organisation, the Environmental Media Association, which is forming a partnership with Global Cool.

[...] Global Cool is the brainchild of a former music broker and advertising executive, Dan Morrell, who was one of the first to develop the idea of carbon offsetting, reducing the impact of flights and other polluting activities by planting trees and investing in energy-saving programmes.

Ten years ago, he founded Future Forests, now known as the CarbonNeutral Company, using a phrase he coined. But he came to realise that, by itself, this only scratched the surface of the problem. He decided the answer was to persuade people to cut back their emissions by making this "an aspirational lifestyle". He enlisted Hollywood stars, raised finance in the City and, with the help of environmentalists and business people, put together an unusually well-thought-through campaign.

The idea is that anyone can easily save well over one ton of CO2 a year. Unplugging phone chargers, TVs, DVD players and microwaves when not in use will save 0.9 tons. Turning the central heating thermostat down will save another 0.6, and replacing lightbulbs with energy efficient ones up to 0.4. [...]

GREEN STARS

Kate Bosworth 1 ton

The actress, best known for her role as Lois Lane in 'Superman Returns', turns off equipment at the wall when she is not using it, making a saving of 0.9 tons a year. Further, the US star buys only local food, making savings of an extra 0.1 tons.

Josh Hartnett 1.6 tons

Actor Hartnett ensures he unplugs his phone charger when it is not in use, saving 0.2 tons of CO2, while low-energy bulbs up his savings by 0.4 tons. But his biggest contribution is the Toyota Prius he has driven for several years, accounting for one ton each year.

Orlando Bloom 1.3 tons

Bloom, who starred as Legolas in the 'Lord of the Rings' trilogy, is in the process of installing solar power at his home which will save 0.4 tons of CO2 annually. Not leaving appliances in standby mode boosts the 'Pirates of the Caribbean' actor's savings by a further 0.9 tons.

Jake Gyllenhaal 1.4 tons

Gyllenhaal, best known for his role in 'Brokeback Mountain' saves a ton of CO2 every year by driving a Toyota Prius around LA. The star of 'Donnie Darko' uses Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs more commonly known as energy-saving light bulbs, saving 0.4 tons of CO2.

Leonardo DiCaprio 2 tons

The Oscar-nominated actor drives a Toyota Prius, which saves one ton of carbon dioxide. He cuts down on elecricity usage with long-life, low-energy light bulbs which add another 0.4 tons to his savings. DiCaprio also makes another major contribution by recycling his landfill waste which contributes an extra 0.6 tons." -By Geoffrey Lean

Source: News.independent.co.uk

"In Hollywood, green is the new black! After Jake Gyllenhaal,

Eva Longoria and

Sarah Jessica Parker do the black tie Golden Globes banquet, they'll be celebrating the actual globe at the "Greenest Party on Earth."

The Beverly Hills bash, sponsored by E! and the Environmental Media Association, will feature recycled party decor, sustainable plants and flowers, and a menu consisting entirely of organic food. Pass the salt! A tree will be planted for each party attendee, which will go toward offsetting the carbon emissions generated by the soiree.

Al Gore will be so proud!

Celebs like Paris Hilton, Lance Bass and Adam Brody will also be getting their ecological groove on to the sounds of DJ AM. Try doing that at Hyde!

The A-list ecofest takes place on the site of a former Robinsons-May department store, which is being turned into an environmentally sustainable, high-end luxury residence called 9900 Wilshire. Unfortunately, for most of us, it takes a lot of green to live green!"
Source:www.tmz.com