Sporting a longer than usual goatee/beard, Brad Pitt took to the podium at the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative to give an update on his Make It Right foundation’s progress in New Orleans. “I don’t know how we build any other way anywhere else,” Pitt said, addressing the audience in New York. “We can no longer tell ourselves that implementing this technology is too complex a problem because it’s just been proven on this little spot on the map.”

He also received an honor from the US Green Building Council for all the work he has done in expanding awareness on sustainable building — and improving the lives of people in New Orleans.

“‘Make It Right’ has exceeded my expectations,” he added. “Our criteria from the beginning were at odds, to say the least. We demanded that these homes be sustainable, that they have aesthetic qualities … that they be storm resilient and take safety in mind of the families who live there and that they would be affordable.”

While only 13 of the expected 150 homes have been built, Pitt reported that the benefits are already substantial. The average family pays only $35/month for electricity in one of the homes created by Make It Right. Plans are already underway for the next stage of the project — which will include eco-friendly duplex designs.

The Clinton Global Initiative ends today. For more information — and for videos from the three-day event, jump here.

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About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

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