Ecorazzi

Back in 2003, Global Green USA came up with the brilliant idea of shuttling eco-conscious celebrities to the Academy Awards — not in limos, but in the latest hybrids and fuel-efficient vehicles. “That first year Harrison Ford, Calista Flockhart, Cameron Diaz, Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon, and others were ferried to the Oscars and afterward to all the parties in the first generation Prius,” writes Global Green CEO Matt Petersen in a new HuffPo piece. “Without having to say anything, they sent a message about fighting climate change, increasing fuel efficiency, and moving toward energy independence.”

As Petersen relates, getting the Prius (and other cars like it) into the national spotlight was huge because it made people take notice. In subsequent years, as more car companies have released greener vehicles, the campaign has grown to include those that use hydrogen or electric-only. In 2008, it also saw the idea hijacked by GM — who thought their Yukon Hybrid SUV (an awful 20mpg) qualified it as a “green car” for shuttling celebs to the Oscars.

For this year’s Academy Awards, we’re happy to see Global Green continue their “Green Car Red Carpet” campaign. While the Prius may have a tarnished image as of late due to safety concerns, there’s no denying the impact it’s had in getting Hollywood — and the public — to think greener on Oscar night.

Check out Petersen’s full article on the Huffington Post here.