ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

May 2nd 2008

Bingo! Marie Claire Nails Green Cover Girl With Cate Blanchett

Filed under: interviews, magazines — michael @ 12:38 pm

It’s good to know there’s still someone out there in the magazine industry particularly concerned with who should grace the cover of their “eco issue”. After duds from mags like Elle, Vanity Fair, and Complex, we were starting to wonder whether getting people truly involved in environmental initiatives to grace the front page was a priority anymore.

Thankfully, the UK version of Marie Claire is featuring the beautiful actress/environmental activist Cate Blanchett. In the interview, Blanchett speaks of her quest to push the climate change issue forward for Australians — as well as her efforts in greening the Sydney Theater Company and personal home, and her charity work for Solar Aid. Here’s a bit from the magazine,

“‘We would have greened the internal offices anyway,’ she says as we stroll along the balcony outside the building, the harbour waters sparkling in the sunlight below. ‘But then Andrew said, “This place is perfect to put solar panels on and take it off the grid completely.”‘ If they manage it, theirs will be the first public building on Sydney Harbour to do so.

‘Our house is progressing now,’ says Blanchett. ‘But I was horrified to see how uncommon greening practices for the home are. We’ve had solar panels installed, but they’re still seen as a left-field idea. We’ve also got rainwater tanks and we’re using natural air flow to cool the house.’”

For their part, Marie Claire is delivering the mag wrapped in a recyclable brown paper bag. A stunt to be sure, since we’re confident next month’s issue will be back to its plastic-wrapped self. We will lightly applaud, however, the fact that magazine has transitioned to using paper from sustainable forests. Marie Claire’s editor, Marie O’Riordan, has not made the shift to recycled paper because she feels “it just isn’t glossy enough.” Damn trees. Oh well, one step at a time.

The June eco issue is available now in the UK. More info on what’s inside here.

April 29th 2008

The Green Quote: Bradley Whitford’s Charity Inspiration

Filed under: campaigns, donations, fashion, green and famous, interviews — parrish @ 10:56 pm

“It was in the wake of 9/11 and there was this ridiculous discussion about whether [the industry] should have awards shows, and there was an idea floating around that we should go ahead and have them. You know, you realize when you’re in the public eye that you can raise money, and Jane and I were in this bewildered state where you’re walking down a red carpet and people are asking you what you’re wearing. We thought that was an opportunity [to use] the celebrity culture we seem to be in. The intention is to advocate for children using some of the ridiculousness that is show business.”

     - Bradly Whitford on Broadway.com discussing the Clothes Off Our Back Foundation — a charity he and his wife (actress Jane Kaczmarek) started that auctions off celebrities’ clothing for children’s causes. 

April 23rd 2008

Ecorazzi Talks With Edward Norton About “Strange Days”

Filed under: ecorazzi exclusive, green and famous, interviews, television — valerie @ 9:08 am

Edward Norton wants to talk to you about fish. Not Tyler Durden, or the Incredible Hulk, but…fish. Fascinated yet? You should be. National Geographic’s second season of Strange Days on Planet Earth, (premiering today on PBS) investigates the role of sea life in global climate change, piecing together ecological puzzles so intriguing you’d swear you were watching a detective story.

The star once again proves his commitment to the environment by hosting and narrating the two latest episodes, Dangerous Catch and Dirty Secrets. Even being an activist for years and spearheading such initiatives as Bag the Bag and Solar Neighbors, Mr. Norton admits that the occurrences in Strange Days surprised him.

“My reaction was, Wow, I didn’t know any of this!” he recalled in an interview with Ecorazzi earlier this week. “The science in it was so impressive, and the way it was framed as an investigation..it reminded me of CSI, or some combination of CSI and the twilight zone…because these very strange things are happening. And why? And how can they possibly be connected?”

The point, of course, is to show viewers how everything ties together, from the fish on your dinner plate to the bushmeat people are eating in Ghana. The journey is led by teams of scientists who begin researching unusual coastal phenomena - and find out a whole lot more than they bargained for.

“What these [scientists] are uncovering is really a headspin,” Mr. Norton explains. “It points at the fact that we’re really messing with the whole machinery of the planet…and the potential consequences of it are so enormous, it’s almost paralyzing. But then I like that they took these daunting realities and said, ‘the way this connects straight back to you in your daily life is actually very simple.”

So, what exactly is this mystical fish connection and what can we do? Find out by watching Strange Days on PBS tonight. You can find local listings here.

And for those of you who want more Edward Norton, click “more” for an in-depth discussion between myself and Mr. Norton in our exclusive, in-person Ecorazzi interview. (I can’t be a ‘razzi without a little gushing. This is the part where I get to say I really really really really like and respect him a lot. Phew! Back to our regularly scheduled post…)

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March 30th 2008

Full Al Gore 60 Minutes Interview Now Up

Filed under: interviews — michael @ 8:45 pm

If you have about 13 minutes to spare, the full interview of Al Gore on 60 Minutes this evening is now available. It’s a good piece — and we even learn that the former V.P. is setting up some wind turbines on his parent’s farm — and planning on turning it into a training center for others wanting to teach his Inconvenient Truth slide show. Check it out.

And just a hit small question for CBS — did you really have to fly to India for part of this interview? Really?

March 25th 2008

Razzi Snap: Walt Disney Cartoons Contain Secret Environmental Messages

Filed under: 'toons, buildings and construction, cars-houses, interviews — michael @ 3:34 pm

I don’t know how inconspicuous they were, but according to a new book, Walt Disney cartoons have helped inspire a generation of environmental conservationists through secret themes and plot lines. Titled The Idea of Nature in Disney Animation, the author explores how everything from Tarzan to Bambi “systematically encouraged generations of children to ally themselves with the natural world and protect it.” They also caused me to have a crush on that chick from Aladdin during my early years, whatever that means. [via Times Online]

Maya Karin, a popular Malaysian actress, recently allowed journalists to visit her home and check out all the cool, green improvements she’s making in her life. “What I want to do is prove that we can live the modern life and still care for the environment at the same time,” she said. “My role is to be a communicator and to get the word out about the environmental issues we face.” [read more…]

Ed Begley Jr. gave a young Leonardo DiCaprio his first ride in an electric car back in 1990…

Adam Gardner of the band Guster — and co-founder of green touring organization Reverb — once had a tour bus named “The Earth Eater”. Thankfully, he’s turned that all around and explains his environmental passions and drive to create Reverb in this great interview.

Paris Hilton once again made for a great ambassador of American education while answering questions during a press stop in South Africa. “I LOVE Africa in general, South Africa and West Africa. They are both great countries,” she said. Yes. Yes, they are.

March 24th 2008

Harrison Ford Is An Eco-Action Figure

Filed under: interviews, magazines — michael @ 1:48 pm

The April edition of National Geographic Adventure has a great interview with actor Harrison Ford on his environmental crusades. According to the article, since 1991, Ford has been a strategic guide for Conservation International — supporting “biodiversity research, protecting endangered species, and working to persuade corporations with a history of polluting the planet to become stewards of it instead.” Harrison opens up on lost worlds, tourism, and how a friendship with a fox turned him onto environmentalism. Here are some highlights:

On settling down in Jackson, Wyoming:

I went to Sun Valley, but it was too built-up for me. So my wife at the time and I rented a car and drove toward Jackson. I’d only heard about it, and we saw it for the first time from Teton Pass. I was blown away. We knew immediately that we wanted to be there. A number of people involved in CI [Conservation International] live in Jackson, and when I became a landowner there, I felt a sense of stewardship for the Earth that I hadn’t really experienced before.

On going where no others have gone before:

I went down to Venezuela and ended up renting a helicopter and flew with my sons to the tops of the tepuis, these freestanding jungle mesas, “lost worlds” as it were. In fact, it’s almost impossible to access them without one. So we were able to land and spend some time there. We were trapped for about six hours by clouds that came in. Unbelievable. Spectacular environments. Very likely places where no other person had ever set foot before.

How a development and an animal turned him into an eco-warrior:

When I was 12, we moved outside the city to former agricultural land where they built all these tract homes. There was an irrigation ditch, and next to it was this little oasis of nature where a fox lived. I would go out there often and sit by myself. The fox became used to me and would come close—ten, six feet [two meters] away. And I think there’s something about that experience that tilted me toward nature in a different way than a visit to a national park or something would. I was struck by the fact that these houses we were living in, these streets we were driving down, had displaced something. That more than us belonged there.

Check out the full interview over on Adventure!

March 20th 2008

Woody Harrelson Talks Marijuana And Home, Sweet Home

Filed under: interviews — michael @ 1:33 pm

The Washington Post had a quick sit-down with actor Wood Harrelson on the eve of his latest film, The Grand. While sipping some herbal tea, Woody talks about poker, movies, legalization of marijuana, and the organic beauty of his home. Here are some highlights:

On whether or not marijuana should be legalized:

“Yes, both should be legal. It seems logical that in a free country you should be able to do whatever you want to do as long as it’s not hurting anyone else. It’s unfortunate that when I started talking about all this — and partly through my own fault — the focus became totally about marijuana, and hemp got marginalized. My whole focus was on a sustainable economy, which we still don’t have. But at least we’re talking more about the melting ice-caps and greenhouse gases. The problem is, nothing’s really changed yet and we live in a society where the economy is based on all these giant industries that are raping Mother Earth.”

On where he currently lives and what he loves about it:

“Mainly in Hawaii, on Maui, in this community of mostly organic farmers. We run off solar and wind and generators if necessary. I’ve been there nine years and it’s Shangri La to me. I have lots of fruit and coconut trees, and every day I swim, I surf, climb coconut trees, play with my kids, eat mangoes. There’s no form to it, which I kind of like.”

Check out the full interview here.

March 11th 2008

Ecorazzi Chats With Make Me Sustainable at SXSW

Filed under: ecorazzi exclusive, interviews, music — paige @ 3:11 pm

SXSW Interactive and Film kicked off with a twittering of panels, parties, and keynote events. While sustainability was not necessarily a primary theme throughout the festival, there were even a few panels committed to the “green” digerati.” However, the biggest green coup at SXSW were the two finalists up for Web Awards in the Activism Category: World Without Oil and Make Me Sustainable (MMS). World Without Oil won the award, but MMS definitely made their presence known within SXSW circles. We had a chance to sit down with two of the founders, Benjamin Brown and David Delcourt, to chat about some new tools that they showcased at SXSW, their partnership with Reverb, and some exciting new ways to make summer concert going more sustainable.

What is the SXSW Carbon Tree?
MMS: The SXSW Carbon Tree tracks our collective impact, the real time carbon reductions of all conference attendees, the friends they invite and so on…To encourage greater participation Evolution Sage has generously agreed to match 50% of all SXSW attendees’ carbon reductions with the purchase of carbon offsets.

What Inspired The Carbon Tree?
MMS: It was inspired by our personal experience at Live Earth where we saw this mobilization in masses and we wondered what happened after? We wanted to empower fans of these events to mobilize in a very long term community engagement. We wanted to create a tangible tool that could tap into communities horizontally like Facebook and to make it simple and easy to promote sustainability. The Carbon Tree is really a system that makes it as flexible as possible for a new consumer to promote sustainability, to create a viral green effect, and build awareness. (NOTE: Check out the Facebook Application here)

How did you get involved with Jose Gonzalez and what will MMS be doing?
MMS: We have partnered with Reverb and are working with Jose Gonzalez on his spring tour to help mobilize his tour efforts and fans to fight global warming together. The Carbon Tree tool will track your environmental impact, allowing you to see the effects of strategies as simple as changing a light bulb. It will further allow you to visualize your ability to mobilize your community by tracking the impact of those you invite to be part of your tree.

To continue reading the interview, click more below!

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March 1st 2008

Rock Hard: Missy Higgins On Music And The Green Generation

Filed under: ecorazzi exclusive, green and famous, interviews — margaret @ 5:12 pm

Ecorazzi reporter Margaret Teich recently caught up with Missy Higgins for an exclusive interview.

1. So, you are a rocker. What instrument did you start with and how old were you when you started jamming?

I started playing piano when I was six. My parents put me into lessons and my Dad used to sit with me for half an hour every night and make me practice. I guess that’s why at the age of 14 I decided that piano wasn’t for me and electric guitar was! I was listening to bands like Nirvana and Hole at the time and I think all I wanted to do was be an angsty teenager and use my distortion pedal. Then a couple of years late I stumbled across a piano in a room somewhere and started improvising, playing my own music. That’s when I realized that playing piano didn’t have to be a chore, it could be whatever I wanted it to be and I’ve been playing it ever since.

2. We in the US have a penchant for Aussies and their laid back, cool kids vibe. What do you think is the sweetest thing about Australia?

I think the sweetest thing about Australia is the pace that everybody travels at. More so when you get out of the cities but even our cities, compared to somewhere like New York, are incredibly laid back! I really notice it when I go home after being in America for a while; you can’t help but feel like Australia is this little country town on the edge of a big crazy world. Bless it.

3. I like to drink organic beer. What is your favorite eco-tip or activity?

I have a little, but very sturdy water bottle that I take everywhere so I never have to use plastic water bottles. Most places have drinking fountains or access to water that you can fill it up at. I also take my own body wash and shampoo whenever I travel so as not to have to use all those tiny little containers they have in hotel rooms.

4. I’m 24, close to your age. Do you think our generation is greener than other generations? Why?

I think our generation is more willing to change their ways than a lot of the older generation, even if it means living a little less comfortably. We’re still blessed with impressionable and open minds. Regardless of whether it is naive or not, we still have the hope and eagerness that youth allows us. And I think a lot of us feel it’s our responsibility to be pro-active about climate-change, as it is our immediate future that’s in jeopardy.

5. You were on Jimmy Kimmel’s show last week. Do you have any odd pre-performance rituals or superstitions?

Not really! Although if I’m nervous which I most likely will be, I do like to get a bit of alone time. Just a few minutes before the performance in a quiet room beforehand is enough to calm my jitters.

5. Where is the coolest green place you have stopped so far on a tour?

The Mountain View Montessori school in Reno. They had solar panels on the roof, a wind turbine that had just been installed, compost bins outside of every classroom, a veggie and herb garden and two very happy goats! It was really inspiring to see such a wonderfully practical and Green educational system in such a happy and colorful environment.

To see more, check out Missy Higgins’ video mini-series Missy Takes the Wheel.

February 7th 2008

Angelina Jolie Visits Iraq To Push For More Aid For Refugees

Filed under: campaigns, interviews — michael @ 10:11 am

So far, over two million people have been displaced by the Iraq War. As an UN goodwill ambassador, actress Angelina Jolie visited the country today on a humanitarian mission and met with top officials to call for help for those driven from their homes. After a scheduled press conference at the US Embassy was canceled (seems Clooney isn’t the only one with this problem), Jolie gave an interview to CNN to express her concerns.

“There’s lots of good will and lots of discussion but there seems to be a lot of talk at the moment and a lot of pieces that need to be put together. Of the two million internally displaced, it’s estimated 58 percent are under 12 years old. It’s a very high number of people in a very, very vulnerable situation and a lot of young kids,” Jolie told CNN. “So far, the different US officials I met with and different local people I’ve met with all have shared concerns, very, very strongly. They have spoken out about the humanitarian crisis, but there seems to be a block in.”

Jolie isn’t alone in her frustration. According to AFP, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees has been unable to mount widespread aid operations within Iraq because of the daily violence that has wracked the country during its five-year-old war. Said Jolie,

I don’t see borders and I see lives and I see children and this is you know an environment where there is a war but there is a humanitarian crisis. And they have to be addressed simultaneously. We can’t wait for one to end to then finally take the time to address the other, it has to start right now.

You can view the entire interview here.