ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

May 26th 2009

LOST’s Elizabeth Mitchell Chats Green With Coco Eco Magazine

Filed under: interviews, magazines — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 4:02 pm | Share on Facebook

Elizabeth Mitchell, who plays/played the beautiful Dr. Juliet Burke on ABC’s hit drama LOST, is gracing the pages of this month’s Coco Eco Magazine. The actress talks about her love of living the eco-friendly life in Seattle, biking everywhere, and her upcoming new sci-fi series V. Here are some highlights:

On living the green life in Seattle and having access to green products and clothing:

There are several places that specialize in just that, and I do enjoy that. I also buy a lot of reused things, thrift store things. I like the idea of completely reusing what you have. My husband’s giving away aall these used shirts and I’m going to make them into a quilt because I don’t want to just have them be gone. Lately, it’s becoming really easy to buy gree. Not everywhere, but deinitely in Seattle.

On what inspired her to become a more environmentally-conscious person:

I’ve always thought about it really. It’s not something I did consciously and I felt we were consuming a tremendous amount and that it was easy to consume less. And also where I moved to, and the little town where I live, everyone feels that way. You see the trash cans here and they are just so huge, and the trash cans we have you could put your arms around them for the most part. And we have huge recycling bins and there are place all along the way where you can take your kitchen scraps, and it’s just kind of a way of life. It was a pretty easy transition.

To check out the rest of the interview, hit up the latest issue of Coco Eco Magazine here.

May 26th 2009

Cameron Diaz, A Recycled Firehouse Belt, And Vogue Magazine

Filed under: magazines — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 1:42 pm | Share on Facebook

By now, many of you have probably spied Cameron Diaz on the cover of this month’s Vogue. Besides the green color theme — and a bit spot on organic clothing star loyale — there’s very little in the issue besides Cameron’s interview to get treehuggers excited. Nevertheless, Diaz does open up about her efforts to get young people involved in conservation and the environment. Here’s a highlight:

She’s clearly not looking to be a poster girl for the environmental movement. She is there for the environment if it needs her, buying carbon offsets with no great fanfare, making ecologically sensitive shopping choices quietly and happily. She is trying hard not to preach or scold. Of her Prius she says, “It’s just a car.” She has had one for years, before they became (her dream come true) popular. “It’s just a choice people can make.”

One reader also sent in a note highlighting the belt that Diaz is wearing in her sexy photoshoot. Apparently, it’s made from a recycled fire hose — something I thought was pretty cool. “When the makers of these recycled belts met with the London Fire Brigade they instantly recognised the potential of the old, disused fire hose to make a great eco product. They scrubbed away all the soot, grease, and everything else that builds up after 25 years of active duty, and in the process discovered a truly remarkable, truly green textile.”

You can pick one up here for £36.50 — or check out the rest of the interview with Diaz here.

May 26th 2009

Cate Blanchett Urges Business Leaders To Curb Carbon Emissions

Filed under: business, campaigns — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 11:08 am | Share on Facebook

Cate Blanchett was in Copenhagen yesterday participating in the World Business Summit on Climate Change. The actress took to the stage to demand that business leaders around the world seek eco-friendly methods to decrease their carbon emissions and increase sustainable practices.

She told the conference, “Political failure at Copenhagen in December is quite simply unacceptable and this powerful room must play a major role in preventing this failure. Australia’s best climate scientists have been warning us that we’ll face many more catastrophic fire days in south-east Australia unless the world acts to dramatically cut greenhouse pollution.”

This isn’t the first time Blanchett has raised the banner on climate change initiatives. Back in her native Australia, the 40-year-old has regularly helped launch nation-wide green campaigns. Most recently, in October of last year, she helped open the World Metropolis Congress in Sydney which covered issues facing cities around the world; including climate change, financing public infrastructure, urban renewal, and social sustainability.

May 26th 2009

Local Celebrity Proves There’s Hope For Michael Vick

Filed under: animals — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 10:19 am | Share on Facebook

Michael Vick has always been a hot topic on the Razz.  As most know, last year Vick was charged with participating in a brutally violent dogfighting operation and sentenced to time in prison.

Last week I wrote a piece announcing that the HSUS had agreed to work with Vick in an effort to assist in his reformation. While many approved,  some readers were skeptical of the partnership and not completely confident that Vick could change his wicked ways. However, one man’s story just might convince otherwise.

Sean Moore participated in dogfighting on the streets of Chicago for over 15 years. In that time he watched over a hundred dogs die agonizing deaths for the sake of this atrocious “sport.” Now, he’s a changed man.

Moore has spent the last two years as an anti-dogfighting advocate (ADA) for The HSUS’s End Dogfighting program, to help educate and transform young people.

“It’s a sad situation what I’ve done to these animals that haven’t really asked to have anything done to them,” says Moore, who now owns three pet pit bulls. “[I thought] that’s what pit bulls are supposed to do; that’s what we were taught.”

Moore’s story is absolutely inspiring and proves that anybody can be reformed with just a little bit of education. Read this powerful piece at HSUS.org!

May 26th 2009

Green Gal Christina Applegate Petitions To Save “Samantha Who?”

Filed under: film-tv, green and famous, television — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 9:34 am | Share on Facebook

Green gal and vegetarian star Christina Applegate is asking fans to help save her recently cancelled series Samantha Who? .

Applegate has started an online petition for the now defunct show and even reached out to fans on Twitter.  She wrote: “I want 10,000 signatures by Monday. Am I being greedy?” 

 We don’t think so!

Christina has been a longtime supporter of green, animal and peace-seeking causes. Remember last year when we  featured her important work with PETA to help promote the fur-free lifstyle? Awesome, right?

While sometimes we environmental folks get a bad rap for being grumpy, when it comes to supporting our own, we’re pure gold!

So show some love to your like-minded friend and sign Christina’s petition to keep her show on the air.  We think you can, we think you can!

May 26th 2009

Justin Long and Jonah Hill Split Up After Recycling Feud

Filed under: green and famous — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 8:41 am | Share on Facebook

There are many things that can break up roomates — and for actors/comedians Justin Long and Jonah Hill recycling etiquette was one of them.

In a recent interview, Long said that him and Hill shared a home in California, but were forced to separate after realizing they were acting like an “old married couple.”

He says, “We’re still great friends but it got to be like an old married couple. We fought over recycling. He would recycle everything. I would find banana peels and shards of glass in the recycling bin. We started getting in little fights like that, he left the bathroom door open, didn’t clean up after himself. Little things like that. It was time for a separation.”

Long is definitely a greenie. Check out this 2007 video interview we conducted with him at the Ultimate Green Room in Los Angeles.

May 25th 2009

Time Magazine Says End Global Warming By Skipping The Steak

Filed under: magazines — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 12:55 pm | Share on Facebook

I didn’t wanna have to say it, but: WE TOLD YOU SOOOOOO!!!

Time Magazine recently published a global warming survival guide that included a tip we’ve been preaching for years: Skip The Steak!

From the article: 

“Which is responsible for more global warming: your BMW or your Big Mac? Believe it or not, it’s the burger. The international meat industry generates roughly 18% of the world’s greenhouse-gas emissions—even more than transportation—according to a report last year from the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization.”

“If you switch to vegetarianism, you can shrink your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tons of carbon dioxide a year, according to research by the University of Chicago. Trading a standard car for a hybrid cuts only about one ton—and isn’t as tasty.”

Every now and then we’ll get a comment on the blog that says, ” Yo! Isn’t this supposed to be a green blog? Why you always blabbing about veganism.” This is why! It’s time to get real — vegetarianism and environmentalism are the same darn thing! So drop that Big Mac with nastiness and step on over to the green side. We promise you’ll love it!

To read Time magazine’s whole piece, visit  Time.com!

May 25th 2009

Exclusive: Quantum Wellness Author Kathy Freston Shares Her Thoughts

Filed under: books — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 12:08 pm | Share on Facebook

Kathy Freston is a solider for good health. As one of the wellness movements most outspoken authors, Freston has worked tenaciously to share honest and thoughtful information about diet and health. Pretty frigin rad, right? 

Kathy’s book Quantum Wellness hit shelves last year with outstanding success  – even helping to convince Oprah to go VEG for 21 days!!  Kathy’s newest book, Quantum Wellness Cleanse: The 21-Day Essential Guide to Healing Your Mind, Body and Spirit, takes it one step further by giving an in-depth look at the powers of rebooting your life with a healthy and powerful 21-day cleanse. 

Freston recently took time out of her busy schedule to sit down for an exclusive interview with your favorite green blog. Check it out below!

Ecorazzi: You went from a career as a model and actress to author and wellness expert. How did that journey take place?

Kathy Freston: Sometimes I think the universe does you a big fat favor in allowing you to fail. Because I had a mediocre career as a model (I was never an actress, except in commercials), I was always looking for comfort and upliftment in other ways. Since I never felt I was “enough” in a material way - pretty enough or successful enough - I began looking for meaning in other arenas. I studied with spiritual teachers and did workshops on improving myself; I read books on philosophy and worked on my personal growth in whatever manner I could. It was during this time that I began to look more closely at food, and how my choices and habits were not in line with my deepening awareness of spiritual principles. Once I started delving into how food - meat, chicken, fish, dairy, and eggs - arrived on my plate, I became obsessed with pushing myself to live in a more evolved manner.

Click here to continue reading our exclusive interview with Kathy Freston!

May 25th 2009

Flashback: Vegetarian Spock Enjoys Meat, Questions Why

Filed under: film-tv, television — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 10:47 am | Share on Facebook

With the new Star Trek movie in theatres, I thought this clip (courtesy of the lovely Vegetarian Star) was somewhat relevant. I also enjoyed it for the 1970s porn-set vibe.

Anyways, we all know Spock is a Vulcan — and Vulcans, as a race of higher-intelligence than our own, long ago decided that killing another species for food was simply illogical. (Yes, I had to look this up.) In the clip below, however, Spock is forced to eat meat after traveling back in time and getting stuck with an attractive woman in an ice cave. I hate it when that happens. Check it out below:

(BTW, even though the clip says Spock is a vegan, Wikipedia begs to differ. I’ll let you be the judge since my realm of expertise is generally limited to Star Wars and the A-Team.)

May 22nd 2009

More Celebrities Sign Up To Protect The Seals with Nigel Barker

Filed under: animals, campaigns — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 3:26 pm | Share on Facebook

The Humane Society of the United States is stepping up their campaign to end the seal hunt in Canada. Last week, we featured an event held in NYC by Nigel Barker with celebrities like Khloe Kardashian, Carmen Electra, and Brody Jenner in attendance. This week, the HSUS invited some younger stars to learn more about the cause and join the boycott of Canadian seafood until the hunt is stopped.

In attendance were celebs like Erin Lucas of MTV’s The City, Krysten Ritter and Connor Paolo of Gossip Girl, Katrina Bowden of 30 Rock and Donny Klang of Making The Band. The last two even designed exclusive totes for SocialDesigner.com, which will be sold online with proceeds benefiting nine different causes and their charities of choice. The event took place at the Extreme Wow Suite at W New York.

To find out more about the Seal Hunt — and what you can do to help, jump here.