ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

March 31st 2009

Alicia Silverstone Hits Cover Of 944’s Green Issue

Filed under: magazines — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 10:41 am

I love it when special green issues actually feature people doing their part to push the movement forward.

944 Magazine has Alicia Silverstone gracing the cover of their April edition (hitting stands today) — and the actress delivers a great interview on everything from her vegetarian lifestyle, to the new book she’s writing, to what she finds sexy in going green. Here are some highlights:

On the one person who taught her to live a more compassionate and sustainable life:

“I started to understand a lot of the things because of my good friend Woody Harrelson. I was feeling kind of lonely because other people I knew weren’t as excited about this as I was. I wanted to end the suffering but didn’t know where to start. So I reached out to Woody and we became friends and he started to teach me about the environment.”

On her new book The Kind Diet:

“I’ve had this notebook I’ve been scribbling in that I titled “Book.” I’m always counseling friends and people that I work with and I decided to put all of these little things down in one place. In a nutshell, the book is about being kind to yourself, being kind to animals and being kind to the environment, all in one bite. People are scared to change their lifestyle but that’s the biggest thing about this book — you don’t have to do anything. It’s just easy-to-read, easy-to-digest information — it’s not like reading a science book. It gently asks you to consider these ideas and then hopefully people will use them. For those who want good skin, or to lose weight, or for the enviro-curious, this book is for you!”

On what’s so sexy about going green:

“Consciousness is really sexy. A guy that drives a Porsche? Not so sexy. A guy in a beat up, old car that doesn’t use much fuel? That is sexy. People who care — who are growing all the time and open to change — are sexy. Not caring is so stale. What can those people teach you? I want every person around me to inspire me.”

Check out the rest of the interview in the new issue of 944 — on sale now. (For a sneak peek at the behind-the-scenes photo shoot, jump here.)

March 10th 2009

Glamour Mag Highlights 70 Ladies in Green

And Ecorazzi co-Founder Rebecca Carter is one of 'em!

Filed under: magazines — rebecca @ 9:29 pm

Today Glamour magazine’s big 70th Anniversary issue hit the stands, and I’m happy to say that you can find me inside. My face is smaller than my pinkie fingernail, but I’m pleased to be there nonetheless! 

It’s all part of a photo with an incredible group of women for the article, “70 New Reasons to Live Green“. The photo was taken back in October, if you can believe it. Glamour filled Tavern on the Green with 70 of the greenest ladies around. Only now am I able to see exactly who I was in the same room with. While there I had a chance to finally meet many people we’ve been writing about and talking to for years now.

Q’Orianka Kilcher was one of the first that I spotted in the crowd. She had recently been to visit the sea of trash off of Alaska, and from what she describes, it was something like this. I also finally was able to meet Rachelle Carson Begley, our fave gal from Living with Ed. I had breakfast near Taniya Nayak of HGTV, and admired Alicia Silverstone and Christie Brinkley from afar. And yes, Christie DOES look that good in person. They all do. Though someone pointed out to me that all of the celebs amongst us looked like normal people…just with more makeup and a posse carrying their coats. Speaking of make-up, I chatted with Jessa Blades, organic makeup artist who has included the “do not buy” list of ingredients on the back of her biz card (nice touch!). I stayed away from Laurie David, as I was a little nervous of our coverage of her divorce a couple of years ago, and I never did get a chance to say hello to Josie Maran. 

Of course, the crowd wasn’t all celebs. There were business owners, non-profit gurus, and even other bloggers. Past ecorazzi contributor Margaret Teich was representing gspotting.net. I stood between an architect and a farmer. Both ridiculously taller than me. There are many more that I can’t even list. Though I can’t believe that Leo’s mom was there and I didn’t know it. 

And now for my wish list. I wish that we would have been given the opportunity to understand who we were amongst. A day of networking - I mean we were all in the same spot! What an opportunity missed to just take a photo and all go our separate ways. Finally, I understood that this was going to be an integral part of the Glamour 70th Anniversary issue. It certainly sounds practically worthy of a cover shot, doesn’t it? I get it - Katie Holmes, typical cover set up…keep it traditional. But not even a mention on the cover? I can see how we can’t beat out “The New Sex Position That Works Every Time” (note to self, check page 256 later)…but “10 Extra-Pretty Beauty Tricks Anyone Can Do” beats out 70 awesome eco-chicks? Come on! We’re on page 193 if you can’t find us.

I appreciate the opportunity, and I think it’s a wonderful concept. I hope you enjoy! We’d love to hear your comments!

Related: Some of our “Why I Care” about the planet cards on Glamour.com

February 19th 2009

Vegan Star Alicia Silvestone Takes To The Stage In New Margulies Play

Filed under: events, events: la — Michael Parrish DuDell @ 1:58 pm

How can you not just adore Alicia Silverstone? A great actress and passionate activist, Silverstone has been an outspoken adovcate for the vegan and green lifestyle for years and years. 

Well we’ve got some wonderful news for all you Alicia fans out there! The Clueless actress is starring in Time Stands Still, a play by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, Donald Margulies at the Geffen Playhouse in LA. 

According to LAWeekly.com:

“Star photojournalist Sarah (Anna Gunn) returns to her Brooklyn digs from a German hospital after having been seriously wounded by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Her partner, a print journalist named James (David Harbour), loves playing mother hen to his wounded chick. This trait comes to the fore when they have their photo editor, Richard (Robin Thomas), over for snacks; he comes attached to a blonde beauty named Mandy (Alicia Silverstone).”

Oh and it get’s better! Not only do you get the chance to see Alicia do her thing, but the Geffen Playhouse has teamed up with California organic, sustainable vineyards for wine-tastings on Sundays. I’ll take it! 

So make sure you visit the Geffen Playhouse website and get your tickets to Time Stands Still. Let’s support our fellow green-loving vegan, ya’ll! 

January 29th 2009

Bob Barker Pledges $1.5 Million To Move LA Elephant, Loses Fight

Cher, Lily Tomlin, Alicia Silverstone also disappointed at decision...

Filed under: animals — Michael Andre d'Estries @ 12:34 pm

After more than two years of lobbying to rescue Billy the elephant from the LA Zoo, Bob Barker and a host of other celebrities and organizations have lost the fight. The City Council voted Wednesday to finish a $42 million elephant exhibit and keep its lone pachyderm at the zoo. Earlier in the week, the former Price Is Right host had pledged $1.5 million of his own money to move Billy from the zoo to an animal sanctuary in Northern California. Even actress Betty White got in on the debate — siding with zoo officials to leave Billy put. From the article,

Barker, a longtime animal rights activist, said he was “terribly disappointed” and hoped Billy fared better than other elephants at the zoo. Officials have said about a dozen have died there since 1968, but the zoo and its supporters contend many of those succumbed to old age and that it has vastly improved its elephant program.The new, six-acre “Pachyderm Forest” will be seven times larger than the current enclosure and will feature nearly four acres of open space with pools, mud holes and a waterfall. It’s one of the largest planned elephant enclosures in the country. Barker, Halle Barry and Goldie Hawn have all complained the new exhibit would still be too confining and depressing for the behemoths that walk dozens of miles a day in the wild.

Said Cher, who attended the rally to support moving Billy, “They say it’s always been done this way, there’s always been elephants in zoos,” Cher said. “But it doesn’t make it right because we’ve had other things we’re ashamed of, like slavery.”

What a disappointing outcome. I’m happy Bill’s enclosure is being expanded — but six acres is nothing to an elephant. An animal sanctuary would be such a better option for viewing these incredible creatures. Our sincere thank to all those that fought on behalf of Billy.

via AP