ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

July 30th 2008

STAIND Gives A Green Performance As Part Of Hard Rock’s 2008 Ambassadors of Rock Tour

Filed under: events, events: nyc, green and famous, music — parrish @ 3:42 pm

NYC get ready!  On August 19th, Hard Rock International will host a special performance by rock band STAIND live from Times Square. The event will celebrate the release of STAIND’s new album as Hard Rock teams up with VH1 Save The Music to help raise funds and awareness for music education. 

Because green is the new everything, Hard Rock is trying to be as eco-friendly as possible by not only offsetting power usage for the event by purchasing 94 TONS of CO2 offsets, but also teaming up with Bette Midler’s New York Park Restoration Project to plant 25 native trees in New York City.  

Sean Dee, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, said: “Some of the biggest names in music have become part of our Ambassadors of Rock program over the last three years — from The Who, The Police and Eric Clapton, to Bon Jovi, Fergie and John Mayer. We are thrilled that STAIND joins the exclusive list of Hard Rock Ambassadors.’”

So jump on the 1 train and head down to Times Square on August 19th to see STAIND perform live. For more info visit HardRock.com!

June 10th 2008

Broadway Is Going Green…Seriously Green

Filed under: campaigns, events, events: nyc, green and famous, theater — parrish @ 4:41 pm

For a long time the country has watched Hollywood go green crazy. From green documentaries to entire green television networks, Hollywood has paved the eco-path for the entertainment industry. Now it looks like Broadway is stocking their picnic basket and joining Hollywood on the environmental hike. 

This morning an insider meeting was held to discuss a few green changes that Broadway has made (and will continue to make) to become a more sustainable art form. Dr. Allen Hershkowitz from the Natural Resources Defense Council joined Broadway producer David Stone and a few others to host an informal gathering about the future of Broadway’s environmental initiative.

Stone said that he was inspired after watching An Inconvenient Truth and immediately adapted more eco-friendly practices into his hit musical Wicked, including partnering with the New York Restoration Project (founded by Bette Midler) to restore a public community garden at West 150th Street and Amsterdam Avenue in upper Manhattan. 

Broadway producers, organizers and theater owners from across the board were all present and spoke about ways they were planning to make a difference. The team at Wicked talked about how they’ve embraced a myriad of changes such as, consuming less paper by use of email, creating a hazard waste disposal pickup, recycling just about everything, incorporating the use of electric timers and replacing many light bulbs with eco-friedly alternatives. And that’s just the short list. 

Dr. Allen Hershkowitz announced that the NRDC would be donating their time and services to make sure that in the future the Great White Way becomes more like the Great Green Way. The NRDC has worked tirelessly creating environmental awareness and even helped the Oscars and Emmys take the green route. 

From what I saw today this is only the beginning. I’m positive that over the next few years you can except some pretty amazing changes happening all over the theater district. So the next time you’re in NYC show your support for the greenification of the theatrical community and go check out a Broadway show. You won’t be disappointed!

May 22nd 2008

Bette Midler, Sigourney Weaver At The 2008 Audubon Society Women In Conservation Luncheon

Filed under: events: nyc, green and famous, honors — margaret @ 2:20 pm

“I love nature, in spite of what it did to me” said a weeping with joy Rachel Carson Award winner, Bette Midler. Midler, who helped found the New York Restoration Project in 1995 which has raised over $40 million dollars for open spaces and has created 57 community gardens around the city also quipped, “New York has no personal pride. It’s the Courtney Love of cities. But it’s changing and needs more gardens and urban green spaces.”

The Audubon’s Women in Conservation luncheon was held this Tuesday, May 20th at the old-style glamor Plaza Hotel on 5th Avenue, now operated by eco-minded Fairmont Hotels. The annual Rachel Carson Awards have been around 5 years and past recipients have included women like Majora Carter (Founder of Sustainable South Bronx), Dierdre Imus (Don Imus’ wife) and Laurie David.

Another 2008 award recipient was Theresea Heinz.  Heinz is more than just the name behind the Heinz Endowment and the Heinz Foundation, which do great environmental and women’s health advocacy work, not to mention put the Heinz Ketchup profits to good use.  In a smart navy blue pantsuit paired with a sleek scoop-neck white tee and a glittery brooch on her lapel, Therese was eloquent and gracious upon being selected to represent the ideals of Rachel Carson.  Carson to this day, Heinz said, receives delusional criticism, but is in actuality, the Mother of the modern day environmental movement, “Courageous people know how to awaken the world to truth, but when they don’t know, they ask the right questions.”  Theresea and husband senator John Kerry recently wrote, “This Moment on Earth: Today’s New Environmentalists And Their Vision For The Future.”

Continue reading for additional photos and to find out what animal Sigourney Weaver would love to be…you know you’re curious…

May 15th 2008

Riverkeeper’s Annual Fisherman’s Ball Benefit Brings Out The Stars

Filed under: campaigns, events: nyc, green and famous — melissa @ 9:41 am

Riverkeeper — one of my favorite NY organizations that exists to promoting a long-term vision for the Hudson River Valley and provides NYC with its drinking water — held it’s Annual Fisherman’s Ball Benefit May 13th at Pier Sixty on the Hudson River. Riverkeeper’s well known Vice Chair, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. delivered an extremely impactful speech about what we must do to keep protecting our country. Specifically, Mr. Kennedy discussed how our dependency on foreign oil along with our country’s continued monetary support of “dirty” energy is one the primary reasons for our nations current economic woes.

Some other famous faces in attendance were John McEnroe, Bette Middler, Larry David, Mary Richardson Kennedy, Glenn Close, David Shaw, B52’s Fred Schneider, Susan Lucci, and many more. Patty Symth known by most for the 80’s hit “Goodbye to You”, gave an iconic performance to the 500 plus guests after the organic dinner was served. The evening ended after Patty Symth McEnroe & John McEnroe were presented with an award gift by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. To learn more about Riverkeeper check out their official site here. 

Jump here to check out photos from the event!

April 25th 2008

Bette Midler And Others Come Out To Plant Trees In NYC For Arbor Day

Filed under: campaigns, events, events: nyc, green and famous, thegreenpicture — parrish @ 10:16 am

Happy Arbor Day everybody!

Right now — at this very minute — Bette Midler along with actress Marcia Gay Harden, the guys from the Blue Man Group, singer-songwriter Brendan James and the Brooklyn Youth Chorus are spending their Arbor Day at McCarren Park in Greenpoint, Brooklyn along with 500 volunteers –including students from Children for Children’s youth programs, BNP Paribas and Greenpoint community residents – planting trees for Arbor Day and the MillionTreesNYC Month.

MillionTreesNYC Month, presented by BNP Paribas, coincides with the arrival of spring to raise public awareness for MillionTreesNYC, a public-private partnership between the Department of Parks & Recreation and the New York Restoration Project (which was founded by Midler) through which one million new trees will be planted and cared for throughout the five boroughs by 2017. As a New York City resident let me just say, “THANKS, THANKS, THANKS!!”

If you don’t know much about the holiday (cause quite honestly, I didn’t) take a trip over to ArborDay.org where you can gather information and learn about some pretty groovy Arbor Day projects. Happy Arbor Day, ya’ll.

April 22nd 2008

Bette Midler Joins Bloomberg For One Million Trees Initiative

Filed under: campaigns — michael @ 9:01 pm

Bette Midler was in New York City this Earth Day and — as she supposedly does every time this year — she planted a tree. She wasn’t alone, however, as hundreds of volunteers participating in NBC’s “Green Is Universal” initiative joined her in East Harlem. Midler is the founder of the New York Restoration Project (NYRP) and joined forces with Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s “MillionTreesNYC” initiative — which seeks to plant and care for one million trees throughout New York City’s five boroughs by 2017.

Earlier this month Tyra Banks also joined Mayor Bloomberg in planting a tree on Ninth Avenue. Back on April 12th, over 20,000 trees were planted throughout New York City — the largest ever planting accomplishment in one day. Click here to learn how you can either help out — or get a few trees in your neighborhood!

Photo credit: Sheknows