The legendary actor, who passed away in September 2008, bequeathed over $20 million to a variety of charities focused on education, the environment, health, human services, and more. Not surprisingly, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt came in second with gifts of $13.5 million, followed by Mel Gibson ($6 million), Richard Childress ($5 million), Oscar de la Hoya ($9.5 million), and Oprah Winfrey ($2.4 million).

To be sure, the Giving Back Fund prides itself on the accuracy of their reports. To collect the date, the group “culled media reports of charitable giving by sports and entertainment professionals; reviewed PF-990 tax-forms; contacted more than 250 publicists, attorneys, agents, agencies, and managers for information about their clients; polled more than 150 charities known for their celebrity associations; and contacted all of the major sports leagues.”

To see the complete list, jump here.

According to ContactMusic, Pitt’s fondness for head gear has turned into a massive collection — with fans and friends alike giving him new hats constantly as gifts. “It’s fair to say Brad has quite a collection of hats now. It’s become something of a joke between him and Angelina as just about every day he’s sent one as a gift,” a source said.

To whittle down his inventory, Pitt plans on selecting those hats that no longer have his love and donating them to charity. We’ve no doubt that they’ll raise a bit of cash for some organizations out there. In the meantime, if you’re eager to get something Pitt-inspired now and help make a difference, might we suggest this Make It Right military cap?

We’re used to Brad Pitt’s green building foundation, Make It Right NOLA, revealing some new takes on sustainable design, but a house that floats when it floods? Now that’s something that truly raises the bar for sustainable and functional design in the face of adverse elements!

The home, which is the brainchild of Morphosis Architects and its founder, Thom Mayne, will officially be unveiled tomorrow in a ready to move-in condition for one family displaced by Hurricane Katrina. NPR had a sneak peek interview with Mayne this afternoon and shed a bit more light on how it all works. From the article,

The designers gave the building a chassis, made it out of polystyrene foam and covered it with glass-reinforced concrete. “What does that do? It produces a raft; it floats,” Mayne says. “And it’s thought about as a seat belt. I mean, hopefully it never gets used. But when it gets used, it’s important.” The house is anchored to the ground by two vertical guideposts. At times of flooding, the house moves up the guideposts — up to 12 feet — to prevent it from drifting.

According to the interview, when flooding occurs, the home easily breaks away from things like electric lines, plumbing, etc. so that it can travel up the 12-foot guideposts. It also contains enough batteries to keep everything running inside for up to three days. And, obviously, as this is a Make It Right home, is built using green materials and sustainable design. Check out some concept art of the home below — or visit Make It Right NOLA for more details on the greening effort in the Lower 9th Ward.

Sporting a longer than usual goatee/beard, Brad Pitt took to the podium at the fifth annual Clinton Global Initiative to give an update on his Make It Right foundation’s progress in New Orleans. “I don’t know how we build any other way anywhere else,” Pitt said, addressing the audience in New York. “We can no longer tell ourselves that implementing this technology is too complex a problem because it’s just been proven on this little spot on the map.”

He also received an honor from the US Green Building Council for all the work he has done in expanding awareness on sustainable building — and improving the lives of people in New Orleans.

“‘Make It Right’ has exceeded my expectations,” he added. “Our criteria from the beginning were at odds, to say the least. We demanded that these homes be sustainable, that they have aesthetic qualities … that they be storm resilient and take safety in mind of the families who live there and that they would be affordable.”

While only 13 of the expected 150 homes have been built, Pitt reported that the benefits are already substantial. The average family pays only $35/month for electricity in one of the homes created by Make It Right. Plans are already underway for the next stage of the project — which will include eco-friendly duplex designs.

The Clinton Global Initiative ends today. For more information — and for videos from the three-day event, jump here.

Anyways, yesterday Pitt visited the construction site of the Oscar Niemeyer International Cultural Center in Aviles, Spain. According to the mayor, Pitt has taken an interest in the project — in particular, the sustainable aspects. “Brad is interested in supporting the project, both in cultural and architectural aspects” Aviles mayor, Pilar Varela, said. “He is interested in building with innovation, novelty. Pitt was especially interested in the aspects of the project aimed at boosting environmental sustainability. This is why Brad Pitt has came to visit the site,” she added, noting it was too soon to say how exactly the actor would participate in the project that’s to be launched in mid-2010.

Sure, Brad Pitt recently expressed absolutely no interest in running for Mayor of New Orleans — but that doesn’t mean you can’t jump on the cult t-shirt sweeping the nation! (Actually, only a little over 1,000 have been sold.)

$2 from each tee benefits Pitt’s Make It Right NOLA foundation — which supports the green rebuilding of the Lower 9th Ward.

For a laugh, check out the reasons listed at the official tee site for having Pitt as Mayor. Here’s one of our favorites with regards to ‘Convention Business’: “New Orleans will become the magnet for conventions of professional women’s organizations worldwide. The warm glow of pink Cadillacs will illuminate our Southern nights. This mass of sensually charged femininity will attract male visitors eager to contribute their economic stimulus.”

Putting aside the fact that Brad Pitt isn’t even eligible to run for Mayor of New Orleans (you must be a resident for five years, he’s got almost four under his belt), a growing chorus of supporters nevertheless have been campaigning on the actor’s behalf; going so far as to even sell an incredible amount of “Brad Pitt for Mayor” tees.

During an interview with media-buddy Ann Curry on NBC’s Today show — which took place in one of the green homes the actor built through his Make It Right org — Pitt put the rumors to rest after the reporter asked him if he would serve as acting Mayor if called upon.

“Yeah, yeah,” he joked.

But then Pitt went on to say that his liberal stance would most likely be his undoing — despite the fact that he’s been one of the main drivers of rebuilding in New Orleans’ especially hard-hit Lower-9th Ward. “I’m running on the gay marriage, no religion, legalization and taxation of marijuana platform,” Brad said. “I don’t have a chance!”

When pressed by Ann, Brad said again. “I don’t have a chance,” he explained. “It’s not what I do best.”

Truly a platform I can get behind. Now where do I get one of those t-shirts? Check out the full video below:

- Brad Pitt expressing his annoyance to Parade magazine over California’s decision to ban gay marriage earlier this year. What do you think? Are you still sore over 8? Chime in and share your thoughts!

Disclaimer: This is only a rumor. I repeat, this is only a rumor. 

News on the web is that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are in a constant struggle over what they should be feeding their six children. 

Pitt, who’s an alleged vegetarian, wants his children to go meat-free while Angie thinks that red meat is an important part of a child’s diet.

A friend of the couple told the Daily Mail: “Brad hates seeing the children eating meat and he’s annoyed with how much red meat Angelina has.

“He goes on about the damage caused by methane gases from cattle and that the family should go veggie but Angie says that’s never going to happen.

For years it’s been whispered that Pitt is a vegetarian, but no real proof has ever surfaced. Got any leads? Chime in and tell us if you can find a reputable source proving Pitt’s plant-based diet.

via: digitalspy.com

thanks to erin for the tip! 

Make It Right, the green building foundation started by actor Brad Pitt, has released 14 new designs that will be among the 150 houses reconstructed in the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Up to now, the homes on site have been single-family residences only — but Make It Right Director Tom Darden knew that residents were interested in duplex designs as well. “Before the storm, there were a number of duplexes and doubles in the neighborhood,” he said. “Families who want to come back to the Lower 9th have been asking us to build them so extended families can live together. And duplexes are right in keeping with Make It Right’s mission: They allow more people to live together with less impact on the environment and are more cost-effective to build.”

14 firms submittted designs for eco-efficient homes — with 8 of those being new participants in Make It Right’s green rebuilding mission. To view all of the new designs, jump here.