Today is Blog Action Day 2009 — and the topic that has more than 9,000 blogs in 150 countries with more than 12 million readers buzzing is climate change. The goal is to help facilitate discussion on the issue and get the world ready for the incredibly important Copenhagen Climate Change Summit in December. It is there that world leaders hope to come to an agreement on a new climate treaty as a successor to the Kyoto protocol.

Obviously, our focus is on those in the entertainment industry helping to draw attention to this historic event. With that in mind, we’ve put together those individuals or groups recently involved in pushing for tough greenhouse gas emissions limits — and for a successful outcome in Copenhagen. Check it out below the fold:

1. Cate Blanchett

Blanchett has been involved in promoting tough environmental policies down under in Australia for many years now. Most recently, she appeared in Copenhagen in May of this year at the World Business Summit on Climate Change. The actress addressed business leaders, urging them to decrease their carbon emissions and increase sustainable practices. “Political failure at Copenhagen in December is quite simply unacceptable and this powerful room must play a major role in preventing this failure,” she said. “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.” [Read more...]

2. Sting

Though Sting’s personal carbon footprint regularly comes under scrutiny, the famous singer is backing Prince Charles’ Rainforests Project — which seeks to limit deforestation and buy the world time to move to a low-carbon economy. Ahead of the Copenhagen Talks, Sting has lent his iconic “Message in a Bottle” song to the campaign — sending a different kind of SOS to the world. [Watch/Read more...]

3. Hugh Jackman

We knew Hugh Jackman was into green filmmaking, but 2008’s World’s Sexiest Man Alive, surprised even us by opening up NYC Climate Week and urging support for a strong treaty in Copenhagen. “I hope to be a voice for the billion people in developing countries who will be the hardest hit by changing weather patterns, by the droughts and floods that destroy their crops and threaten their food security,” Jackman said in a statement. “Climate Week NYC provides an ideal forum to help underscore the urgency for world leaders to secure and fund an ambitious global climate change deal in Copenhagen that is effective, fair and binding.” [Watch/Read more...]

4. Duran Duran, Milla Jovovich, Melanie Laurent, Others | “Beds Are Burning” Remake Climate Song

As part of the International “TckTckTck” Climate Change Campaign, many celebrities, politicians, and old-school bands came together to record a cover of the classic ’80s hit “Bed are Burning”. The effort, which now includes a petition with over 2 million signatures, is a direct challenge to the nations involved in the Copenhagen talks to come to a fair and binding deal.

5. Don Cheadle

As part of the UN-led 2009 Seal The Deal! campaign, Don Cheadle appears in a series of PSAs urging action this December in Copenhagen. The effort, like those above, is meant to galvanize and rally support for strong action. The official website also includes a petition to sign to present to leaders. [Watch...]

We knew Cate Blanchett’s involvement in taking the Sydney Theatre Co. green would be huge — but we had no idea she would help drive installation of the largest capacity building-mounted solar array in Australia?!

The theatre group announced last week that it will be installing a 2,000 panel rooftop solar system to be completed by 2010. The project is expected to make The Wharf (the building where STC is housed) use 70% less energy from the grid. Funding for the 500KW array is coming from various government grants and organizations — including the chief executive of Suntech Power; who not only is supplying the panels, but is probably fishing for some star-studded publicity.

Overall, the entire green renovation is expected to cost somewhere around $3.7 million. Besides the solar, there will be efficiency upgrades in the use of energy and lighting — as well as a rainwater harvesting, storage and distribution system to supply all of The Wharf’s non-portable water. In other words, it’s a kick-ass eco-upgrade.

For more information, check out the official website for the greening effort here.

As we mentioned yesterday, Cate Blanchett spoke at the World Business Summit on Climate Change on Monday in Copenhagen. “Political failure in Copenhagen is quite simply unacceptable and this powerful room must play a major role in preventing this failure,” she said. “Your strong leadership through a compelling call to action at Copenhagen that delivers certainty to avoid the climate crisis is now needed.”

Photo credit: INF Photo

Cate Blanchett

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.

-Cate Blanchett discussing climate change, Al Gore and community with Mindfood magazine. To read the whole piece, visit Mindfood.com!

Actress Cate Blanchett walked the green carpet in Sydney, Australia today for the premiere of the new environmental documentary Telling The Truth. The film follows seven presenters, personally trained by former US vice president Al Gore as part of the Climate Project. [Read more...]

Could Ugly Betty’s Wilhelmina Slater be the next Cruella De Vil? [See more...]

Hilary Swank wasn’t the only new celeb to pick up a BMW H7. Actor Tobey Maguire was also spotted burning the hydrogen while out in LA the other day. [Read more...]

John McCain on Barack Obama’s concerns regarding nuclear power: “You know, the other night in the debate with Senator Obama, I said his eloquence is admirable, but pay attention to his words. We talk about offshore drilling and he said he would quote, consider, offshore drilling. We talked about nuclear power, well it has to be safe, environment, blah, blah, blah.” Could McCain be any less presidential? [Read more...]

Al Gore will be working to get out the vote by hosting a live webcast to college campuses next Wednesday. He’ll be talking to young leaders across the nation about the “Repower America” challenge he issued last summer and how energy and climate are at the core of the economic and security issues we face. Oh yea, and why elections matter. [Read more...]

Sharon Stone recently gave away a closet full of clothes and unused furniture to a charity for abused women. “I got a letter from (actresses) Mariska Hargitay and Hilary Swank about a charity for abused women, and here was a gigantic, refrigerator-size bag, and could I fill it with clothing,” Contactmusic quoted her as telling More magazine. She added: “So I called them and said, ”Can you send me 20 of these?” No mention on if Stone’s fur collection went out the door as well. [Read more...]

Hayden Panettiere, Kim Kardashian, and the band Blind Melon have joined other celebrities in personalizing their own ‘Chumby Players’ for charity. The chumby is a little media device that hooks into the web to give you weather, news, and other cool features. The celeb players will be sold on eBay with all profits benefiting such organizations as the Whaleman Foundation and Dream Foundation. [Read more...]

This week, PETA’s keeping up the momentum with pleas to Heidi Klum to use her star power and refuse to wear Armani after she, like Close, sported a design from the company at the Emmy’s. A letter has also been sent to Kristin Chenoweth of Pushing Daisies fame, another Emmy Armani-Wearer.

Do you think that these stars will pledge to go Armani-free until the company itself goes fur-free? Your guess is as good as mine. But one thing’s for sure: if you’re famous and you’re wearing Armani, you’re gonna get a letter from PETA. When PETA’s not happy, nobody’s happy!

Futurama: The Beast With a Billion Backs, the second in a line of carbon-netural DVDs from Twentieth Century Fox, will be released this week. [Read more..]

Sungevity, a new solar company backed by actress Cate Blanchett, will start offering San Francisco residents a home solar system, starting at just $2,000 after tax credits and rebates, complete with installation included. The 1.5 kW systems will save homeowners $21,000 in electricity over 25 years, which ends up being about a 45% return on investment. Nice. [Read more...]

NASCARs Dale Earnhardt Jr. used some clever fuel-saving hypermiling tricks to help him with a recent win at the Michigan International Speedway. Several times, when the caution flag was out on the track, Junior simply turned off his engine and allowed the car to coast. According to ABG, he was even coasting when he crossed the finish line. [Read more...]

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.