ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

May 1st 2008

Widespread Panic Agrees To Sponsor One Of Pitt’s Green Homes

Filed under: buildings and construction, cars-houses, donations — michael @ 3:05 pm

The members of the band Widespread Panic have come together to donate $150,000 and sponsor a home for Brad Pitt’s Make It Right Foundation. The rock group is the closing for tonight’s conclusion of the 2008 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. From the article,

“‘This is a place where I believe hope is not lost,’ said Bell, who visited the Lower 9th Ward back in November with his family before revisiting it Wednesday. ‘It’s a real place in New Orleans with real people, people who have lost some or all of their family and their homes but are sticking it out.’ Widespread Panic began helping Make It Right back in January by offering downloads of its new single, ‘Walk on the Flood,” in exchange for a donation to the rebuilding effort. The band raised about $4,000, which was given to Make It Right along with the $150,000.”

So far, 81 of the 150 homes the foundation is aiming for have been sponsored. Celebrities like George Clooney, Will Ferrell, Ellen Degeneres, and many, many others have all given generously. Of course, you don’t have to have deep pockets to make a difference. Jump on over to the official website and see how even a little can help out many.

April 11th 2008

Ellen Degeneres And Lisa Simpson Honored For Animal Awareness

Filed under: animals, healthy living, honors, thegreenpicture — parrish @ 11:54 am

Sure some people might have been a little turned off by the whole Iggy thing, but generally Ellen DeGeneres has the reputation of being a great big star with a great big heart.

Infact, Beverly Kaskey, senior director of the Hollywood branch of the Humane Society has just named Ellen one of the best on TV when it comes to raising awareness for animal issues. “Ellen took on the cruelty of hunting, cooking lobsters and even defended small insects,” Kaskey explained to the Fancast Web site.

Lisa Simpson, of The Simpsons is also highlighted for her vegetarianism (which I can’t help but wonder if inspired by Dan Castellaneta - voice of Homer Simpson and long time vegetarian). Kaskey says, “Lisa makes the connection between the lamb chops on her plate and the lamb she had befriended earlier and refuses to eat her dinner.”

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m super happy that Ellen does all this great stuff for animals, but am I the only one who’s itching to see Ellen join Lisa Simpson and take the veg pledge already?

March 22nd 2008

Ellen DeGeneres To Once Again Host IDOL GIVES BACK

Filed under: donations, events, film-tv, music, television — parrish @ 2:13 pm

Good news American Idol fans! Ellen DeGeneres will once again join Ryan Seacrest as the co-host of IDOL GIVES BACK on Wednesday, April 9th (7:30-10:00 PM ET/PT). IDOL GIVES BACK is a music celebration that helps raise funds for various U.S. and international charities, and last year scored an incredible $76 million.

So far, Maroon 5, Heart, Gloria Estefan, Boyz II Men, The Clark Brothers, Bono, Brad Pitt, Reese Witherspoon, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, Fergie, Chris Daughtry, Carrie Underwood Annie Lennox, John Legend and Snoop Dogg are all scheduled to attend.

Ellen said, “Everyone knows it’s better to give than to receive. That’s why I want to give you some advice. You get the advice and I get the joy of giving – it’s a win-win. Here it is: Give yourself a treat and watch IDOL GIVES BACK. Again, you get the joy of giving and an amazing line-up of artists get to give us an incredible show. Last year, we were able to giveaway over $76 million. You give, you get. Get it!”

This year the money raised will help benefit: the Children’s Defense Fund, The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Make It Right. Malaria No More, Save The Children, and the Children’s Health Fund.So watch IDOL GIVES BACK on April 9th at 7:30 PM ET/PT and donate those dollars, people!

March 3rd 2008

Ellen DeGeneres Buys Her Own Dog Food Company

Filed under: animals, food & drink, products — parrish @ 10:09 am

Remember a few months ago when Ellen DeGeneres went kibbles and bits over Iggy?  While I considered her on screen outburst genuine and honest, most people thought it made her look crazier than Aretha Franklin in a double wide fur coat. Well crazy or not, Ellen loves her some pets and has decided to put her money where her mouth is…literally (you’ll get that joke later).

The comedian turned talk show host just recently purchased Halo, a well known natural pet food company, and will be producing her own brand of pet food.

Ellen told Parade magazine that her food is SO natural that even humans can eat it. She said, “Ours is all human grade. It’s all natural. And yes, you can eat it. People love their animals so much so that they put little clothes on them and necklaces and booties and things like that. And if you love your animal, then you should feed them something that’s not dangerous for them. There’s a lot of poisonous stuff that they’re putting in a lot of that food, those by-products.”

When asked what her pet policy would be if she were a politician, Ellen said: “My pet policy would be to love them and give them as much respect as you would give any living thing and treat them kindly. They’re innocent little souls that are filled with unconditional love. And we should give them the same.”

Good questions and good answers, but let’s not forget that ALL animals should be respected…not JUST pets.  If your dog (or you) has a hankering for some meat in a can, trot on over to Halopets.com.

February 11th 2008

Razzi Snap: Ellen DeGeneres Has Raised $800K For Pitt’s Charity

Plus: Nicole Kidman's eco-baby, Prince Charles not green enough, and stud farm on hold

Filed under: animals, babies and bumps, buildings and construction, cars-houses — michael @ 2:02 pm

The people of New Orleans have many heroes to thank for their efforts in helping post-Katrina, but few may be as giving as former native Ellen DeGeneres. The comedian/talk show host has helped raise more than $10 million for various charities focusing on rebuilding the city; most recently $800,000 for Brad Pitt’s Make It Right NOLA campaign. Website Muckety helps map out DeGeneres’s sphere of influence. Have a look here.

Nicole Kidman is getting ready for her first child with country singer Keith Urban. In preparation, she recently ordered a range of organic linen, clothing and plush toys from Sydney’s Double Bay baby boutique, Bay Bee Cino. Said Kidman of her pregnancy, “I’ll have bigger boobs. That’s one of the many good things I can think of that will come of it.” For a look at Bay Bee Cino’s products, jump here.

Prince Charles’s plan to develop an eco-friendly home from only natural materials (like stone and timber) is being given low marks for green home status according to some codes setup by the British government. Ironically, building naturally — as opposed to incorporating plastics or man-made insulation materials — is not airtight enough to meet the definition of a zero-carbon home. So while the Prince is saving the world from pollution in the creation of these materials, he’s still not doing enough to combat Global Warming with his ‘natural’ home. You can’t win. [via environmental grafitti]

Unfortunately, Hedi Fleiss’s plans to open the world’s first wind-powered brothel may have to wait a bit longer. The famous Hollywood Madame was arrested last week for “driving without a license, possession of dangerous drugs without a prescription, under the influence of a controlled substance and driving under the influence of a controlled substance.” Sorry ladies — that eco-friendly stud farm will be along in a bit. Till then, I’d encourage you to contact Parrish. [via styledash]

January 14th 2008

The Art Of Elysium Celebrates 10 Years With Some Big Celebrity Supporters

Filed under: events, events: la — parrish @ 12:22 pm

This weekend, The Art Of Elysium, a charity that teams up artists with critically ill children, held, Heaven: Celebrating 10 Years, a star-studded gala that celebrated their 10 years of service.

In the past, The Art Of Elysium has gained the support of some huge Hollywood A-Listers, and this event was no different, with attendance by celebrities like Harrison Ford, Ellen DeGeneres, Courtney Cox Arquette, Ryan Seacrest and Rachel Bilson.

In 2007, the The Art Of Elysium set a goal to reach 20,000 children by the end of the year. To help achieve that, they participated in the Teen Impact Retreat in El Capitan Canyon, which gives teens with cancer a chance to make new friends, participate in exciting activities and share their stories. The Art Of Elysium uses drama, music, yoga and an array of other art forms to help children all across the country.

So why not be a pal and visit their website to learn how you can donate your time, money or artistry to help some pretty awesome kids through a tough time.

via: justjared 

December 10th 2007

Ellen Degeneres Teams Up With Meox Mix To Save The Animals

Filed under: animals, green and famous — parrish @ 8:02 am

Do you ever watch somebody on T.V and think, “Man, I would just really love to be that person’s friend?” Well that’s how I feel about Ellen Degeneres. She’s a talk show host, comedienne, actor, dancer extraordinaire, and now an animal advocate. Ellen Degeneres has teamed up with Meox Mix owner, Richard Thompson, to help rebuild animal shelters across the country that are in desperate shape. Their first project is a sanctuary in Monkey Run, Arkansas (really…Monkey Run?), which is now underway. The sanctuary is home to over 60 animals, including cows, a zebra and 20 dogs. Thompson will officially unveil the project tomorrow, December 11th, on the Ellen Degeneres Show.

Critics are saying that Ellen might only be doing this to clear her name after the whole Iggy disaster, but to those critics I say, “Blah! Go away!” She has been an animal lover for years and it was so obvious that her grief over that whole incident was out of love for the dog and his best interests. So Ellen, thanks for being so awesome and continuing to lead by example in supporting such important causes. Now can we just be friends already?