This Wednesday, Ed Begley Jr. will be appearing with host Drew Carrey on a green-themed edition of The Price Is Right. The actor/activist will introduce a showcase that includes an electric bike, golf cart and Toyota Prius hybrid car. The program will also feature environmentally friendly products including cell phones made of recycled materials, solar charging equipment and a recycling cabinet. My only hope is that these products turned out to be reasonably priced — otherwise the stigma that going green is too expensive will be reinforced through showcases only a celebrity could afford.

Keanu Reeves won the 2009 Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race in a tricked-out Scion tC — netting $5K to his charity of choice and another $5K from Toyota to “Racing for Kids“. Additionally, a $15,000 donation was made in conjunction with the annual “PEOPLE Pole Award” sponsored by PEOPLE magazine. The winner, Danny Way, selected the Action Sports Environmental Coalition (ASEC) as his charity, to support ASEC’s mission of progressive eco-education and empowering people to adopt a sustainable lifestyle. [Read more]

You know that meet n’ greet with Leonardo DiCaprio Global Green is auctioning off? With only 2 days left, bidding is still at a reasonable-if-you’ve-got-money-to-burn $3,000. The kids’ college education can wait. [Read more]

While it isn’t the most “green” activity in the world, race car driving is nonetheless being put to some good this coming April thanks to Toyota and some celebrities. The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race, part of the 35th annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, will include 20 famous faces competing to win for charity. Some of the more recognizable names participating include Adrien Brody, Luke Wilson, Keanu Reeves, Jon Hamm, Alex Trebek, and Carlos Mencia. Toyota will donate $5K in the name of each celebrity to “Racing for Kids“, which helps fund the healthcare needs of children. An additional $5K will be given to the winner’s charity of choice.

“With all the high-caliber Hollywood stars in the field, this year’s race is sure to be a blockbuster,” said Les Unger, Toyota’s national motorsports manager. “The Toyota Pro/Celebrity Race is win-win for everyone, because it gives fans a chance to see their favorite performers in action-packed real racing while offering the celebrities an opportunity to ‘give back’ to children in need.”

The race kicks off on April 18th.

Keanu Reeves’s new movie, The Day The Earth Stood Still, bows tomorrow — and early reviews, while unfavorable in general to the plot, are criticizing the flick’s wishy washy message. Unlike the original 1951 version, which carried a strong anti-nuclear stance, this updated remake is attempting to be an environmental movie without actually admitting as such. Here’s one reviewer’s take from Cinemablend:

“We don’t get the answer to any of those questions, or even the simple notion of what it is we’re doing, exactly, that’s destroying the earth. Though the obvious answer is “rampant consumerism and environmental ignorance,” the prominent product placement from McDonald’s, LG, Microsoft and others apparently ruled that answer out. The original 1951 film carried a timely anti-nuclear message, but this film wouldn’t dare offend anyone by even mentioning the phrase “global warming.” When Helen argues at the end that humans can change, and are worth sparing, there’s no notion of what it is we’d change if given the chance. Maybe Klaatu knows better after all.”

Those product placements are rather hilarious/sad considering the message. Still, the preaching is toned down — which to another reviewer makes the film bearable:

“The tossed-off quality of this central moral (stave off annihilation by treating the planet right, knuckleheads!) at least minimizes the preaching, perhaps the only way in which this new Day trumps its creakily sermonizing predecessor.”

But isn’t the point of remaking a movie such as this to bring a strong message to the table? An updated message? Apparently Fox sees dollar signs and explosions as a better alternative, something Cinemablend noted creates a flick that “is only about half the film it could have been, had anyone making it had balls to match their budget.”

I’ll admit that when I first heard news of an updated ‘eco-version’ of the classic sci-fi flick The Day The Earth Stood Still, I had my doubts. Perhaps my taste in acting is unrefined, but I for one generally do not have many problems with Keanu Reeves in lead roles. I was was a little worried, however, (as were many) that this new take on the story of treehugging alien invaders might be a little much. Then I saw the trailer — which looks promising, if not a tad-bit “Michael Bay-ish”. According to an interview with MTV, director Scott Derrickson says the film isn’t just focuesd on the climate change — but also everything else we’re doing to screw ourselves as a species. From the article,

I think that this film in some ways is an attempt to address a number of issues that are amongst the most pressing issues for the human race. The original, being a Cold War film, was addressing what was clearly the greatest threat for the human race at that time, mutual nuclear destruction, and that’s not the most pressing threat that we face now. It’s also man vs. man. We are destroying each other as well. Our country’s at war right now. There is certainly the issue being addressed in the movie of our treatment of one another on the planet. I think it’s a movie about human nature as much as anything else and how human nature is acting itself out in the world right now.

Sounds intriguing. Hopefully it won’t put the critics to sleep like The Happening seems to have done.

“If you die, the earth survives.”

Is Keanu Reeves friend or foe? Is he here to help the planet or help the humans? Will this movie suck beyond belief or rock out? Will the Glenn Beck’s eyes bleed if there’s an eco-friendly message? Check it out below!

And now The Bacon Brothers will be performing at the Global Green Expo this coming weekend at Liberty State Park in Jersey City. Also on hand will be Jeff Corwin, Deidre Imus, Ted Danson, and Ed Begley Jr. The expo — like many happening this week — will feature the latest “eco-friendly products, programs, services, and information from hundreds of exhibitors and nonprofit organizations.”

But back to Kevin — a big time supporter of environmental initiatives and charity campaigns — his SixDegrees.org foundation has been a great success, raising over $2 million so far. Last year, he also actively participated in the Live Earth concerts and pushed hard for NYC’s High Line initiative.

To find out more about The Bacon Bothers, jump here.

Actor Keanu Reeves recently let slip some new details on an update to the classic 1951 science fiction film he’s working on called The Day the Earth Stood Still. The original black-and-white movie addressed issues of violence, politics, and the fear of global annihilation from nuclear weapons. In the 2008 version, global warming and climate change are now the forces we should be wary of. From the article,

“’The first one was borne out of the cold war and nuclear détente. Klaatu came and was saying cease and desist with your violence. If you can’t do it yourselves we’re going to do it. That was the film of that day, Reeves explained. ‘The version I was just working on, instead of being man against man, it’s more about man against nature. My Klaatu says that if the Earth dies, you die. If you die, the earth survives. I’m a friend to the earth. While humanity still engages in a staggering number of international conflicts, the environmental message is one that, not only encompasses wars, and fights, and terrorism, but one that goes beyond constrictions to become a millennial message of ‘what we are doing and who we are as a species,’ Reeves insisted. ‘We’re trying to reach beyond the idea of [just] environmentalism.’”

The film will also star Jennifer Connelly and one really large robot. What do you think? Awesome or blah?