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August 19th 2008

Brad Pitt Continues Narration Of Green Building Series For PBS

Filed under: buildings and construction, cars-houses, film-tv, television — michael @ 10:10 am

Last year, both Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman lent their narration to the popular second season of the PBS series e2 design (pronounced e-squared design). The show “explores attainable solutions to pressing environmental and social challenges, and tells compelling stories featuring new advances in sustainable living.”

Now, it’s just Pitt narrating the third season of e2 — and judging from his love of sustainable building and archeitecture, it’s probably something he finds quite rewarding to participate in. Not surprising, this season will also feature the work being done on the New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward to build a more sustainable community; through projects like Pitt’s Make It Right foundation and Global Green’s Holy Cross initiative.

Here’s a bit of what you’ll see in Season 3 of e2:

“Season 3 of e2 design comprises six episodes: a profile of Aga Khan’s Al-Azhar Park in Cairo, a 500-year-old dump-turned-”urban lung”; Canadian architect Brian MacKay-Lyons, who applies Nova Scotia’s design pragmatism to projects around the world; Melbourne’s transformation from a tired, vacant city into a thriving, sustainable metropolis; the inspired efforts of world-class architect Renzo Piano to integrate the natural world into his design for San Francisco’s elegant, environmentally responsive natural history museum; the efforts to rebuild New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward in a way that is environmentally, culturally and socially sustainable; and the visionary Amsterdam architects transforming recycled materials into modern design masterpieces.”

Look for the series to debut on PBS starting August 22nd. More details available here.

August 4th 2008

Morgan Freeman in Serious Condition After Car Accident

Filed under: web — lindsey @ 1:58 pm

Morgan Freeman, Oscar-winning actor and founder of Plan!tNow, is in serious condition after a car accident last night just outside of Charleston, Mississippi. Reports said that it appeared as though Freeman’s vehicle had been airborne when it left the highway and landed in a ditch.

“They had to use the jaws of life to extract him from the vehicle,” McFerrin said. “He was lucid, conscious. He was talking, joking with some of the rescue workers at one point.”

He is currently being treated at a hospital in Memphis, Tenn. about 90 miles from where the accident took place. The hospital, an “acute care teaching facility”, is commonly referred to as The Med.

Lots of positive thoughts and prayers are with the Freeman family for a speedy healing process and full recovery!

via: The Huffington Post

July 2nd 2008

Morgan Freeman And Sierra Club Want You To Be Prepared

Filed under: campaigns, green and famous — michael @ 1:21 pm

Morgan Freeman, who stars in the upcoming movie The Dark Knight — and just about every other movie you’ve ever seen, is teaming up with Sierra Club for some public service announcements on climate change and storm preparedness. 

Freeman is the founder of Plan!tNow, a non-profit storm preparedness organization that provides people and communities in high risk regions the information they need to help protect their families, lives, homes and businesses. “We are all students in the school of big storms,” says Freeman. “We have learned what happens when governments, families and communities aren’t prepared for hurricanes. We need to act now, before the next big storm hits.” Check out his video below. 

January 8th 2008

Morgan Freeman Commutes To Work In An Airplane

Filed under: cars-houses, travel — michael @ 10:46 am

“Our situation, with global warming and air quality and all of that, has gotten to be catastrophic.” — Morgan Freeman in a recent interview with Grist Magazine.

Uh Oh.

Morgan Freeman has revealed that he loves to commute to work in Hollywood — in an airplane. The 70-year-old actor says “it’s a great way to get to work” making the 1,800 mile-commute from his Mississippi home to work in Hollywood in his twin-engine, seven-seater light aircraft. From the article,

“He told Britain’s Independent newspaper: ‘I had my flight training three years ago in Clarksdale near my home and now I’m high-flying. I fly from home to Los Angeles at 23,000 feet, solo in my own Cessna 414 aircraft. ‘It’s exhilarating traveling at 270mph and a great way to get to work.’”

Let’s first assume that Freeman uses the plane to get to Los Angeles and then sticks around for several weeks to months. I’m not saying this is a good thing — since his carbon footprint is going to be much higher than if he was to fly commercial. But, this would be a hell of a lot better than if he literally “commutes” a couple times a week back and forth between Los Angeles and Mississippi!

I can understand getting your kicks in the air — I’m not saying anybody should not enjoy the gift of flying. But commuting to work in a private plane — while also talking about global warming and sustainability — just does not sit well with me.

Maybe he should get a glider…

via femalefirst

January 2nd 2008

Morgan Freeman Chats Dubai And The End Of Cheap Oil

Filed under: green and famous, politics — michael @ 11:23 am

It’s easy to see why Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson get along so well. These are some true “no bullshit” guys that seem to open up about everything from politics to women to the environment in their interviews. Just as Jack was pretty forthcoming with his thoughts on sustainability in a earlier interview last month, it’s now Freeman’s turn as the two of them play the game of promoting their latest movie, The Bucket List.

In a great sit-down with Alex Simon of The Hollywood Interview, Freeman reveals his thoughts on peak oil, sustainability, and the costs of moving to renewables. Here are some great highlights:

On Dubai and the end of cheap oil:

I met the Imam, the sheik of Dubai. He’s a fascinating guy. He’s the leader of this state, not a country, because the United Arab Emirates are what comprise the country. Dubai is one of seven states in the Emirates. He’s got the idea that you have to build, build, build because eventually, the oil is going to run out. If the oil doesn’t run out, the price is going to go down so low eventually, that it might as well run out.

On the United State’s slow transition to a more sustainable nation:

I’m talking wishful thinking now, that eventually this country’s leaders are going to understand that it isn’t about money. It’s about sustainability. Right now, if you mention alternative forms of energy to anyone in the government, all they’ll want to talk about is what it will cost, which is stupid. It’s going to cost you more to establish it, than it’s going to cost you to run it. But we have to do it.

Why using “costs” as an excuse will ultimately doom us:

Just one day, one day, just look up in any major city in the world, and just look at the cars. Don’t think about the airplanes, or the trains, the boats, just the cars, running up and down the road, burning gasoline and diesel fuels. With biodiesel, you can make diesel fuel out of bacon grease, for God’s sake! So why aren’t we doing that? They say “the cost.” It’s got nothing to do with the cost. It’s “the cost” that’s going to kill us.

For the rest of the interview, jump here.