ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

May 8th 2008

As Rainforest Foundation Prepares To Rock, New Info Arises On Criticism

Filed under: green and famous — michael @ 9:15 am

The funny thing about gossip is that it can sometimes be just that. The information we receive is like a loaded gun — and in a time of fast-paced news and instant reporting — it can very easily go off. Yesterday’s piece I wrote on Sting’s Rainforest Foundation being less than giving came from the NY Post; which supplemented their reporting with stats and comments by a “donations watchdog” named Charity Navigator.

Now, of all the news organizations in the world, FOX is calling that story BS, saying the writer’s (Isabel Vincent) intentions were nothing but a smear campaign. From the article,

“The gist of the Post story — which was designed to embarrass Sting and Styler on the eve of the biannual Rainforest concert and fundraising dinner — was that the $2.7 million in gross receipts collected by the U.S. fund from the last concert and dinner should have gone directly to distribution. This doesn’t even make sense. It would kill any long term objectives of the foundation. The concerts, Styler points out, are not like ‘Live Aid,’ a one-time event, or the 9/11 Concert for New York. In those instances, the money is collected and immediately distributed.”

The Post aside, I still have questions over the information reported by Charity Navigator. Most pertinent, the $10 million in assets, $5 million in cash reported to the IRS by the Rainforest Foundation. I’ll admit to being completely clueless on how such a worldwide foundation operates, but as someone from the outside looking in, those numbers seem incredibly high.

Please read the entire FOX News article here (Who knows the next time I’ll actually say that again?)

May 7th 2008

Sting’s Rainforest Charity Rated One Of New York’s City’s Worst

Filed under: campaigns, donations — michael @ 10:03 am

Could Sting’s evil Captain Planet character be coming to life?

On the Eve of the Rainforest Foundation’s Annual Benefit (something for which the Empire State Building will be lit green for), new information regarding the “giving” side of Sting’s organization has us less than stoked.

According to the New York Post, the Rainforest Foundation has been rated one of the worst charities in New York City. The slap comes from Charity Navigator, a watchdog that rates 5,000 charities nationally based on management and fund-raising-to-giving ratios. Sting’s org has been given a “0″ the last four years because they’ve doled out less than half — 41% — of their donations to tree initiatives. From the article,

“The 2006 concert - which drew Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow and Will Ferrell to the landmark stage - raised $2,156,989, according to the latest available IRS tax filing. Yet only $887,374 of the money raised, 41 percent, was divided among the charity’s eight programs that support native-land claims and forest preservation in Latin America and Africa - a paltry percentage, according to agencies that monitor nonprofits.

A well-run charity, they said, typically spends 75 percent of revenues on programs. ‘This one would fall to the bottom of the bucket,’ said Sandra Miniutti, a spokeswoman for Charity Navigator.”

For reasons not explained, the charity is also hoarding their money — with $10 million in assets (including $5 million in cash) reported to the IRS.

As stated on the foundation’s website, over 93,000 acres of rainforest are lost each day. Money is desperately needed to secure vast tracts of undisturbed, ancient trees and habitat. So, we just have one, small question for the organization:

“WHAT THE F**K ARE YOU WAITING FOR?”

via Newsbusters

[UPDATE] Trudi Styler has responded to the criticism saying, “The Rainforest Foundation is celebrating its 20th year. We wouldn’t still be in business or have given out millions of dollars over the years if we’d spent everything we made immediately after it came in.” However, Bennett Weiner, the director of the Better Business Bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance, still thinks the hoarding is excessive. “What are they doing with the money?,” he said. “They have more than five times what they would normally spend in a year in reserves.”

May 6th 2008

Captain Planet Celebrities — Sting

Filed under: green and famous — michael @ 4:29 pm

Yes, even Sting got in on the Captain Planet action by playing the evil (and mostly hilarious) villain Zarm. From one forum commenter, “Zarm was a conqueror from outer space who occasionally tried to incite nuclear war on Earth for absolutely no reason. But seriously, who would make a better intergalactic conquerer than Sting? (In subsequent years, the character was also voiced by David Warner and Malcolm McDowell)

We couldn’t agree more. Check out the evil Zarm’s mischievous ways in the clip below (Fast-forward to 3:12).

May 2nd 2008

Sting Holds Annual Benefit To Help Save The Rainforest

Filed under: campaigns, events, events: nyc, food & drink, green and famous, music, thegreenpicture — parrish @ 12:37 pm

I’ll tell you this: Sting loves him some rainforest. In fact, for almost two decades Sting has been an eco-champion for the environment, and will celebrate his 20 years with Some Kinda Legacy — a benefit concert at Carnegie Hall to raise money for the Rainforest Foundation.

The Rainforest Foundation was started in the late 80’s by Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler as an environmental crusade to protect the rainforest. However, like all longstanding organizations the foundation has grown and now Sting considers it, “a human rights organization more than anything else.”

In the last two decades the annual Rainforest Foundation benefits have raised 25.8 million dollars and this year they’re goal is to make at least 2 million dollars more. After the performance The Plaza Hotel will host a local and organic dinner along with a live auction to help take in even more dough.

The concert takes place on May 8th at 7pm and feature performances by Sting (duh), James Taylor, Billy Joel, Brian Wilson, and many other legendary musicians. Tickets are $175 to $400 and you can purchase them at CarnegieHall.org. So get your seat and help save the rainforest yo!!

thanks: bloomberg.com

May 2nd 2008

Celebrities Design Tees To Benefit Rainforest Foundation

Filed under: campaigns, fashion — michael @ 11:28 am

Wednesday night, fashion designer Carlos Miele launched a series of t-shirts designed by celebrities and fashionistas to directly benefit the Rainforest Foundation. Those lending their personalized touches to the green-themed tees included Scarlett Johansson, Camilla Belle, Michael Roberts, Diana Picasso, and Alice Braga.

100% of the proceeds from the launch party will benefit the conservation organization — which was founded by rocker Sting and his wife Trudi Styler back in 1989. Said Miele of the effort, “I’ve liked the work of the Rainforest Foundation for a long time. I think Sting was a visionary when he came to Brazil and he was really concerned about Amazonia and the rainforest. For me, it’s great to support this foundation.”

You too can support the foundation — with 20% of each purchased tee going towards the Rainforest Foundation. Prepare for some sticker shock, however. I found one store online selling the main shirt for $173.00. Yikes.

via Style

[UPDATE] Apparently, the above website is selling those tees at a ridiculous, illegal price. The real price is $35. You can pick them up at Carlos Miele stores (646.336.6642) or at www.vivre.com

April 28th 2008

Sting And Trudi Admit They’re Hypocrites Over Their Carbon Footprint

Filed under: not green — michael @ 11:03 am

We’ve written several articles detailing Sting and his wife Trudi Styler’s less than stellar environmental record — even while they speak out over the dangers of climate change and CO2 emissions. This past week, the UK Daily Mail received some refreshing honesty on the issue from Trudi during a interview at the Earls Court Real Food Festival. From the article,

“Miss Styler tried to shift a little of the blame on to her musician husband, who is 56. ‘When it comes to the carbon footprint, Sting puts his hand up immediately and says ‘I’m a musician and I have a huge carbon-footprint’, she said. She then asked: ‘Are we being hypocritical?’ before seeming to answer the question herself. ‘He has a 750-person crew to bring around the world and it is a difficult challenge. I would like to think that we both work pretty hard for the rights of indigenous people and for the rights of conservation of the Amazon rainforest, but we do need to get around. It’s a difficult one.’”

Environmental experts recently rated Sting’s band, The Police, one of the dirtiest in the world as a result of the crazy amounts of pollution generated by the group on their latest world tour. Styler herself has also been criticized for her copious private jet and helicopter flights — as well as ridiculous antics like having her personal chef travel 100 miles to simply prepare a bowl of pasta.

This is one of those issues that George Clooney always avoids — saying one thing, but doing another. Clooney has time and time again admitted that he does not preach green as much as others, simply because he knows he isn’t the most environmentally responsible person out there. Sting and Trudi certainly do a good amount for certain charities and initiatives, but when it comes to talking sustainability, they really should jump down from the soapbox.

via dailymail

December 21st 2007

Sting Gives Old MacDonald A Run For His Money With His Very Own Organic Holiday Hamper

Filed under: food & drink, green and famous, products, shopping — parrish @ 9:57 am

Are you tired of Fruitcake? That pair of Chanukah socks just not cutting it? Sick of getting ANOTHER Kwanzaa doll (totally making up the Kwanzaa doll thing)? Well luckily, Uncle Sting and Aunt Trudie have come to your rescue. Sure, maybe they don’t have their own toy factory, but toy factories are a total bummer on the environment. And we all know that Sting ain’t no party pooper at the Mother Earth disco club, child. So, in the spirit of change, Sting and his wife are manufacturing wicker Christmas hampers, chalk-full of holiday gifts from their very own organic farm.

Now besides the fact that wicker products generally creep me out (once as a child I got stranded in a Pier 1), this product sounds like a damn lovely idea. Each basket comes fully loaded with organic Christmas cake, blackcurrant jam, raspberry jam, gooseberry mint and sage jelly, beetroot chutney and a chocolate coin. You will also receive a bottle of champagne, cassis, and some candles.

However, if you want to get down with Sting this holiday season, it’s gonna cost you. These wicker lovelies have a price tag of close to 300 dollars each. Have the cash to drop? Well, get in line behind Sharon Osbourne. There are only 100 precious hampers and you probably have to know somebody who knows somebody to get your green little fingers on one of these.

According to Sting and his wife, one of the main objectives in making these baskets was to share the importance of local farming with the world. And since many of us won’t be able to snag a basket this year, I recommend heading over to FoodRoutes.org where you can learn about all of your local farming options, and then just make your own basket.

Oh, and of course I expect to receive one….since I gave you the idea and all.

via Treehugger 

December 3rd 2007

Sting Gets A Glance At Zap’s Electric Truck

Looks about as bored as we are watching the video

Filed under: transport — michael @ 10:10 am

Rockstar legend Sting (and one of the few that can still actually get away with an open shirt in public) checked out the new ZAP electric truck at the 2007 Environmental Media Awards last month. The tantric singer and his wife Trudie Styler were videotaped at every angle getting a ear-full from the reps for ZAP. It’s about as exciting as one would expect — but we’re happy the brand is getting attention as a result. Will Sting pick one up? Reservations are being accepted now — but according to ABG, UPS has already leased 42 of the trucks to deliver packages. Rockin’!

via autobloggreen