Singers KT Tunstall and Vanessa Carlton are joining a crew of other celebrities and scientists on a trip to the Arctic Circle. The trip is on behalf of climate awareness charity Cape Farewell — which is hoping the artists are inspired creatively by the opportunity to work side-by-side with oceanographers and researchers studying climate change. A spokesperson for the charity tells People.com, “It has been organized for several months. We are hoping that KT will be able to blog while she is on the trip.”

Tunstall was recently married on a remote Scottish Isle and is using the expedition as the first part of her honeymoon with new husband Luke Bullen.

According to DoSomething, Vanessa Carlton is planning on throwing a green bash in her NYC apartment in anticipation of the nine-day trip. All of the napkins, cups, and other accessories will either be biodegradable or or made with recycled paper. Guests include Moby, Martha Wainwright, Feist and many other greenies.

Stay tuned to see how this trip impacts the participants. No doubt, we’ll have a bevy of good quotes after everyone returns.

Tara Reid turns green? No, it’s not a drunken outtake from Taradaise. Rather, the celeb came out last night in Venice with a bevy of other environmental advocates including Mindy Kaling, Vanessa Carlton, Steven Bing, Fischer Stevens, Jennifer Coolidge, and Kevin Wall to celebrate Live Earth and the unveiling of the new smart fortwo car.

The evening’s highlight was a three-song set by Vanessa Carlton. “I try to be very green,” Carlton told me prior to taking the stage. “I don’t drive, I take the subway…I use 7th generation products and do events like these to raise awareness.” Cartlon’s performance was part of Live Earth’s mission to use the power of music to combat climate change.

Hot topics? The new car of course, which is being touted as the most-fuel efficient non-hybrid in the United States. Driving to the event in my beloved black Prius, I’m hard-pressed to toss my battery just yet. But the folks at smart are insistent that these cars get more consistently efficient gas mileage overall, come from one of the most-eco sound factories, and happen to fit in my purse. Well, small parking spaces at least.

So have any celebs gone smart? Kevin Wall was driven to the event in a smart Mercedes (while he spilled the beans about his brigade of hybrid cars and new solar panels in his home, he wouldn’t divulge what Live Earth has in store for us next…yet). Office star Mindy Kaling drives a Mini Cooper, but is intrigued, along with her boyfriend, a blogger for nerve.com, by the smart. Fischer Stevens of Lost loves his Lexus Hybrid.

Stevens also mentioned that he’s in the process of developing a pilot for NBC about five people and their quest to start an environmental web site that proves more difficult than they thought. “Maybe I’ll use you guys,” he quipped. I didn’t mention consulting fees, but he knows where to find me.

Guests left with a copy of the Global Warming Survival Guide and the Live Earth CD: I listened to Damien Rice and David Grey on the way back to West Hollywood, debating a burning question—what does Tara Reid do help our planet? “I eat organic food,” all eighty-something pounds of her told reporters.

Baby steps, folks.

For additional photos from the event, please click on below!