Post by Ace on May 16, 2008 13:32:58 GMT -5
Green Stars See The Beauty Of The Planet
By Shermakaye Bass
May 16th, 2008
Celebrities trade on their celebrity and always have – sometimes in not so earth-friendly ways. But among the nobler echelons of Hollywood, Manhattan and London, renown is fuel for green power. Instead of selling handbags made of rare reptilian skins, some of The Biz’s top stars try to protect these rare species, using their reputations, checkbooks and Rolodexes to aid our ailing planet.
Atop the green mountain are people like Robert Redford, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ed Begley – well-known spokesmen for the environment. But how many of us plebes realized that Pierce Brosnan is one of celebrity’s most committed eco-activists, supporting at least a dozen charities, or that Ted Danson is a key player and board member of the marine juggernaut Oceana.org.
There are many more, actually – dozens of celebrities who’ve thrown their green ideas into the ring, not just to green-wash or prop their careers, but to do the right thing, it seems. Ever wonder exactly what these famous stewards are committed to and why?
Here’s a sketchbook of five who are putting their money and hearts into making strides for Planet Earth:
* PIERCE BROSNAN
Pierce Brosnan has donated more than $1 million to eco causes over the past 20 years.
Using his Bondian powers to help the planet, this former 007 has developed a serious secondary fan base among environmentalists. With his wife, Keely, the British-born Hawaii transplant has donated more than $1 million to eco causes over the past 20 years, jumping on the green-wagon long before the environment became Hollywood’s cause célèbre. He is actively involved in numerous nonprofits, including the Environmental Defense Fund, designed to bring governments, businesses and environmentalists together; and Oceana (see his eco-oriented site Pierce Brosnan ).
But at the top of the actor-activist’s list right now is the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The IFAW was founded almost 30 years ago to stop the commercial hunting/clubbing of white-coat harp seals and their pups, and now encompasses myriad projects, including prevention and elimination of the elephant ivory trade, as well as lobbying for American legislation to protect whales (the nonprofit praises the U.S. Senate’s late-April legislation establishing speed limits on ships to reduce fatal collisions with North Atlantic whales).
Generally speaking, the IFAW works to improve animal welfare and prevent animal cruelty and abuse around the world and to “create solutions that benefit both animals and people.”
At the moment, IFAW also is trying to get its army of aid workers and supplies into Myanmar, hoping to assist all species that were devastated by the recent cyclone in the Southeast Asian country.
And, the group lobbying on behalf of the Polar Bear Protection Act being considered by the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.
Brosnan himself is a very vocal supporter of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Whale Defense Campaign , which are documenting confrontations between the Japanese Coast Guard and Sea Shepherd’s “Steve Irwin” ship, whose crewmembers have been attempting to thwart Japan’s illegal whaling activities in recent months, and who were fired upon in March. Story here.
Finally, Brosnan is known to be a vociferous opponent of sonar testing and technology used by the U.S. Navy, as more evidence shows that sonar disrupts and possibly causes mass beaching by dolphins and whales. For more information on the Irishman’s eco-passions, check out www.PierceBrosnan.com
By Shermakaye Bass
May 16th, 2008
Celebrities trade on their celebrity and always have – sometimes in not so earth-friendly ways. But among the nobler echelons of Hollywood, Manhattan and London, renown is fuel for green power. Instead of selling handbags made of rare reptilian skins, some of The Biz’s top stars try to protect these rare species, using their reputations, checkbooks and Rolodexes to aid our ailing planet.
Atop the green mountain are people like Robert Redford, Leonardo DiCaprio and Ed Begley – well-known spokesmen for the environment. But how many of us plebes realized that Pierce Brosnan is one of celebrity’s most committed eco-activists, supporting at least a dozen charities, or that Ted Danson is a key player and board member of the marine juggernaut Oceana.org.
There are many more, actually – dozens of celebrities who’ve thrown their green ideas into the ring, not just to green-wash or prop their careers, but to do the right thing, it seems. Ever wonder exactly what these famous stewards are committed to and why?
Here’s a sketchbook of five who are putting their money and hearts into making strides for Planet Earth:
* PIERCE BROSNAN
Pierce Brosnan has donated more than $1 million to eco causes over the past 20 years.
Using his Bondian powers to help the planet, this former 007 has developed a serious secondary fan base among environmentalists. With his wife, Keely, the British-born Hawaii transplant has donated more than $1 million to eco causes over the past 20 years, jumping on the green-wagon long before the environment became Hollywood’s cause célèbre. He is actively involved in numerous nonprofits, including the Environmental Defense Fund, designed to bring governments, businesses and environmentalists together; and Oceana (see his eco-oriented site Pierce Brosnan ).
But at the top of the actor-activist’s list right now is the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The IFAW was founded almost 30 years ago to stop the commercial hunting/clubbing of white-coat harp seals and their pups, and now encompasses myriad projects, including prevention and elimination of the elephant ivory trade, as well as lobbying for American legislation to protect whales (the nonprofit praises the U.S. Senate’s late-April legislation establishing speed limits on ships to reduce fatal collisions with North Atlantic whales).
Generally speaking, the IFAW works to improve animal welfare and prevent animal cruelty and abuse around the world and to “create solutions that benefit both animals and people.”
At the moment, IFAW also is trying to get its army of aid workers and supplies into Myanmar, hoping to assist all species that were devastated by the recent cyclone in the Southeast Asian country.
And, the group lobbying on behalf of the Polar Bear Protection Act being considered by the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate.
Brosnan himself is a very vocal supporter of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and the Whale Defense Campaign , which are documenting confrontations between the Japanese Coast Guard and Sea Shepherd’s “Steve Irwin” ship, whose crewmembers have been attempting to thwart Japan’s illegal whaling activities in recent months, and who were fired upon in March. Story here.
Finally, Brosnan is known to be a vociferous opponent of sonar testing and technology used by the U.S. Navy, as more evidence shows that sonar disrupts and possibly causes mass beaching by dolphins and whales. For more information on the Irishman’s eco-passions, check out www.PierceBrosnan.com