Green Cotton

Photosource: http://images.google.com

Cameron Diaz has kept herself busy this month trailing along a train of interviewers from various amazingly fashionable magazines to get the word out on the environment. While the interview we recently reviewed in VOGUE focused mostly on the eco-fashions Diaz wore in her editorial shots, and only quickly mentioned her environmental campaign, Marie Claire dove into her work and gave us a better idea of what exactly Diaz is up to.

Diaz is currently traveling across the country with a small entourage of about twenty cameramen and other crew with a goal of seeing how much the general American person knows about the troubles of our environment in order to raise general awareness.

Unveiling Diaz’s inspiration to talk about the environment, she shares her experience as a child living in a neighborhood in Long Beach, CA, that was not only near a large freeway, but also toxic waste refinery, which would dump waste at the end of her block. “Childhood” also meant suffering from asthma, and an ongoing burning, itchy sensation in her eyes and throat. Coming from this personal experience of knowing what it would be like everywhere if we don’t start treating the environment with more respect, Cameron Diaz speaks with an authenticity that deepens her California starlet persona.

So she has been traveling all over the United States to ask the average American math teacher, high-school girls, and soccer moms questions like, “Do you know where your food, your water come from? Do you worry about the environment?” And always wraps up with the same questions, “What would it take for you to do something about the environment?”

To which most people are very touched, but do not know how to respond. Diaz has met with a general feeling of hopelessness. People do care but do not seem to think anything they can do personally will help the environment as a whole. They feel any changes they make would not stop global warming or deforestation.

While no one person can do any one of these things alone, if we all ban together and do everything we can to save the environment, this will make a huge difference. We can all add up!

So what made Diaz finally campaign after years of silence in this area? She realized that the planet did not have a publicist to speak for her. Diaz decided to use her well-known clout and popularity to promote support for the environment. Just starting the discussion is enough to get people thinking about their actions and the repercussions of their actions.

This new environmental role she has decided to take on can only make us love her more. You go Cameron! The environment needs as many publicists as it can get.

Photosource: Marieclaire.com

Find out about Cameron Diaz’s favorite sustainability websites here.

By: Julia Rea

Photosource: www.korwater.com

The “KOR ONE Hydration Vessel” is part of a new, safe, environmentally friendly, and ethically based generation of water bottles that combine form and function to meet footprint. Created to “reinvent the personal hydration experience,” KOR water bottles last up to five years, replacing over 1,000 disposable water bottles otherwise headed for landfills.

After so many scares on water bottle safety, KOR bottles appear to buck that trend in that they are made from Eastman Tritan, a new material that is free of bisphenol-A (BPA), a toxin found in many plastic bottles.

What’s unique about KOR is that the makers invested time and effort in the design of the bottle, attempting to make it  useful and stylish without compromising on function or footprint. Design features include a hinged cap with a hole to loop a strap or clip on to a carabeener, as well as the long length and soft rubber frame. The cap alleviates the need to  twist and turn to access water. Also, the ergonomic opening is just big enough to fit an ice cube through, but just small enough to ensure that, although I managed to, the general public will not splash themselves in the face with water, as some other water bottles do. The rubber used around the edges is soft on your fingers, making holding the bottle easier.

Adding a little whimsical fun to the design, the cap features a saying of your choice to punch into the cap, that only you can see; a daily mantra or other such phrase. KOR’s are also dishwasher safe, a convenience that many other eco-friendly water bottles cannot claim. For example, a number of the biodegradable plastic bottles on the market must be hand-washed (which is not as water and energy efficient as dishwashing by the way). Though possible, Sigg does not recommend washing their bottles in the dishwasher either.

KOR believes in sustainability all the way through the bottle life and will dispose of your bottles when you are ready to get rid of them (hopefully that will be after 5 years of use!). KOR guarantees that you can return your KOR postage-free when it has expired.

Other ways that KOR is demonstrating their green-ness is through their carbon footprint in choosing manufacturers. For this reason they selected North American manufacturers, with a higher cost, but a smaller carbon footprint. The facilities chosen are all ISO 1400-certified, which means they adhere to environmental standards far stricter than those required by law. Additionally, KOR donates 1% of all revenue to a select group of non-profits that focus on water-related issues.

Photosource: www.korwater.com KOR water bottles come in Ice Blue, Sawgrass Green, Sunrise Orange or Orchid Pink (as featured above). Check them out and less us know what you think!

Photo: Leonardo DiCaprio in 11th Hour, Treehugger. Dicaprio’s climate change initiatives 11thhourtakeaction and dicaprio.org

By Erin Dale

Thanks to a dose of star power, the green movement is enjoying the Hollywood spotlight. All you have to do is pick up the latest tabloid (“Stars—they’re just like us! Cameron Diaz gasses up her hybrid”) or check out sites like ecorazzi.com, and you can see just how trendy “celebrity green” has become.

From Cate Blanchett, who lives in a solar-powered home, to Leonardo DiCaprio, whose documentary The 11th Hour urges environmental change, the eco-trend only seems to be growing. But how can we tell if it’s anything more than that—just the latest La-La-Land craze, destined to fade like Uggs and leggings?

Just as it’s hard to discern whether or not a company claiming to sell “natural” or “organic” products is merely greenwashing, it’s impossible to know whether a celeb attaching himself to a cause really cares. But who are we to judge, anyway? If Brad Pitt is only globe-hopping and raising awareness to get attention, what does it matter, so long as he’s getting something done? Fad or no, celebrities calling attention to the green movement should do more good than harm.

Google “green celebrities.” I did, and various lists popped up. Many eco sites have complied lists of the “greenest” stars. While it’s certainly hard to say who indeed has the smaller carbon footprint, it was fun to make a list of my own. Rather than trying to decide who’s “greener than thou,” I’ve ranked my five favorites:

5. Hayden Panettiere. She’s only 18, but the Heroes starlet has already done a world of good. As a vegetarian, she’s passionate about animals and received PETA’s “Compassion in Action” award. She made headlines last fall for her in-ocean protest against Japanese whalers, risking her life as they slaughtered dolphins in dangerous proximity to Hayden and her fellow protesters (the act also earned her a Japanese arrest warrant!). Saving dolphins is a pretty green act; however, Hayden endorses companies like Neutrogena (whose products are not on PETA’s animal-safe list) and Candies, which produces not-so-eco-friendly fashion. Ah, well. She’s still young!

4. Daryl Hannah. Forget “tree hugger.” Daryl’s a tree crusader! Another blonde actress causing a ruckus to help the environment, she was arrested last year for her 23-day “tree-sit” to save L.A.’s South Central Farm. The arrest may seem extreme, but Daryl also walks the green talk; she’s known for her environmental activism and drives a biodiesal car.

3. Leonardo DiCarpio. Either I’m still getting over my Titantic crush, or there’s just something really attractive about a suave actor using his star power for global good. Sure, he’s not the only one, but Leo’s activism makes him stand out from the pack. And he’s been leading the eco pack for a while now—he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which raises environmental awareness, a decade ago. From driving a Prius to producing and narrating The 11th Hour, Leo’s working hard to preserve the environment. I can’t wait to see his next project, Planet Green’s “Eco-Town,” a reality series that shows the rebuilding – or, rather, green-building – of a tornado-ravaged Kansas town.

2. Alicia Silverstone. Remember Batgirl? She’s the second – but not the last – superhero celeb on my list that uses her powers for good, not evil. Alicia’s been a vegan for years, and in addition to being PETA’s Sexiest Female Vegetarian in 2004, she’s the first celebrity to do a nude endorsement for the activist group. But she caught my attention back in June 2005, when she and her husband, musician Christopher Jarecki, married in an eco-chic ceremony in Lake Tahoe. Everything, from the wedding favors to Alicia’s heirloom wedding band, came from recycled materials. She and her husband continue to live a green lifestyle in their solar-paneled home.

1. Edward Norton. It’s hard to get much greener than the Hulk! Norton is another actor who plays a superhero, and, in real life, works overtime to save the earth. He may appear greener than ever in this summer’s The Hulk, but going green is nothing new for Norton; he grew up with green living, thanks to his environmental-lawyer dad. It’s truly all in the family—Norton’s grandfather started the Enterprise Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps develop affordable homes throughout the U.S. (Norton has been involved since he was 18). Norton works on many environmental causes, the PBS series Strange Days on Planet Earth being his latest.

And when it comes to this phenomenon of eco-celebrity, Norton has the best notions. When asked by Vanity Fair (April 23, 2008, vanityfair.com) about using his star status to bring attention to certain issues, Norton said, “It is an opportunity. That is a good way of putting it. I have a very negative reaction to what I perceive as superficial involvement with things… personally I don’t like to get involved in things in which I don’t think I have a substantive expertise to the point where I can maintain an engagement… But given my background and the platform that I have available to me, I’d like to do a little more than that… I’d rather do something like this series that is a substantial, ambitious project that can bring a higher level of actual scientific rigor to questions, and beyond its broadcast goals can bring a far-reaching educational component. If I can do that, then it becomes worthwhile.”

Who is your favorite Green star? What are your thoughts on the matter? Tell us what you think through comments box below or email: greencottonblog@gmail.com