Leonardo DiCaprio
Once "king of the world," this star often flies commercially and drives himself around in a hybrid Toyota Prius. In 1998, he started the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation to promote environmental causes. More recently, he's been working on 11th Hour, an environmental
documentary featuring interviews with global green leaders.
Cameron Diaz
This bombshell ain't trippin' (though that was the name of her eco-themed MTV show). The avid surfer drives a hybrid car, got trained to give Al Gore's climate presentation, and helped make the big announcement about Live Earth.
Robert Redford
The Sundance Kid has campaigned for Utah wilderness, promoted solar energy, convinced mayors to tackle climate change, and served 30 years on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council. In April, he launched a weekly three-hour slot of eco-programming on his Sundance TV channel.
Cate Blanchett
Take notes on this scandal: Recently part of an ad campaign promoting Sydney's Earth Hour blackout, Cate Blanchett and her playwright hubby have converted their own home to solar power. As co-artistic directors of the Sydney Theatre Company, the duo also plans to green that venture and hopes to power an entire theater season off-grid.
George Clooney
This leading man not only earned an Oscar last year but also a prime spot on the cover of Vanity Fair's first green issue. In association with his award-winning role in Syriana, Clooney launched Oil Change, a campaign to say good night and good luck to America's dependence on oil. And to drive the point home, he's frequently seen out and about with his eco-friendly Tango electric car.
Ed Begley Jr.
We're Ed over heels for this electric-car-driving, solar-powered-home-owning star. He's got his own brand of eco-cleaners (Begley's Best), a reality show that puts a domestic spin on green issues (Living with Ed), and a morning routine that involves powering his toaster with a stationary bike.
Edward Norton
The eco-commitment of this Hollywood heavyweight is no illusion. Norton used his star power to help launch BP's Solar Neighbors Program, which gets solar panels onto low-income homes in L.A., and he hosted an award-winning, four-part National Geographic TV special about the unnerving effects of global environmental problems.
Daryl Hannah
Arrested last year for staging a 23-day tree-sit in a bid to save L.A.'s South Central Farm, an urban community garden, this steel magnolia is a longtime environmentalist who drives a biodiesel car and runs her green home on solar power. Hannah has also recently made a splash online with the eco-video blog dh love life.
Amitabh Bachchan
Concerned about his native India's vulnerability to climate change, this top Bollywood star helped launch a partnership between Global Cool and the International Indian Film Academy to use the power of cinema to build awareness of the issue.
Julia Louis-Dreyfus
She may be starring in The New Adventures of Old Christine, but being a devout environmentalist is nothing new for Louis-Dreyfus. Her solar-powered home is a showcase of green design and energy efficiency, and she's long been active with organizations like Heal the Bay, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and the Trust for Public Land.
Pierce Brosnan
The world is enough for this 007, who focuses his activism on the planet -- marine mammals and wetland protection in particular. Brosnan -- who was named "Best-Dressed Environmentalist" in 2004 and serves on the board of the Environmental Media Association -- has long fought for dolphin-safe tuna rules and protested the U.S. Navy's widespread use of sonar, which can harm whales and other cetaceans.
Rosario Dawson
Though she's soon to reprise her Sin City role, Dawson's environmental involvement leans more toward the virtuous. In 2005, she brought her star power to a U.N. summit on preserving the environment and ending poverty, and, more recently, she's dialed up her work with Global Cool's mobile texting campaign, which steers money to clean energy and energy-reduction projects.
Will Ferrell
He got guffaws during his blaze of glory on TBS's "Earth to America!" eco-comedy special, but this funnyman's commitment to the environment is no laughing matter. He's an active supporter of the Natural Resources Defense Council, and, though it may sound stranger than fiction, he'll soon be driving his electric car into the driveway of an eco-friendly home.
Tom Hanks
An avid supporter and volunteer for The Nature Conservancy, this Forrest had the gumption to order the very first eBox electric car, delivered earlier this year. And Hanks often goes the extra green mile to make mention of his environmental leanings when he makes major TV appearances.
Brad Pitt
Twice named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People magazine, Pitt isn't just a pretty face. A major architecture buff, he's been hot on the trail of the emerging green-building movement, helping with efforts to rebuild New Orleans in an eco-friendly way, narrating a sustainable design TV series, and supporting Ed Norton's Solar Neighbors Program.
Runners-Up
Photo: Kevin Mazur / WireImage
Julia Roberts
This pretty woman was featured on the cover of Vanity Fair's green issue last year -- and for good reason: She's a spokesperson for Earth BioFuels and frequently talks up green issues on Oprah and other TV shows. Plus, the Erin Brockovich star will soon be playing another green activist, wildlife conservationist Joan Root, who was shot and killed in 2006.
Photo: PBS
Matt Damon
The talented Mr. Damon has been a good shepherd for the earth, narrating the documentary Running the Sahara and participating in the related awareness campaign about the water crisis in Africa. Damon also narrated the Journey to Planet Earth series on PBS.
Photo: Leon Bennett / WireImage
Alicia Silverstone
A longtime vegetarian -- and PETA's "Sexiest Female Vegetarian" in 2004 -- this blonde bombshell certainly isn't clueless about real environmental commitment. Silverstone is quick to talk the green talk in interviews, but she also walks the walk in her own green home, complete with solar panels and a table made from the flooring of an old bowling alley.
Photo: Vera Anderson / WireImage
Matt Dillon
There's something about Matt Dillon: He recently teamed up with Global Green USA and Yahoo! to announce a "Greenest City in America" challenge as part of the web engine's new "Be a Better Planet" program, which urges Americans to take action against climate change.
Photo: John Sciulli / WireImage.com
Charlize Theron
This South African beauty is no monster when it comes to green issues. She's traveled in eco-style to the Oscars and teamed up with a number of other celebs to fight the installation of LNG terminals off the coast of Malibu, Calif.
Sarah van Schagen contributed to this list.
Top 25 reasons to give a damn about climate change
Climate Citizen: Mary Stuart Masterson
Happy birthday, EMA Awards ... and you other groups, too
Comments
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Underdog Posted 5:26 pm
03 Jun 2007
And speaking of "Cheers," what about Woody? He's so green he can hide in a field of hemp plants. He's a lot greener than Tom and Julia.
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Solar John Posted 12:18 am
04 Jun 2007
I hear he also likes hemp plants and mushrooms, but that's another story.
John
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Lisa Hymas Posted 3:31 am
04 Jun 2007
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harmstrong Posted 3:50 am
04 Jun 2007
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peahen Posted 6:48 am
04 Jun 2007
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Lisa Hymas Posted 6:55 am
04 Jun 2007
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amc89 Posted 7:12 am
04 Jun 2007
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estark Posted 10:17 am
04 Jun 2007
In 1975 I saw a PSA he did for Friends of Animals. I can still hear him saying, "Won't you please help?" I sent in my $15 and became a member of an animal protection group for the first time. I still support them to this day.
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xtal Posted 6:41 am
05 Jun 2007
ps i do appreciated all that they do
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PeggyChicago Posted 7:05 am
05 Jun 2007
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SunflowerRae Posted 12:55 pm
05 Jun 2007
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MrGreenJeans Posted 8:00 am
06 Jun 2007
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qt19676 Posted 1:14 pm
06 Jun 2007
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Solar Wind Posted 4:17 pm
06 Jun 2007
She certainly deserves the recognition for all her good work.
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fancyhippie Posted 5:07 pm
06 Jun 2007
"This brunette bombshell ain't trippin' (though that was the name of her eco-themed MTV show). The avid surfer drives a hybrid car, got trained to give Al Gore's climate presentation, and helped make the big announcement about Live Earth."
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Delay And Deny Posted 12:35 am
07 Jun 2007
The combined destructiveness of the people on this list outweighs any teeny salves they throw to the masses.
I say, round 'em up and force them to live in $124,000 3-bedroom homes in Indianapolis.
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amc89 Posted 1:58 am
07 Jun 2007
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psimonsong Posted 3:56 pm
07 Jun 2007
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kclark1984 Posted 11:52 pm
08 Jun 2007
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LJRphoto Posted 1:09 am
15 Jun 2007
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Ken Ward Posted 9:36 pm
19 Jun 2007
The criteria for being "green" must include political action (that's why it's "tough to be green") not just personal lifestyle choices and, in the case of celebrities, endorsing low-cost (i.e. non-controversial) programs.
By that criteria, Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson ought to top the list, as several posts have pointed out. Danson is the only actor to have founded a credible environmental organization (American Oceans Campaign), while Harrelson is the only major Hollywood actor who regularly puts himself on the line in direct action.
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Lily Inanna Danu Posted 12:19 pm
27 Jul 2007
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xALTRUISTX Posted 8:38 pm
14 Aug 2007
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mfrazier10 Posted 9:00 am
04 Dec 2007
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Wrangler Posted 8:49 pm
12 Feb 2008
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marcusricci Posted 5:20 am
07 Mar 2008
http://www.riverwired.com/blog/top-ten-environmental-cele ...
enjoy!
-Marcus
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Sabine Posted 2:22 am
07 Jul 2008
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Sabine Posted 2:27 am
07 Jul 2008
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greenivate Posted 6:30 am
15 Jul 2008
you could have added brad newman to the list as well. founder of greenivate and actor...
all the best!
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ConsumeLessofIt Posted 12:57 pm
10 Sep 2008
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