Man Who Stared at Goats Explains ‘Earth Army’

It seems too ludicrous to be real: a U.S. Army unit that sought to acquire and refine Jedi-like powers, and trained by attempting to kill goats through mind power alone. But the movie ‘The Men Who Stare at Goats’, starring George Clooney, Jeff Bridges, Ewan McGregor and Kevin Spacey, is based on actual events and people.

One of those people is retired U.S. Army Lt. Col. Jim Channon, who was the brains behind the loopy 1st Earth Battalion.

From Sign On San Diego:

Channon, who is loosely portrayed by a Dudelike Bridges, embarked on a two-year government-funded fact-finding mission that included naked hot tub encounters and yoga retreats so he could write a military manual in 1978 to help Army “Jedi” soldiers reach a higher spiritual plane. He envisioned a more Zenlike approach to combat, with troops wearing ginseng-equipped uniforms, offering symbolic flowers, cradling baby lambs in hostile territory and greeting enemies with “sparkly eyes.”

“If the ideas were instituted and they worked, we would be a far better world,” Heslov says. “Do I believe it could happen? Probably not. But I’ve got to give the military credit.”

Channon now lives on an “eco-homestead” in Hawaii and describes himself as a “global elder” and “mystic landcrafter” still pursuing creative ways to bring world peace. In a video posted on his Web site, firstearthbattalion.org, he takes the movie’s humor with a grain of salt and asserts that his out-of-the-box thinking for his “mythical battalion” wasn’t absurd.

“If soldiers are telepathic during a firefight, that would be very useful,” Channon explains at one point. He ends the video with his trademark “Go Planet!”

The movie definitely takes liberties with the story – director Grant Heslov figures about 65% is lifted from Jon Ronson’s non-fiction book of the same name – but fear not, Jim Channon is here to tell you the real story. His website contains all kinds of information about the 1st Earth Battalion, and he explains some of it below:

Read more at Sign On San Diego.

Link [Sign On San Diego]

Unless Miley Cyrus Returns to Twitter, Fuzzy Will Die

Every celebrity has lunatic fans, but pole-dancing tween queen Miley Cyrus seems to have inspired a particularly fervent devotion among the completely unchained. First there was her extremely creepy stalker, and now she’s got someone threatening to kill their beloved cat if she doesn’t come back to Twitter.

Why did Miley leave Twitter? Who the hell cares? Oh, wait. This dude (or chick?) clearly does. And if Miley doesn’t come back by November 16th, Fuzzy is going to get it.

The other day I asked myself: ‘What can I do to bring Miley back to Twitter?’ Fan video? Petitions? Letters? That never works. Heck, Miley even made her own video about never wanting to use Twitter again. Then I looked at my cat, Fuzzy and I realized, maybe Fuzzy can help. Fuzzy can make the ultimate sacrifice for this cause. It was very difficult for me, you see, as I sincerely love Fuzzy. But my mind is made up. I could always get another cat, but nothing can replace Miley’s tweets for me!

The idea is very simple. I’ve set a deadline of November 16, 2009, when Fuzzy will part with his life and become a meal. I intend to make a cat dish according to our ethnic cuisine. Check out the Recipes section for more information. Also, you can view some pictures of Fuzzy here.

I do not consider myself a cruel person and I do love my cat. Fuzzy will receive quick and swift death and I’ll try to minimize his suffering.

Wondering what, exactly, this unnamed psycho fan is going to do with Fuzzy? Well, you need look no further than MileySaveFuzzy.com, where he/she has posted a recipe for ‘Braised Cat’. This fan swears that it isn’t a hoax or a joke (though, you know how that goes).

Hey, eating cats is as normal as eating chickens in some parts of the world – and there’s not necessarily anything wrong with that. In fact, it’s kind of messed up that we place such sentimental significance on certain species and are totally blasé about the treatment of the ones we eat.

But eating your pet for Miley freaking Cyrus’ TWITTER ACCOUNT? Maybe you should marinate yourself and let Fuzzy put you out of your misery.

Link [MileySaveFuzzy.com]

Denny’s Promotes Vegan Morrissey’s Concert with Free Hamburgers

Talk about tone-deaf, ham-fisted marketing: somehow, Denny’s thought it would be a good idea to promote the very vegan Morrissey’s West Coast concert with free hamburgers. Cue Morrissey’s head spinning like the Exorcist in 3…2…1…

From Ecorazzi:

On recent ticket orders for Morrissey’s upcoming west coast gig,Ticketmaster has allowed Denny’s to run a cross promotion offering a free hamburger. Why isn’t this okay? Only because Morrissey is one of the most outspoken vegetarian celebs ever!

Earlier this year, Morrissey banned all food that “used to have a face” from his concert hall and even walked off stage once because he was annoyed with the meaty smell from the crowd.

No word yet on if Morrissey knows about this promotion, but we’re pretty sure he’s going to FLIP when he does.

Hellooooo, Denny’s/Ticketmaster: this is the man who wrote the song Meat is Murder!

Apparently the company is promoting something it calls a ‘Better Burger’, which is suppossedly higher quality than the meat that it usually offers, and one of the choices is a Boca Burger. So, why not target that marketing a little better and push the Boca Burger? Vegetarians have drunken late-night cravings too.

Lame advertising + missed opportunity = FAIL.

Link [Ecorazzi]

Actress Sienna Miller Unveils Documentary on Congo Women

Last spring, British actress Sienna Miller traveled to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to document the lives of the women who are embroiled in the inescapable political conflict of the region. The documentary, titled ‘8 Minutes’, is named after a horrifying statistic: a woman is raped in the Congo every 8 minutes. The journey changed Miller’s life, and the story she tells is undeniably poignant.

From her travelogues on Take Part:

I met a mother who was running away from a group of militia three days earlier with her baby strapped to her back. They both got shot, but survived and thankfully made it into the facility in time. Her boy is so little and the huge bandages on his arms break my heart. Everything about this place breaks my heart.

These people all have stories which they share with me and there is just simply too much to try to grasp. Everyone has lost something, everyone has lost someone. I meet malnourished babies, mothers, fathers, widows and widowers, malaria sufferers, their eyes glazed, victims of rape and pillaging.

They are all here in massive numbers, and their stories are agonizing. I meet a group of about a hundred who have selected an old man to read out on behalf of them all, their list of grievances. They have no homes and no possessions and they need others to recognize they are in crisis.

Read the rest over at Take Part – and watch the documentary in its entirety at Ecorazzi.

Link [Take Part] + [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Take Part

Ellen Page Likes Shoveling Goat Shit

It’s not often that pretty young Hollywood actresses admit to something weird like enjoying the act of shoveling goat manure. But, Ellen Page isn’t a typical Hollywood actress.

The ‘Juno’ and ‘Whip It’ star told USA Today that she discovered just how relaxing goat shit shoveling can be while taking a break from the spotlight.

“I went to Oregon to study permaculture and lived in an eco-village for a month outside Eugene. It’s called Lost Valley. It was amazing and exactly what I needed.”

“You’re learning how to live in a holistic way with the cycles of the Earth. At one point I was digging goat manure and putting it into a wheelbarrow, and while shovelling it, I just went, ‘Oh, my God, this is exactly what I want to be doing right now.’”

Page definitely seems a lot more down-to-earth than peers like Lindsay Lohan, and you won’t find her hawking nasty spray tan or crashing somebody else’s Maserati any time soon.

“I’m not a fancy person. I love small spaces. I like tiny cars. I don’t buy things, aside from music and books. I don’t get loads f attention and maybe it’s because I’m kind of boring. I don’t think I’m boring, but I have different interests. I don’t go out much, not because I’m hiding but because I’m not a big drinker. I go out and have a good time, I go to concerts and stuff.”

Page stars as roller girl “Babe Ruthless” in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut ‘Whip It’, which is in theaters now.

Link [Digital Spy]
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Matt Damon’s Clean Water PSA Freakout

Does Matt Damon secretly have a wicked temper? The Bostonite has been captured on camera giving a verbal ass-kicking to environmentalist and actor Adrian Grenier while filming a PSA for clean water organization OneXOne as Grenier’s fellow Entourage star Jeremy Pervert Piven looks on.

Damon is set to appear in a cameo on Entourage next week promoting OneXOne, which is his real-life charity. Here’s the scoop, from US Magazine via Ecorazzi:

“The joke is that Matt is very passionate about his charity — almost in a stalkerish kind of way,” Adrian Grenier, who plays movie star Vince, said. “Vince becomes intimated by his intensity. He ends up bullying Vince into giving much more than he should.”

Costar Emmanuelle Chriqui, who plays Sloan, added: “Matt gets Vince to make a massive donation. He’s like, ‘Bro – whip out your checkbook!’”

So, of course it’s just promotional for Damon’s appearance on Entourage. But, it’s still funny to see this notorious ‘nice guy’ drop the F-bomb a dozen times in a two-minute clip!

Link [Ecorazzi]

Naked Kate Moss Paper Doll Warns Against Overconsumption

What does turning model Kate Moss into a used-up hag have to do with being green? Well, Kate teamed up with Green Thing to create a pair of videos that are basically like a green version of the movie Sliding Doors. In the first one, Kate, played by a paper doll, takes every chance to consume as much as possible, and in the second she reuses and recycles things instead.

Green Thing says:

Take one person and make her the ultimate twister, taking every chance to consume something new. Now take the same person and make them the ultimate sticker, sticking with what they had wherever possible. How different would their lives be? That was question that the talented animators David Altweger, Mira Loew, Guillaume Cornet of Unit 10 Collective (www.unit10collective.com) wanted to explore – with one super-ironic twist. What if that person was the world’s premier consumption temptress, a certain Katherine Ann Moss? The result is a brilliant slice of double stop frame fantasy exclusive to Green Thing.

Check it out:

As the soundtrack repeats “New dress, new bag, new phone, new shoes, new man, new phone, but still not happy,” Kate is seen caught in the cycle of consumerism, slowly falling apart over the years until her death in 2037 (announced with the headline, “Overused Kate disintegrates in club”).

But the alternate reality Kate happily dances away in a garden to the tune of “Keep it – play with it – mend it – love it.”

To say that it’s bizarre is putting it mildly – why is there something coming out of her boob? Who are the scary faceless black cutouts in the club? Why is Bruno still front-page news in 2037? But beneath the weirdness is a good message: reuse good. Overconsumption bad.

Link [Green Thing]

Jay Leno Show to Feature Green Celebrity Car Races

A new time slot isn’t the only change coming this fall as Jay Leno takes the helm of his own late night show after leaving The Tonight Show. MNN spoke to Leno, who’s a major car buff, about one cool (and somewhat strange) addition to his new show: an eco racetrack, where celebrity guests will face off a couple times a week in the Green Car Challenge.

From MNN:

Ford is supplying electric Focus models outfitted with in-car cameras and microphones.

“All celebrities talk about being green. We want to see who is green and fast,” Leno tells MNN. He got the idea from the attention he’d get — especially from women — whenever he drove one of his electric or hydrogen-cell vehicles (which he parks in a solar-paneled garage) to work.

“It’ll be fun to see if Shaquille O’Neal is faster than Cameron Diaz,” says Leno, noting that Tom Cruise requested a practice run — and was denied. “Nobody gets to practice,” he warns. Drew Barrymore has already accepted the challenge, and Leno would love to get race enthusiast Patrick Dempsey. No word yet on whether first guest Jerry Seinfeld will get behind the wheel.

Hey, it’s a slight deviation from the standard late night older-white-dude-behind-a-desk schtick, so it just might draw in some extra viewers. And Leno knows a thing or two about green cars. Though his huge car collection may not exactly qualify as eco-friendly, a number of those vehicles are ultra-efficient and/or powered with renewable energy. He also co-designed the EcoJet concept, which runs on biodiesel.

“The Jay Leno Show” debuts tonight, September 14th, at 10pm EST on NBC.

Link [MNN]
Photo credit: GM

Green Porno 3 Highlights Seafood Sustainability (and Sex)

If you just can’t get enough of watching bizarre animal sex behaviors acted out by a beautiful Italian actress, we’ve got good news. Season three of Green Porno is coming, and this time, it’ll focus on undersea shenanigans.

Isabella Rossellini spent previous seasons of Green Porno bringing the sex lives of creatures like earthworms and snails to life in vivid detail, donning weird animal costumes, moaning and rubbing against props.

Though we’ve been under the water with Isabella before, exploring the sexuality of whales, anglerfish and starfish, the new season will feature sea creatures that tend to end up in our kitchens.

From the release, via Ecorazzi:

“Green Porno 3″ introduces several new elements to the series as Isabella examines the routines of sea animals popular in human kitchens in the first three films of the series: “Bon Appetit: Shrimp,” “Bon Appetit: Squid” and “Bon Appetit: Anchovy.” The films also feature biologist Claudio Campagna, who talks about what we can do to keep our plates in balance with the sea. In the fourth film, “Harem on the Beach: Elephant Seal,” Isabella explores the curious ways of the elephant seal and journeys to Argentinean Patagonia to see the animals in action. Here, too, she is joined by Campagna, who has studied elephant seals for 30 years.

Check out the starfish episode from season 2:

The season premiere debuts on September 11th at the Toronto Film Festival, and will come to your television on Monday, September 21st at 8pm ET/PT only on the Sundance Channel. It’ll also be available for free viewing online starting September 14th at SundanceChannel.com/GreenPorno.

Link [Green Porno] + [Ecorazzi]

The Pope Goes Solar at Home in Germany

Pope Benedict XVI is continuing his considerable green streak by adding solar panels to his home in Germany. In June, the Vatican announced plans to add photovoltaic cells to the roof of the Paul VI auditorium to illuminate, heat and cool the building. Benedict XVI was also declared “The Green Pope” by Newsweek in 2008 for his efforts to urge Catholics to take care of the earth.

From Ecorazzi:

For his home near near Regensburg, Germany, over 580 square feet of photovoltaic solar panels were installed on the rooftop. The only condition for the project was that no church funds be used — so naturally, everything was donated. When tweaked and running, the panels are expected to output about 5,800 kilowatt hours of energy a year, which corresponds to saving 11 barrels of petroleum.

The project was commissioned not only for the environmental benefits, but also to produce income (which may amount to $3,500 a year), by providing the German electricity grid with energy. According to a German newspaper, the money will go to an association that offers skills and job training to disadvantaged youths.

This is awesome, considering the huge amount of influence the Pope has on so many people. For a long time, many Christians have seemed pretty apathetic about protecting the environment for whatever reason (in the event of the rapture, who cares what’s left of the planet?). So, it’s nice to see things like this – and “creation care” – taking hold.

Link [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Flickr user Wayne National Forest

Obama’s Grandmother Gets New Solar Panels

Obama’s step-grandmother, Mama Sarah Obama, just got a brand new set of solar panels installed on the roof of her home in Kenya. Her previous ones were a gift from an airline executive who wanted her to see her grandson’s historic election on television. Sarah Obama lives in a village that does not have electricity.

From Ecorazzi:

Fast forward almost a year later and Mama Sara is now living off-the-grid with clean energy powering her entire home. Young Kenyans working with Greenpeace’s Solar Generation initiative installed the panels, along with a brand new roof. “I am very pleased that my home has been improved thanks to solar energy and I’ll make sure my grandson hears about it,” Mama Sarah said. “Solar power is clean, reliable and affordable, unlike paraffin that is widely used in the area. Also, we now have qualified youth in the village who can help with the upkeep of the systems.”

The panels were installed as part of a 20-day workshop hosted by Greenpeace’s Solar Generation with 25 participants from the Kibera Community Youth Programme, along with community members from the village of Nyangíoma Kogelo.

Link [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Richard Mark Dobson / GREENPEACE

Bill McKibben Talks CO2 with Stephen Colbert

Bill McKibben, co-founder of 350.org and author of 12 environmental books, was on the Colbert Report this week to discuss the steps that world leaders must take to lower carbon dioxide levels. McKibben explains the point at which scientists really began to worry about global warming – and stresses the need for action (despite Colbert’s pronouncement that we should all just give up and start having “end of the world sex”.)

Check it out:

The Colbert Report	Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Bill McKibben
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Meryl Streep

Colbert: “Can I steal your thunder and start 349.org? Mine’s one better!”

Link [Colbert Nation]

Who’s Who in Green: Chuck Leavell

Chuck Leavell is a tree farmer and long-time environmentalist, co-founding the environmental website Mother Nature Network (MNN) in 2008. He’s also plays keyboard with The Rolling Stones, and was a member of the Allman Brothers Band.

When he’s not playing with one of the world’s greatest rock bands, Leavell is managing a sustainable tree plantation just outside of Atlanta, acting as a board member of the U.S. Endowment for Forest Communities, overseeing MNN.com, writing books on forestry and speaking to Congress about environmental issues.

Born in Alabama, Leavell was inspired to become a musician at the age of 13 after seeing Ray Charles play, and at just 15 played on a number of records including Freddy North’s soul classic Don’t Take Her, She’s All I’ve Got. Leavell went on to perform with Sea Level, Eric Clapton, The Black Crowes, George Harrison and many more in addition to his 27 years in the Rolling Stones (fun fact: Keith Richards reportedly calls him “Boy Georgia”).

Leavell’s forest was a refuge after long stints on the road, and the musician credits his life on the tree farm with changing his views about the world. He decided he wanted to share his love for nature with as many people as possible, hoping to stir them into action.

After many years of work on behalf of the forests of the world, Leavell saw an opportunity to reach everyday people with an environmental website that spoke about important environmental issues in terms that are appealing and easy to understand. TIME Magazine has since called MNN “the green CNN”.

Leavell told Rockom.net,

Theodore Roosevelt said over 100 years ago at a conference on water issues in Memphis, Tennessee that if we don’t address the challenges that face our natural lands we stand little chance of solving other problems. I think he was right then and he’s right now. I do think that now the “sleeping giant” (America) is finally awakening to these challenges. Maybe not everyone, but I think enough of us now see that it’s inevitable we make changes in our lives, our energy sources and energy consumption, our development models and methodologies and so forth if we want to have a beautiful and safe world to live in.

I believe we also have to face some realities in population growth. It seems to me that the Europeans and some other countries have made more strides in all these matters than we have. But with the new Administration now in place, I’m confident that we will do better. Hey, I’m a grandparent now and I worry about the world our future generations will have to deal with.

Chuck Leavell’s Green Score: 54,009

Photo credit: ChuckLeavell.com

New Zealand Prime Minister to Green Actress: Don’t Quit Your Day Job

A New Zealand actress best known for her Oscar-nominated performance in ‘Whale Rider’ has been publicly mocked by the country’s Prime Minister for her involvement in a Greenpeace campaign. Keisha Castle-Hughes is one of the celebrity faces of the ‘Sign On’ campaign, which is urging the New Zealand government to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions 40% by 2020.

PM John Key told a crowd of 500 at a business gathering, “My advice to Keisha is this: stick to acting.”

New Zealand’s Labour department is asking the Prime Minister to apologize for the remark.

From The National Business Review, via Ecorazzi:

In Parliament, Acting Prime Minister Bill English was questioned about the remark.

Labour’s Charles Chauvel asked: “Does the Prime Minister agree with Keisha Castle-Hughes that telling her to `stick to acting’ is really odd, given that he had previouslyencouraged her to make a submission to the Minister for Climate Change Issues on New Zealand’s pollution reduction target?”

[English] said an ad campaign did not replace serious analysis and a 40 percent reduction in carbon emissions by 2020 would seriously hurt the economy and people’s livelihoods.

In a later statement Mr Chauvel said Mr Key should apologise.

“Young New Zealanders, whatever their profession, should never be discouraged from taking a stand on issues they feel passionately about and the Prime Minister’s decision to criticise the Kiwi actress for doing so to an overseas audience was a bad call.”

Castle-Hughes’ classy response was to offer to meet Mr. Key to discuss her concerns, saying that she knows a lot more about the issue than he realizes. Key has since agreed to a meeting.

The subject of celebrities speaking out about important issues is a tricky one. Obviously, no one is going to take Paris Hilton seriously if she suddenly makes demands about, say, food safety laws. But there are those celebrities who are passionate and knowledgeable about certain causes, and many an organization and campaign has received more funds and more exposure due to the participation of famous faces.

“If I’m going to put my name to a campaign as I’ve done with the Greenpeace Sign On campaign, I want to do more than read brochures and fact sheets. I want to see first-hand what I’m fighting for,” said Castle-Hughes. “I haven’t come out of the trip with the knowledge of a scientist, nor have I come out with all the answers on how to solve climate change, but I do have a stronger passion than ever before to see New Zealand do its fair share in this global crisis.”

Link [National Business Review] via [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Sign On Campaign

Who’s Who in Green: Julia Louis-Dreyfus

Long before Julia Louis-Dreyfus became internationally famous for her role as Elaine Benes on Seinfeld, the actress made a commitment to sustainability along with her husband and fellow SNL alum Brad Hall. Louis-Dreyfus lives in a green home and is actively involved a long list of environmental organizations including Heal the Bay, Trust for Public Land, the Environmental Media Association and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

While her husband grew up in hippiefied 1970s Santa Barbara, where an oil spill spurred community-wide environmental activism, Louis-Dreyfus told Grist that she never had any one defining experience that turned her on to being green.

I grew up spending a lot of time in Wyoming, hiking and so forth, so I certainly had an early appreciation for the natural world. I also spent years as a kid traveling in the developing worlds. We lived in Sri Lanka for a year, Colombia, Tunisia, where my stepfather was working as a doctor with Project Hope. I was made aware of the idea of being a part of something bigger than you, something bigger than our lives. That impulse is definitely what now drives my environmental work. It’s certainly part of what compelled me to want to live efficiently and build this house — to support solutions to problems that reach well beyond my lifetime.

The expansion of her family was another big motivation. Louis-Dreyfus wanted to make sure that her sons would inherit a healthy world, and in fact, it was the inability to take her firstborn swimming due to toxic waste in the bay near her home that led to her activism with Santa Monica organization Heal the Bay. She’s now a board member.

She also spoke to Grist about the greening of her home, and why she believes that the little things we do to green up our daily lives are so important:

This is a really scary time right now. The war and terrorism in the Middle East, the crisis of leadership in many of these oil-supply countries in the developing world, the crisis of global warming — all these are very clearly tied to energy. I mean, what the hell is going on? Why isn’t our leadership connecting the dots? What’s so frightening about these issues is feeling like you don’t have any control over them. So for me, these lifestyle decisions are a way of having control and feeling less guilty. I walk around feeling a sort of existential guilt all the time; for me this house is a way of feeling less guilty about the universe.

Louis-Dreyfus offered her earnest tips for greener living during an appearance on The Tonight Show in 2008:

The actress has even managed to squeeze some eco-values into her current starring vehicle, The New Adventures of Old Christine. Her character drives a Prius and if you look carefully, you can make out all-natural cleaning products perched on the countertop of the set’s kitchen. They’re small things, but Louis-Dreyfus and her husband believe that making such things everyday sights on television can help Americans accept the concept of sustainability into their own lives.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Green Score: 22,600

Photo credit: Heal the Bay

Who’s Who in Green: Bahar Shahpar

When it comes to retro-chic eco fashion, there’s nothing quite as stylish as the designs created by Bahar Shahpar. The New York-based sustainable fashion designer with a special knack for unusual prints and bright pops of color owns one of the most sought-after labels in the business, and is also co-founder and creative director for The Four Hundred, a showroom representing the best in high-end sustainable fashion.

Shahpar, born in Iran and raised between Georgia, New Jersey and California, launched her first eco fashion collection, called agricult, in 2005, following it up with the debut of her self-titled label.

Shahpar had always been interested in art, having tried her hand at make-up artistry, art direction, event production and owning an art gallery in San Francisco. When she dabbled in designing her own line of accessories, her passion for fashion caught fire. Clearly, it was her calling – Shahpar’s luxurious designs have been featured in Lucky, ELLE, NYLON, Vogue an Women’s Wear Daily.

Of her designs, Shahpar told The Persian Mirror,

I love to work with all natural materials that have texture and come from the earth. Not because I am a hippy or anything but because I feel they carry a history with them. I used feather and was also obsessed with vintage leather. My mother doesn’t understand it. She says I like “old and dirty” things. We promote fashion forward items that are organic yet have style I use organic cottons, silks, vintage items and hemp. I like to have sustainable design.

Shapar could certainly be an inspiration for others who are looking to get into sustainable fashion design. She offered some tips to EcoSalon in a January 2009 interview:

Sustainable design takes many factors into account, not just fiber and fabric choices. The first basic steps are to minimize waste and source and produce locally whenever possible. Cutting down on transportation costs and supporting local economies and fair trade goods can have a huge impact, and designers should look at the big picture ““ sustainable design includes all of the choices we make when we design a product, so we really need to start looking at the full life cycle of that product.

When it comes to fabrics, the reality is that our choices can be limited in some categories, but there are some areas in which we have many sustainable alternatives to conventional materials and there is absolutely no compromise. I encourage all designers to just try to find alternatives to what they’d normally use, without feeling like they have to edit their design vision. Of course, if anyone is interested in learning more about sustainable fabrics, viewing our C.L.A.S.S. fabric library, or taking advantage of our consulting services, please contact me.

Bahar Shahpar’s Green Score: 24,981

Justin Timberlake’s Golf Course is Actually Semi-Green

When we heard that Justin Timberlake was going to be creating a ‘green’ golf course called ‘Mirimichi’, we were skeptical. Golf courses aren’t exactly known for being environmentally friendly in any capacity, particularly because of all the water and chemicals generally used to keep that grass green and lush. Then there’s the fact that golf courses usually displace wildlife.

According to Ecorazzi, Timberlake’s golf course – which had its grand opening over the weekend- is actually quite an impressive effort.

Since the grand opening over the weekend, even more has been revealed regarding the extent of the 28-year-old singer’s mission to create a site where “golf and nature exist in harmony.” For instance, only 85 of the 200 acres are ever mowed — leaving the rest to transition over to “native grasses”. Also, if you’re on the staff, prepare to love weeding — by hand. To limit the use of chemicals, a large portion of the weeds that do grow are pulled out using manual labor.

And speaking of chemicals — as Mirimichi is the first in the nation to be designated as a certified Audubon International Classic Sanctuary – its use of synthetic fertilizers is strictly limited. Surrounding each water feature is an invisible 25-foot barrier where Audubon rules ban the use of chemical fertilizers or herbicides. Where they are needed, the course uses organic or slow-release products to cut down on runoff throughout the property.

According to a Memphis paper, Mirimichi will use a mix of 80 percent native plants and 20 percent exotics.

All that, and it’s still got all of the features that golfers want in a course – deep pit bunkers, elevated greens, lakes and creeks on 7,400 yards of land. We gotta hand it to Timberlake – he pulled it off. Mirimichi is the greenest golf course we’ve ever heard of.

Link [Ecorazzi]

Who’s Who in Green: Q’Orianka Kilcher

Activist, actress and glaring omission from our Hottest Girls in Green list Q’Orianka Kilcher has a lot going for her. Kilcher, best known for her role as Pocahontas in the 2005 film New World (and for being singer Jewel’s cousin), has emerged as a green role model and spokesperson for the rights of women and indigenous people, particularly Peruvians. Kilcher herself was born in Germany and is of Quechua/Huachipaeri Peruvian and Swiss descent.

Kilcher, whose first name means “Golden Eagle” in Quechua, already has a long list of charity work under her belt at the age of nineteen. She has campaigned for Amnesty International for the rights of women and indigenous peoples, including protests against the petroleum industry contamination of the Amazon River Basin. She is also the teen celebrity spokesperson of Thursday’s Child, an international charity for at-risk children, and was awarded the Brower Youth Award in 2007 for her efforts.

In June 2009, dozens of indigenous people and Peruvian police died in a bloody conflict over the government’s decision to open tribal lands up to oil companies. President Alan Garcia had signed contracts for 15 oil concessions in a single month, with 75% of the country already open to oil exploration. The indigenous protesters were trying to protect their Amazon rainforest lands from destruction.

Kilcher speaks in this video from the May 2009 protest at the Peru consulate in Los Angeles (starting at the 1:25 mark):

Kilcher also spoke with Democracy Now in June, while on her way to Peru to support the Amazonian protest.

I started trying to highlight the over-thirty-five-year-long struggle that the Achuar community was facing with Occidental Petroleum, a Los Angeles-based company, you know, drilling there, using practices outlawed in the United States, pumping an average of 850,000 barrels of toxic waste in one day on one block alone, and dumping it into the rivers, not using reinjection. And so, I tried to highlight that. And Alberto Pizango and AIDESEP gave me this spear, as well as gave me a silver plate, and named me the voice of the indigenous peoples of AIDESEP.

On why she decided to travel to Peru amidst the conflict:

I’m really appalled at the misinformation and the copy-and-paste media that is happening in Peru right now. And, I mean, the major media is radicalizing the stance on indigenous peoples, because they are being persuaded by government and they’re owned by multinational companies. And they are copy-and-pasting information that is not accurate. And I want to go there. I want to show both sides. I want to inform them correctly.

And finally, check out this interview with G LIVING at the after party for the 11th Hour documentary premiere.

Q’Orianka Kilcher’s Green Score: 17,955

This is Why We Love Daryl Hannah

Vogue recently named Cameron Diaz “Queen of Green”, and while we’ve got nothing against the lovely Cameron, we respectfully disagree. If there’s any celebrity that deserves that title, it’s Daryl Hannah without a doubt.

Hannah is a real green warrior, living an authentically green life and putting her neck on the line for causes she feels passionate about. This isn’t your typical “look at me, I drive a Prius” wannabe green celebrity. Daryl Hannah cares, and she’s out there doing what she can to save the world.

Hannah was arrested on Monday afternoon along with about 30 other people including NASA scientist James Hansen and former Rep. Ken Hechler for blocking State Route 3 near a Massey Energy subsidiary’s coal plant in Raleigh County, West Virginia.

From Ecorazzi:

The peaceful protest on mountaintop removal coal mining, organized by local residents and the Rainforest Action Network, was met with strong opposition by a surprising crowd of Massey Energy workers and coal supporters. According to police, tensions ran high and one Massey supporter was arrested and charged with battery during a brief confrontation with protesters.

Of course, there are still tons of people out there that just don’t get it. Take this ridiculous comment, seen by Ecorazzi at the Charlotte Gazette:

“What is the value of the mountain other than what is in it? Actually it is a thing of beauty when foliated, but not all that pretty when leaves are gone. They make some people sick to drive in and always impede transportation. They present danger during snow and ice. How many people, who live in the areas affected, really give a hang about the mountains keeping their original contour?”

“Just thought I would ask an obvious question that I have not seen posed heretofore. Would the people living in the area prefer a peak on a mountain or have it flattened out for alternate use. Make a place for housing, industry, schools, recreation, etc. Actually, what is preferred if the coal profit were removed? It seems that it is OK to create jobs, but the fact that some entrepreneur makes a profit gives rise to a problem for some.”

Congratulations to Hannah and the rest of the protesters for getting this important message out into view of the public. Screw Jon and Kate, Perez Hilton’s crybaby drama and the Real Housewives of Skankville, this is the celebrity stuff that matters.

Link [Ecorazzi]
Photo credit: Rainforest Action Network

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