Who’s Who in Green: Dr. Rosalie Bertell, Anti-Nuclear Nun

Mathematician, nuclear science researcher, nun in the order of the Grey Nuns of the Sacred Heart, human rights activist and author Dr. Rosalie Bertell knows a thing or two about uranium, and how it effects the human body. Dr. Bertell has devoted her life to speaking out on behalf of those most vulnerable and affected by radiation – women and children, aboriginals and workers in uranium mines and nuclear facilities.

Bertell is an activist of protecting the health of the planet through peace, writing in her book Planet Earth: The Newest Weapon of War,

“It is my belief that we have been treating the symptoms but not the cause of the disease of the Earth. We have been abusing Earth’s natural systems, the way it regulates temperature and water supply, recycles waste and protects life. For me, some of the most fundamental abuses have occurred because of our continued reliance on the military.”

Dr. Bertell is especially vocal about the consequences of the 1984 Union Carbide explosion in Bhopal, India and the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown. Both disasters killed and sickened hundreds of thousands of people and still have an effect today on people who live near the accident sites.

The dual Canadian and U.S. citizen knew from childhood that she would become a nun, but her interest and abilities in the field of science were also clear from an early age. She took a research job at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, the world’s first cancer research facility, and it was then that she became interested in radiation and nuclear-related subjects.

Bertell told interviewer Wendy Jewell,

“I was a senior cancer research scientist studying the harm done to a large population by unnecessary uses of diagnostic medical X-ray. I became outraged when I found that nuclear power plants were releasing radioactive materials (like X-rays) at this same level routinely, indiscriminately exposing the unsuspecting public. My first experience was a nuclear plant, which wanted to locate its facility next to the Gerber’s Baby Food Farm in Barker, NY. That plant was never built.”

After suffering a heart attack in 1972, Dr. Bertell spent much of her recovery time in a monastery studying the effects of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombings and emerged as the field’s top expert. She quit her job at the Roswell Institute, which accepted research money from the nuclear industry, after they put pressure on her to keep quiet.

Dr. Bertell is an outspoken critic of the use of depleted uranium in warfare, which has extremely destructive effects on the planet and human health.

Rosalie Bertell has written several books and was among 1,000 women peace activists from around the world nominated as a group for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005. She has also received numerous awards including the Alternative Nobel Prize, the Right Livelihood Award and the World Federalist Peace Award.

Dr. Rosalie Bertell’s Green Score: 79,995

Who’s Who in Green: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. may have been born into one of the most privileged families in America’s history, but like his father and many of his aunts, uncles, cousins and siblings, he wasn’t content to live a selfish life of fame and fortune. Named one of TIME Magazine’s “Heroes of the Environment”, Kennedy is an environmental lawyer, author, activist and defender of the Hudson River and has won many cases upholding the Clean Water Act.

Born in 1954 to Robert F. Kennedy and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. graduated from Harvard with a B.A. in American history and literature and then went on to law school, obtaining his Masters of Law at Pace University School of Law. In 1984, Kennedy began his storied work with the Riverkeeper organization, suing alleged polluters of the Hudson River.

Kennedy also founded and is current chairman of Waterkeeper Alliance, an organization that connects local waterkeeper groups around the country. He has served as Clinical Professor of Environmental Law and co-director of the Pace Environmental Litigation Clinic since 1987, and is also Senior Attorney for the National Resources Defense Council.

Aside from his three New York Times best-selling books Crimes Against Nature (2004), The Riverkeepers (1997), and Judge Frank M. Johnson, Jr: A Biography (1977), Kennedy has written two children’s books and hundreds of articles, mostly on environmental subjects, which have appeared in a wide variety of publications from The Wall Street Journal to Rolling Stone. He also co-hosts a radio show – ‘Ring of Fire’ on Air America – and writes regularly for The Huffington Post.

Kennedy was one of the most outspoken critics of former President Bush’s environmental policies, and his book Crimes Against Nature called Bush “America’s worst environmental president.” The book reveals, in stunning detail, the many ways in which the Bush administration put industry and big business ahead of the health of American citizens, the land and our natural resources.

This is one environmentalist who isn’t pushing ‘small steps’, but rather, encourages taking direct action. He told Grist in a 2004 interview,

Industry wants us reading those books that say “50 things you can do to help the environment” because it distracts you from what you ought to be doing, which is joining an environmental group and voting for politicians who support the environment and fighting against the lobbyists on Capitol Hill. I mean, you can go out and buy a car that gets 40 miles per gallon, but it’s not going to change the planet.

What’s going to change the planet is if we have somebody standing up to the auto-industry lobbyists on Capitol Hill to pass standards that require that every car in this country gets 40 mpg. I try to focus on that part, not on how individuals are incorporating environmental ethics into their lives. I think it’s important for people to do, but to the extent that it’s distracting you from participating in the political process, it’s not a good thing.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Green Score: 79,844

Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons

Who’s Who in Green: Michael Reynolds

Driving through New Mexico, at one point or another you’re bound to see one: those strange structures built half into the earth, with a bunch of old dirt-packed tires forming the front wall. These ‘earthships’ are incredibly efficient off-grid homes using passive solar energy, thermal mass construction and natural and recycled materials to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

Michael Reynolds founded Earthship Biotecture, a company that specializes in designing and building Earthships, in the 1970s. He wanted to create a home that was not only sustainable, but also mostly self-sufficient and within financial reach of the average person. Earthships generally cost between $50,000 to $100,000 and can be built by just about anyone, regardless of whether they have any previous experience.

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Over time, Reynolds began to incorporate technology like solar panels, wind turbines and geothermal cooling, making the homes even more efficient. And, earthships aren’t limited to tires. Reynolds also designed many similar buildings that used other recycled materials like aluminum cans and glass bottles.

Reynolds’ process of developing his earthship concept has largely been based on trial and error. After each one that he builds, he comes up with improvements that can be applied to the next one. The experimental nature of Reynolds’ homes has not exactly made for smooth sailing – he lost his credentials in the 1990s after several buyers filed lawsuits and complaints over defects like leaky roofs. However, his license has since been reinstated.

Reynolds has also applied this natural and sustainable building concept to multi-unit rentals, making them even more accessible to the public. He is also the subject of a documentary called ‘Garbage Warriors‘, which follows him for three years as he builds earthships around the world and lobbies the government for the right to build a sustainable living test site.

His earthships have inspired a whole new generation of green builders, and they remain some of the most iconic examples of green architecture in the world. Learn more about earthships at EarthshipBiotecture.com.

Michael Reynolds’ Green Score: 34,689

Photo credit: Flickr user cer!se

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

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

Who’s Who in Green: Irma Muñoz

Far too often, in places like Los Angeles County, California, Latina mothers have helplessly watched their children play in streets, parks and waterways contaminated with pesticides and other pollutants. They worry about the effects that these toxins could have on their sons and daughters, but it seems like nobody out there is too concerned about cleaning up poor communities, which are disproportionately home to factories and dumping sites. What could they do, when they needed to focus all their energy just on making ends meet?

That’s where Irma Muñoz came in. The community organizer, activist and advocate has dedicated herself to abolishing environmental racism and helping Latina women take action against the injustices they’re faced with on a daily basis. She is the President, Founder and CEO of Mujeres de la Tierra – ‘Women of the Earth’, the nation’s first Latina environmental organization.

“Mujeres gives groups of women a platform so they can go to the City Council, the School Board and be a force to be reckoned with,” Muñoz explained in a 2007 interview with Whole Life Times.

Mujeres de la Tierra has six chapters in the Los Angeles area, and Muñoz takes the time to interact on a personal basis with group members as often as possible. She emphasizes the need to tackle environmental problems that have a daily impact on the local community, helping Latino families achieve small victories that add up in a big way.

Asked by Newsweek what she sees as the biggest environmental issues facing Latinos in the Los Angeles area, she said,

“That’s a tough question, but I would say it’s a lack of access to passive and active recreational opportunities, to green space to play, to parks. Latinos in many urban areas are the new mainstream, but unfortunately that does not translate in the equitable distribution of resources – especially in the “green world.” A lot of power plants and factories are traditionally put in minority neighborhoods, and we suffer as a result of that. What we want are all the things that are necessary to good community health in any urban area: trees and clean air quality.”

Muñoz credits her upbringing in Los Angeles and her father’s encouragement when it comes to her strong sense of responsibility and drive to take action for the good of the community. One of seven daughters, Muñoz was brought up in a home with strong family values and a deep respect for their Mexican heritage and cultural traditions.

Muñoz was named in Hispanic Business Magazine’s 100 Influential Hispanics in October of 2008 and was featured in the November 2008 issue of O, Oprah Magazine. She has also been honored with La Opinion’s Mujeres Destacadas 2007 community award for leadership.

Irma Muñoz’s Green Score: 42,677

Who’s Who in Green: Cate Trotter

The green job possibilities are endless – just ask Cate Trotter, who has the unlikely (and awesome) title of Sexy Sustainability Consultant. That’s right, if you want to know what’s hot, new and green, Trotter is your go-to girl. She’s a green trendspotter and entrepreneur, “working to get people inspired so we can achieve a sustainable future faster.”

Trotter gives up the details about her many green hats on Changents.com:

Insider London’s Cutting-Edge Green Tour, a tour that I devised for the business I founded, showing individuals the latest, most unusual green developments in the city. The tour takes in London’s first five-star green hotel, better-than-fairtrade chocolate, futuristic biodegradable shoes, London’s hydrogen fuel cell bus… this list goes on. Everything from the smallest eco-product to the biggest, healthiest community is covered – pleasantly surprising people at every turn.

Insider Trends, my consultancy that combines my knowledge of what’s great and green with my marketing strategy expertise. I take businesses out and about, giving them powerful first-hand experience of the best initiatives. It means their green work is more likely to be successful, benefiting their business as well as the rest of us who share the planet with them.

Trotter’s Green Tour hits some pretty cool sights in London, so it’s definitely an important stop for any green-leaning travelers headed to the city. Ethical fashion, green architecture, eco food – it’s all on the agenda. Time Out London said “Trotter is a bubbly, engaging guide with a real passion for her subject.”

Taking it upon herself to help spread the word that sustainability is fun, cool, sexy and stylish is what Trotter is all about. Check out her field reports on ‘greenspottings’, vertical gardens and more.

Cate Trotter’s Green Score: 9,128

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

Who’s Who in Green: Dr. Heidi Cullen

“If a meteorologist can’t speak to the fundamental science of climate change, then maybe the AMS (American Meteorological Society) shouldn’t give them a Seal of Approval.” That’s the statement that climate scientist Dr. Heidi Cullen dared to make on her Weather Channel blog in December of 2006 that stirred up a firestorm over global warming science vs. politics.

It sounds like common sense to most, but Cullen – former host of Forecast Earth – quickly became a punching bag for angry conservatives who felt that she was disseminating liberal propaganda from what they said should be a politically neutral platform. However, Cullen feels strongly that global warming isn’t a political issue, it’s a scientific one. She was just doing her job.

Cullen, who was a scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado before joining The Weather Channel in 2003 as a climate expert, is also a scientist with the Climate Central at Princeton University.

Cullen explained the controversy in a 2007 interview with The New York Times:

Last December, I wrote a blog about how reticent some broadcast meteorologists are about reporting on climate change. Meteorologists — they are the forecasters — have training in atmospheric science. Many are certified by the American Meteorological Society. I suggested there’s a disconnect when they use their A.M.S. seal for on-camera credibility and refuse to give viewers accurate information on climate. The society has a very clear statement saying that global warming is largely due to the burning of fossil fuels.

The next thing I knew, I was being denounced on the Web sites of Senator James Inhofe, Matt Drudge and Rush Limbaugh. The Weather Channel’s own Web site got about 4,000 e-mails in one day, mostly angry. Some went, ‘Listen here, weather girl, just give me my five-day forecast and shut up.’

Dr. Cullen’s stance took bravery and dedication, and we applaud her for standing her ground. This climate scientist knows her stuff, and she has certainly made an impact on the discussion about global warming’s role in our world.

Link [The New York Times]

Who’s Who in Green: Christopher Swain

Some of Christopher Swain’s earliest memories are of the Atlantic Ocean. He has long loved to swim, wade, snorkel, bodyboard and run in the waves. But as an adult, he’s swimming for a cause as often as he swims for pleasure. Swain swims the entire length of dirty waterways like the Hudson, the Charles and the Columbia Rivers to raise awareness about water issues on our planet.

And these are not pleasant, leisurely swims. He’s dodged injury and death many times in the process, surviving collisions with boats, 12-foot waves, lightning storms, class IV+ rapids, giant storage dams, industrial chemicals, nuclear waste, oil slicks, raw sewage, toxic blue-green algae, and repeated Sea Lamprey Eel attacks.

In 2003, Swain became the first person to swim the entire 1,243 mile length of the Columbia River. The purpose of the swim was to raise awareness about dislocated peoples and disrupted ecosystems of the Columbia River basin. His swim is the subject of the critically-acclaimed documentary SOURCE TO SEA: the Columbia River Swim, which received the Environmental Activism and Social Justice Award at the EarthVision Film Festival, and the Most Inspiring Adventure Film Award at the Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival.

In April 2009, Swain began a 1000+ mile swim down the Atlantic Coast from Marblehead, Massachusetts to Washington, DC, helping students in over 2,000 classrooms launch projects designed to improve the health of our ocean planet. Swain is taking the swim one segment at a time, and you can follow his progress at Changents.com/ChristopherSwain.

Swain told The Sierra Club,

“If you’re in the business of conservation, you’ve got a responsibility to get outside. You’re not doing your job if you don’t. It’s not about e-mail blasts. It’s about what you can go out there and experience and come back and testify to. If you look at the people who’ve really done anything–John Muir, David Brower, Rachel Carson–you can feel it in their writing. Your credibility is going to come from your experience.”

Want to help Christopher on his journey? Adopt a mile of his swim.

Christopher Swain’s Green Score: 40,254

Who’s Who in Green: Shalini Kantayya

Growing up between Mumbai, India and Brooklyn, New York, it took filmmaker and water rights activist Shalini Kantayya a long time to understand how the survival of cities is dependent on finite natural resources. But soon enough, Kantayya began to feel torn between the materialistic, technologically advanced American society and the world that can’t even get a clean drink of water.

On Changents, Kantayya explains,

“My passion for water rights did not begin with an intellectual study, but as all great adventures of my life begin—with the heart. In 2001, I spent 40-days documenting the religious festival at the convergence of three holy rivers. In awe of the millions of pilgrims giving reverence to the river as a life-giving Goddess, and its contradiction with the environmental impact of the festival on the river, called me to ask questions. As I became aware of the mounting global water crisis, I realized that it represented a clash of cultures – between a culture that values water as a shared sacred source of all life and a corporate culture that regards water as a commodity to be bought and sold.”

Kantayya began to feel that there were many stories about the struggle for water that just couldn’t be told using words. She committed herself to using media to give a powerful voice to the unheard, founding a production company called 7th Empire Media and beginning work on films that highlight social injustice across the world.

The William D. Fulbright Scholar in documentary film was the only woman to place in the top ten out of 12,000 filmmakers on FOX’s On the Lot, a reality television show created by Steven Spielberg dedicated to the search for Hollywood’s next great director.

“Water is life,” Kantayya said as keynote speaker at Wesleyan University’s 2009 Earth Day celebration. “We are facing a world water crisis. A world in which nations are at war for water and every drop is for sale.”

Kantayya’s recent film, a DROP of LIFE, is a futuristic sci-fi flick about the mounting water crisis and has been used by the African Water Network as an organizing tool in over 40 villages across Africa. A DROP of LIFE has also screened at festivals around the world, winning Best Short Film at Palm Beach International as well as the Audience Choice Award at the IUOW Film competition.

Check out a preview of a DROP of LIFE:

Kantayya was also nominated for the Reebok Human Rights Award and also received a Senior Performing Arts Fellowship from the American Institute of Indian Studies to make a film about political street theater in India.

A DROP of LIFE can be purchased on DVD at AdropofLife.tv. Learn more about Kantayya’s water rights activism at Changents.com/Shalini.

Shalini Kantayya’s Green Score: 20,599

Who’s Who in Green: Cameron Diaz

Cameron Diaz was recently crowned ‘Queen of Green’ by Vogue Magazine, but she’s not looking to become some kind of superstar face of the environmental movement. The actress is just trying to live green for herself, sans fanfare, like a normal person. She drives a Prius, but seems annoyed at the kudos that celebs get for doing so. “It’s just a car,” she told Vogue. “It’s a choice people can make.”

In fact, attendees at one of former VP Al Gore’s slideshow training sessions were surprised to see Diaz among them, and even more surprised when she actively took part, asking questions and staying afterward to hang out with everybody else.

Diaz has been quietly supporting environmental causes for years. She joined Gore to announce the initiative Save Our Selves (SOS) – The Campaign for Climate in Crisis, and regularly shows up at environmental events such as the National Resources Defense Council’s 20th Anniversary Gala Celebration.

Most of the public learned about Diaz’s green leanings when she became host of the MTV reality program ‘Eco Trippin’, which followed her and a group of friends as they traveled the world to learn about the importance of protecting the environment. All travel from the show was offset with carbon credits, which Diaz also uses to offset her own personal travel.

From the July 2009 issue of Marie Claire:

Inspired by the annual TED conference that she’s attended—a kind of smarty-pants consortium dedicated to the spread of innovative ideas put forth by speakers like Bono, Al Gore, Jane Goodall, and Samantha Power—Diaz felt the urge to start a far-reaching conversation about the environment. “I was like, I’m going to get a camera, and I’m going to mobile-home it across the country, and I’m just going to find out what people are thinking. What would it take for the common person to become engaged?”—in the catastrophe that is the state of our natural resources. Most of all, she wants to help raise consciousness. “There’s a lot of great minds out there who are thinking about this,” she says, “who are coming up with solutions. Not to crash anybody’s party, but to actually make the party better.” She laughs. “Really, that’s what it’s about—that’s my participation in it.”

Diaz recently took a yearlong hiatus from acting to enjoy some personal time and get more involved with charity work. She also hitched a ride to the Oscars in a BMW Hydrogen 7, and went public with David Letterman about her “if it’s yellow, let it mellow” flushing practice.

When it comes down to it, Cameron Diaz is just a regular green gal who happens to have a very high-profile job.

Cameron Diaz’s Green Score: 20,455

Who’s Who in Green: Josie Maran

Josie Maran has graced the pages of many a Sports Illustrated magazine issue, and was the face of Maybelline for many years. But these days, the stunning brunette model runs her own eco cosmetics company, supports a number of green charities and lives in a recycled barn in the Hollywood Hills.

Maran, daughter of an artist and one of California’s top green builders, grew up in an earth conscious household. She became a model at the age of 12 and lived the party girl life in New York City until she realized that she wanted to return to her roots and be green and healthy before becoming pregnant with her first child.

Maran lives in a home made from reclaimed wood from a friend’s barn that was being torn down. Her daughter, Rumi Joon, was born in the backyard. Maran drives a Prius, composts, and does whatever she can to live an authentically green life.

While she’s grateful to Maybelline for helping her get to where she is today, you probably won’t see Maran in any of their ads – or those of any other conventional cosmetics company – any time soon. Maran has devoted herself to living a natural lifestyle, and that prompted her to create her own eco-friendly cosmetics line, Josie Maran Cosmetics.

Josie Maran Cosmetics are free of toxic ingredients like petrochemicals and parabens. The company is also signatory to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ Compact for Safe Cosmetics – a meaningful commitment to eliminate carcinogens, mutagens and reproductive toxins from personal care products.

In an April 2009 interview with TheStar.com, Maran says,

I’m into promoting healthy lifestyle products and I don’t like to model for things that aren’t really green. I’m involved in Global Green and National Resources Defense Council. My Bear Naked Wipes are makeup removers and a portion of the proceeds goes to protecting polar bears. All the compacts are biodegradable and made out of corn and the packaging will break down in 30 days. I call it “chicological.” You would never know it was green.

Want to know what Maran’s favorite beauty product is? She told Greenopia,

I can’t live without Argan Oil.  For morning and night, it is my favorite moisturizer for skin, hair and nails. So, it was a must that I include this 100% organic wonder-ingredient in the Josie Maran Cosmetics line. Our Argan Oil, housed in a recyclable glass bottle, is purchased from women’s cooperatives in Morocco, thereby supporting their social and economic welfare. These cooperatives also work within a UNESCO biosphere reserve which ensures the protection and reforestation of Argan trees.

Josie Maran’s Green Score: 38,599

Who’s Who in Green: Sir Richard Branson

Sir Richard Branson is a billionaire British entrepreneur, founder of the Virgin brand of over 360 companies that span diverse areas of business including travel, entertainment and lifestyle. But the tycoon, with a net worth of approximately $2.4 billion USD, is no longer content to sit back and enjoy the typical excessive billionaire lifestyle.

After decades of conspicuous consumption, Branson began to worry about the mark he was making on the world – and to clean it up. That earned him a spot on TIME Magazine’ ‘Heroes of the Environment’ list.

He told TIME,

“There’s a frightening potential scenario out there that means that anybody who’s in a position to do something must do something. In particular because I’m in one of the dirty businesses, the airline business, I’ve got all the more responsibility to do something.”

Branson is a great-nephew of Sir Peter Scott, the naturalist who helped found the World Wildlife Fund, but despite this heritage and a long-held interest in environmentalism, Branson wasn’t always devoted to being green.

The former global warming skeptic’s transformation began in 2005 when he decided to build an oil refinery after Hurricane Katrina in response to what he saw as a need for more oil refining capacity. He was dissuaded when he got a phone call from Ted Turner who asked him, ‘Why not build a refinery for clean, rather than dirty fuel?’ Turner invited Branson to fly to Washington and meet experts, where he took copious notes on biofuels and proceeded to put serious corporate investment into it.

His first green investment was seven biofuel refineries in the western United States, and many more soon followed. Soon after, Branson committed all the profits from his transportation businesses over the next 10 years, estimated to reach $3 billion, to combat global warming.

He has since become the archetype of the powerful green entrepreneur, funding innovative clean fuel programs and flying one of his Virgin Jets partly with biofuels to demonstrate one way the airline industry could reduce its gargantuan carbon footprint. His ‘Virgin Earth Challenge’ is offering a $25 million prize to the first person or organization to come up with a way of scrubbing greenhouse gases out of the earth’s atmosphere.

Asked by The Independent whether his environmentalism was just an attempt to promote the Virgin brand, Branson replied,

“People do things for different reasons, not just one. I have about 10 different reasons for doing this. One is to tackle climate change. Another is to develop a clean fuel industry.

“But I would also love to have Virgin recognised as the most respected brand in the world. If it can be a leader in tackling global warming, and that enhances the brand, that’s fine. It will enable us to tackle the problem all the sooner.”

Richard Branson’s Green Score: 49,357

Photo credit: David Yellen

Who’s Who in Green: Hayden Panettiere

Hayden Panettiere may be best known as “the cheerleader” on NBC’s Heroes, but this hot young actress is no vapid Hollywood stereotype. Panettiere is using her celebrity to call attention to an important issue: the protection and preservation of marine life. She’s a passionate anti-whaling activist, risking injury and arrest to protest the slaughter of whales.

Panettiere, 19, joined up with the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society back in 2007 in an attempt to disrupt the annual dolphin hunt in Taiji, Wakayama, Japan. The actress and five other activists paddled out into the water on surfboards, hoping to stop the killing of the dolphins. Unfortunately, they were eventually driven back to shore by the fishermen. Afterwards, Panettiere broke down in tears as she spoke of seeing baby dolphins sticking their heads out of the water.

Warning, this video is graphic:

In 2007, Panettiere was awarded with the “Compassion in Action Award” by PETA for her efforts.

The vegetarian actress is also spokesperson for the Save the Whales Again campaign. Check out this PSA:

Panettiere told People Magazine,

“The dolphins and whales in our ocean are a part of a larger eco-system that prevents the killing off of other marine life. By destroying these animals and not allowing our future generations to enjoy their beauty, we are causing our own selves damage. I always felt the need to speak on behalf of these helpless creatures who can not defend themselves.”

“Because I am in the public eye I feel the need to be a voice of worthy and important causes whose efforts impact the lives of every person on Earth. These animals are being brutally and unnecessarily slaughtered – and who are we to say to they have less of a right to exist than we do.”

Hayden Panettiere’s Green Score: 21,304

Who’s Who in Green: Rob Kalin

When shopping for handmade goods online, those in the know head directly to Etsy.com. Etsy brings together thousands of sellers from around the world, offering original art, jewelry, clothing, knick knacks, pottery, toys, pet accessories, bath products and even edibles. It’s also one of the best places on the web to find handmade goods made from upcycled and recycled materials.

The genius behind this extremely popular online shopping site isn’t some Silicon Valley techie, but a former classics major and carpenter in Brooklyn. 28-year-old Rob Kalin launched Etsy in June of 2005, and since then it’s gone nowhere but up. Kalin was able to raise $5 million in three rounds of funding from angel investors including the founders of Flickr and Delicious. Kalin repeatedly turned down big money funding offers from venture capitalists who wanted a 20% stake in the company, and he hasn’t looked back since.

Tens of thousands of sellers proffer an amazing variety of goods ranging in quality from the kind of country crafts you’d see on eBay to high end gallery-worthy art, design and fashion. And, hundreds of thousands of buyers eagerly snatch up crafts of all sorts. In 2008, Etsy sold $100 million worth of handmade goods.

Kalin was able to take eBay’s concept of a massive online person-to-person marketplace and improve upon it in a variety of ways, finding a thread of humanity in the often cold and impersonal nature of online interaction. At the basis of Etsy is the idea of walking through a physical marketplace, marveling at all of the wonderful things you see and meeting new people along the way.

Kalin and Etsy have helped put handmade goods into the spotlight, and his fingerprints remain on the site despite the fact that the company has grown to 60 employees, with former NPR executive Maria Thomas serving as CEO.

In an interview with Lindsay Campbell of Wallstrip, Kalin explains the value of handmade versus mass-produced.

“What I see Etsy as tapping into is this desire to buy things that have this other layer of meaning on them. If your house was burning down, what five items would you take? Your TV? Who cares? It’s mass-produced… the bunny that your grandmother made you when you were a kid? You’re taking that. You’re taking things that have this story behind them because somebody made them for you.”

Rob Kalin’s Green Score: 48,301

Who’s Who in Green: Woody Harrelson

You won’t find Woody Harrelson living in a huge mansion in Beverly Hills with a garage full of SUVs. It’s not his style. This actor lives perhaps the greenest life of any celebrity around – a simple, easygoing life in a sustainable solar-powered community of 200 on the island of Maui.

Harrelson, a vegan raw foodist who has been arrested in the past for his environmental activism, credits his Cheers co-star Ted Danson with getting him interested in environmental issues. But, the self-described “Hollywood Hippie” has had environmental leanings for as long as he can remember. As a child, Harrelson got beat up by other kids for defending a pile of ants.

As he told SF Gate, “…what really kinda kicked me over into another gear,” he says, “was in 1992 when I read in the L.A. Times — way back in the end of the paper, you’d think it’d be front-page news — that Congress was trying to pass a law to make six million acres available to extractive industries — timber and mining. And it was wilderness, you know? They aren’t making any more of those ancient trees — we’re down to a very small percentage of what there was.”

That spurred a series of changes in his own life, and a desire to help out with green causes. In 1996, Harrelson climbed the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco with the Rainforest Action Network to protest logging of ancient redwoods. Of the public reaction to this arrest and another one in Kentucky for planting industrial hemp seeds, Harrelson expresses a bit of frustration about the fact that his celebrity tends to outshine the issues themselves. But, he has also embraced the platform that his fame gives him to raise awareness.

Harrelson started a number of projects to help spread the word about sustainability, like launching the website ‘Voice Yourself’ with wife Laura Louie, which is dedicated to spreading the word about sustainable living. He also embarked on a biodiesel and pedal-powered tour of the West Coast with a group of friends to promote the sustainable lifestyle, an experience that was documented in the film ‘Go Further’. An accompanying book, ‘How to Go Further’, aims to show people how easy it can be to live a peaceful green life.

Perhaps you’ve wondered why Harrelson hasn’t yet appeared in any green-themed films. He was just waiting for the right kind of script to come along. Once it did – in the form of eco-thriller 2012 – he finally agreed to mix his two passions. The film will premiere on November 13th.

Woody Harrelson’s Green Score: 49,435

Who’s Who in Green: Siel Ju, Green LA Girl

If you want to know about eco-happenings in the LA area, Siel’s your girl. The Green LA Girl blogger has been writing about environmental topics online since 2005, helping Los Angelenos find the hottest green spots and events as well as providing green tips and news to the greater public.

Los Angeles isn’t exactly the greenest city in the U.S., despite its location in sunny Southern California – but that’s more due to the layout of the city, lack of great public transit and too many cars on the road than any lack of motivation among its residents. But, Siel helps LA-area greenies and the green-curious push beyond these limitations and be as eco-conscious as the can be, helping them with things like indoor apartment composting and finding the best local organic grub.

If you’re new to LA – or just new to being green in LA – be sure to check out Green LA Girl’s Guide to Los Angeles, which gives info on food & drinks, getting around, recycling, spending wisely and collaborating with other passionate green peeps.

In addition to her writing on Green LA Girl, Siel also writes at MNN.com, Lime.com and FilterforGood.com, and is a contributing editor at BlogHer.com. She previously headed up LATimes.com’s environmental blog, Emerald City, and was the editor for the L.A. section of WorldChanging. She also writes poetry and recently received her Ph.D. in Literature and Creative Writing from the University of Southern California.

Siel heads up the Lifestyle Channel at MNN, where she blogs about everything from fashion-forward eco-friendly accessories to phthalate-free perfumes that won’t make you smell like a hippie. A lot of us good learn a thing or two from this very green bike-riding LA girl!

Siel Ju’s Green Score: 12,155

Who’s Who in Green – Jill Fehrenbacher

If there’s an ‘elite’ set of green bloggers, Jill Fehrenbacher is definitely among them. Founder of one of the web’s most interesting green websites, Inhabitat, along with its sister site Inhabitots, Fehrenbacher is like the cool, stylish and slightly geeky chick at school that everybody wants to be friends with.

Educated at Brown University, where she received a B.A. in Art Semiotics, and Central St. Martins, where she received an M.A. in Design Studies, Fehrenbacher is also a freelance designer and green design consultant based in New York City. Her stunning photography and design work can be seen on her website, JillFehrenbacher.com.

And, every year, when all of those awesome green gadget concepts start popping up on the web – well, Fehrenbacher has a hand in that, too. She’s co-founder of the Greener Gadgets Conference, which holds an annual contest that spurs creative thinkers all over the world to submit their green designs that could help make the world a better place. Here’s a video clip of Fehrenbacher speaking to the editors of Metropolis magazine, TreeHugger.com and Core77.com at the 2007 Greener Gadgets Conference.

Inhabitat.com features the latest cutting-edge green design, architecture and other innovations, offering tons of gorgeous photos and top quality reporting.  Fehrenbacher was inspired to launch Inhabitots.com, which focuses on green design and products for children, when she was pregnant with her first child in 2008.

What can we expect from Fehrenbacher in the future? She told Sean Daily of Green Living Ideas that she’s thinking about rolling out a few more specific sites a la Inhabitots, perhaps in the areas of fashion and architecture. As great as Inhabitats and Inhabitots are – and as successful as Fehrenbacher has been in positioning herself as a top green expert – we’re sure any new sites will be top-notch.

Jill Fehrenbacher’s Green Score: 20,030

Photo credit: Inhabitat.com

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