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Go Green like Oscars’ Celebrity Presenters

After we posted about Oscar going green, more news came in about the efforts of the Academy to reduce waste and help the environment. Not only were there no extravagant gift bags for presenters at this year’s awards, a vote lead to some really eco-friendly alternatives being offered up.

A gift for presenters and the earth

Carbon offset company TerraPass got the privilege of showering those oh-so underappreciated celebs with gifts, while hopefully changing the ways a few of them live. One year of carbon-balanced living (100,000 lbs of CO2 reductions) and a Simon Pearce glass sculpture is the best presenter gift we’ve heard of yet.

And it’s great for you to, because unlike the almost $100,000 gift bags of years past, you can buy your very own offsets and sculpture from TerraPass. $650 will get you one year of carbon neutrality, which cancels out 30 tons of CO2 (about the equivalent of 12,000 miles driving, six commercial flights and one large home). A five-year package will set you back $2,100.

The money, if you aren’t clear with what offsets do, will go towards funding clean energy projects that reduce carbon emissions. Another thing celebs were reported to get - a handbook to help them along the path to climate-conscious living. Although were sure some, like green stars Cameron Diaz and Leonardo DiCaprio, are already in the know.

What the handbook covers
  • Get a home energy audit
  • Landscaping for energy efficiency
  • Use solar panels to make electricity
  • Install a solar water heater
  • Cut back on plane travel
  • Dive a fuel efficient car
  • Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs - do it now
  • Install a low-flow showerhead
  • Calculate your carbon footprint
Published Tuesday, February 27, 2007 8:49 AM by Crystal
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Comments

 

kevin smith said:

Hey, I saw that you had mentioned offsets and I wanted to let you know that there is a new report published this last week on the offsets industry, The Carbon Neutral Myth - Offset Indulgences for your Climate Sins. Free download from www.tni.org

Carbon offsets are the modern day indulgences, sold to an increasingly carbon conscious public to absolve their climate sins. Scratch the surface, however, and a disturbing picture emerges, where creative accountancy and elaborate shell games cover up the impossibility of verifying genuine climate change benefits, and where communities in the South often have little choice as offset projects are inflicted on them.

This report argues that offsets place disproportionate emphasis on individual lifestyles and carbon footprints, distracting attention from the wider, systemic changes and collective political action that needs to be taken to tackle climate change. Promoting more effective and empowering approaches involves moving away from the marketing gimmicks, celebrity endorsements, technological quick fixes, and the North/South exploitation that the carbon offsets industry embodies.
February 27, 2007 10:44 AM
 

lulu said:

Its great to see the power of celebrity used to set good examples. We are all in this together.
February 27, 2007 12:59 PM

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About Crystal

Making dill pickles and jam, composting religiously and recycling regularly are just a few things that were passed down to me from grandparents that still produce much of what they consume and leave little to waste. I believe in a non-toxic household and would rather forgo cleaning than use harsh products. Like many budding environmentalists I still struggle with the urges of consumerism while taking the necessary steps to green my life. I can be found tearing apart envelopes to recycle the paper, planning my first attempt at gardening and trying to convince my boyfriend that a vermicomposting bin in the kitchen wouldn’t smell that bad.