Woody Harrelson, Cameron Diaz and Gwyneth Paltrow - Green Living - Decorating & Design

Star: WOODY HARRELSON
Cause: He's known for being a champion of hemp (a more eco-friendly alternative to conventional cotton or paper pulp) and once joined a group of activists to unfurl an anti-logging banner on San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge. He's also a committed vegan and starred in the eco-doc Go Further, where he travels America in a hemp and solar-powered bus spreading the eco gospel. He and his wife started a non-profit called Voice Yourself with a focus on forest protection, renewable energy, hemp and clean air and water.
Cynic-O-Meter Rating: Low to moderate. He is earnest and clearly feels strongly about the issues, but unfortunately, the website is pretty lightweight. You can read Woody's poetry, yet the promised recipes and tips on living "off-grid" are nowhere to be found. Woody, please give your fans some concrete tips, info and resources to we can go from inspiration to action, since, you know...that's what you promised us!
WWWD? (What Would Woody Do?) Which you can do, too: Test your toilet to see if it leaks. Put some vegetable dye into the tank (don't flush) and check it 30 minutes later. If coloured water made it into the bowl, the toilet leaks and is wasting water all day and all night! Replace the leaking parts. Also, if the toilet predates 1994 (when toilets became more water efficient) consider adding a displacement device (such as a water-filled bottle) to the tank so it uses less water to flush. Or, install a water-conserving new model (many Canadian municipalities will reimburse you for a portion of the cost).

Stars: CAMERON DIAZ & GWYNETH PALTROW
Cause: Conserving energy and reducing oil use. Cameron and Gwyneth are the celeb eye candy fronting Act Green (the website actgreen.com is coming soon: http://www.actgreen.com), a series of public service announcements for eco-orgs Union of Concerned Scientists and Environmental Media Association. The PSAs are geared at young people.
Cynic-O-Meter Rating: Low. They're A-List stars and don't need the attention. But the cause they're schilling for does, so kudos to them.
Conserve like a star (or, more realistically…): Paltrow and Diaz both drive hybrids. If you can afford one, consider it, too. If not, replace your incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents to save energy -- and money. Also, schedule an energy audit; your utility company may do it for free, and you'll find ways to cut energy costs throughout your home.

Star: ED BEGLEY, JR.
Cause: Conserving energy and preserving resources at home. And promoting Begley's Best cleaning products. Begley does all the right things, like riding his bike and driving an electric car and he lives in a solar-powered house and all, but a whiff of self-aggrandizement permeates his website. His TV show is called Living with Ed, his new book is called Living Like Ed, he's plastered his mug all over his cleaning products and he calls himself "an environmental leader in the Hollywood community for many years."
Cynic-O-Meter Rating: Low to moderate. He's been walking the walk since before tofu became the protein du jour. However, am I the only one freaked out by how self-obsessed the tone of this book is? I read it cover to cover and now know a lot more than I ever wanted to about his personal life, his TV career, his wife and how no one listened to him in the beginning but how he was right all along. Must he toot his own horn so loudly? Is his swelled head contributing to global warming?
How you, too, can (sigh) live like Ed: Cut the waste coming from your house. Switch from paper towels to rags for cleaning duties. Don't throw out old cotton shirts – just roll them up and use them to polish wood or wash windows. Use eco-friendly, no-VOC, biodegradable cleaning products not tested on animals and recycle the bottles afterward.