

Green Celebrities:George Clooney

George Clooney


He was one of the first celebrities to join the Green Cause when he appeared on the first “green” issue of Vanity Fair, along with Julia Roberts, Al Gore and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. His eco-friendly car, a Tango, was also featured in the photo spread. He traded his BMW for the electric two-seater, becoming the first American to purchase one. In order to become carbon neutral and minimize the effects of his celebrity lifestyle he buys carbon offsets.

He stared in the first carbon neutral produced movie Syriana(2005). From the beginning, off-setting has unfortunately been plagued by controversy. What began as an ethical initiative to direct funds from the corporate first world to help renewable energy and tree planting projects in the third world, has turned sour. There has been no regulation for off-setting companies and so unscrupulous traders have flourished. The most damning indictment is from the UN who concluded that only 28p in the £1 actually reaches the third world project it was intended for.

PATT is a perfect solution if you want to support local communities through work on tree planting projects which offsetting your carbon footprint. Since PATT is based in Thailand all the proceedings go straight to tree planting. George Clooney has stood alongside politicians and the public on several environmental issues, as he has even financed multiple environmental television projects to help further educate the masses. Clooney isn’t embarrassed to use his celebrity status to promote his left-wing political ideals and views himself as an “old-time liberal.” Clooney is a big proponent of cleaning up our environment, as he a primary contributor in OilChange, an organization that aims to end the United States dependence on foreign oil. He owns and operates two electrical cars, including the hybrid electric car called the Tango.

In addition to his environmental work, Clooney is well-known for his humanitarian efforts. He has financially contributed and personally supported people all over the world in crisis, often appearing in-country. Clooney has been involved in raising awareness and funds for the Sudan crisis, the 2004 tsunami victims, the Haiti earthquake victims and more.