Earth Day: 17 eco-friendly celebrity parents

To celebrate Earth Day (April 22), let's take a look at some eco-friendly celebrity parents, starting with one of the best and greenest actresses of all time, Cate Blanchett.

“I’m extremely concerned about climate change as a mother," the mom of three says, "because I want to ensure for my children a very safe and sustainable future." The Oscar-winning Australian actress has spent over $1.5 million making her home eco-friendly — 20,000-litre water tank, solar panelling, energy-efficient lights, grey water recycling, etc.

Cate and her hubby, Andrew Upton, won the 2010 Green Globe Award for "greening" the Sydney Theatre Company. She is also an ambassador for the Australian Conservation Foundation and SolarAid. Go Cate!

This article was originally published April 2013.

Mom-of-two Gisele Bundchen became a UN Environmental Ambassador in 2009. "I have been working on environmental issues for a long time and agreed to become a Goodwill Ambassador to be part of a global and far-reaching organization," the Brazilian supermodel has said. "Now it's about action on a global scale to secure a healthy future for the next generation, wherever they live in the world."

Among other environmental pursuits, Gisele has a line of sandals, Ipanema Gisele Bündchen, which supports the Socio-Environmental Institute (ISA) and has donated a percentage of profits to water sources in the Amazon Rainforest.

Vegan/vegetarian Natalie Portman has been involved in environmental pursuits since she was a kid. In more recent years, she has helped mountain gorillas by going to Rwanda and co-hosting the Animal Planet documentary, Gorillas on the Brink. She also put out a video, The Bulb, with fellow actresses Chloe Sevigny and Kiera Sedgwick, demonstrating how changing a light bulb can save energy and help reverse effects of greenhouse gasses (watch it here). These days, the mom of one is an active supporter of Global Green USA.

What's more? Natalie lives what she preaches: Her engagement ring is reportedly composed of recycled platinum, an antique stone and pavé diamonds from a conflict-free mine.

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Way ahead of his time, Robert Redford has been helping our fair planet since the '70s — indeed, he's been talking about global warming since the late '80s. Through the years, he's made a marked difference on the planet by donating money and land, and producing/directing several documentaries.

In 2007, Time Magazine named him "Hero of the Environment," stating, "Every celebrity walks the green path these days, but Redford helped clear it." In 2009, moreover, he was awarded the Duke LEAF award.

Alicia Silverstone is one of the most active environmental and animal-rights activists in Hollywood. She lives and preaches the green lifestyle — heart and soul. Check out her book, The Kind Diet, and her website (which is also a full-on online community), TheKindLife.com, for tons of tips on veganism, green parenting and living what she calls "the Kind life."

Alicia also has a line of eco-friendly makeup, makeup bags and tools, which you can find on her website.

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The co-founder of Water.org, which brings communities across the globe clean water, Matt Damon recently launched a humorous "toilet strike" to bring clean water and sanitation to people in need. (See the funny video, featuring Jessica Biel and Jason Bateman, here). "Whatever you choose to call it," he says in another video, "the toilet not only provides a tranquil escape from nagging bosses, spouses and children, it’s also a fast and sanitary way to dispose of waste separate from the water we drink and bathe in.”

Matt also recently co-wrote an anti-fracking film Promised Land with The Office's John Krasinski. "The point is that the movie should start a conversation," Matt tells Reuters. "It's certainly not a pro-fracking movie, but we didn't want to tell people what to think."

In addition to founding the Charlize Theron African Outreach Project, which supports children in need and AIDS/HIV education in South Africa, Oscar winner and mom-of-one Charlize Theron is a passionate animal rights activist, lends her celebrity support to Global Green USA and has been a spokesperson for the Clean Water Act.

Morgan Freeman is a passionate environmentalist. He's on the Board of Directors for Evolution Energy (formerly known as Earth Biofuels), a company that promotes clean-burning fuels in the United States. And of course, Morgan narrated the amazing, Oscar-winning documentary, March of the Penguins.

The Talk host and Roseanne alum Sara Gilbert is a passionate environmentalist. In fact, she's got a new book coming out on the subject — The Imperfect Environmentalist: A Practical Guide to Clearing Your Body, Detoxing Your Home and Saving the Earth (Without Losing Your Mind). Love it! It's due in stores this summer.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt founded the Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and have donated millions of dollars to various charities and initiatives — including Global Green USA, wildlife conservation and the protection of natural resources.

Brad's also passionate about eco-friendly construction, design and architecture. Recently, he founded the Make It Right Foundation, which created affordable, environmentally-friendly homes for those most affected by Hurricane Katrina, in New Orleans, and continues to build sustainable buildings and homes around the world. Awesome!

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Edward Norton and his family have been active environmentalists for years. In 2008, he made headlines for asking Congress to support green building and his non-profit organization Solar Neighbors, which donates a home solar system to a family in need whenever a celebrity purchases one. Edward also regularly donates to the Grand Canyon Trust, which his father founded, Earthjustice and the Wilderness Society.

“[The] was a longstanding passion of my father,” Edward told PBS in 2005. “. . . He was head of public policy for the Wilderness Society in the ’80s. All through my growing up, that was his work, his career. He’s been an enormously effective and groundbreaking environmental advocate. My brother and I spent vacations working for the Park Service in the Grand Canyon . . . ."

Two words: Honest Company. Through her environmentally-friendly business, Honest Company, mom-of-two Jessica Alba has made it her mission to bring natural, safe, eco-friendly products to parents everywhere.

The amazing Harrison Ford has been an earth crusader and animal activist for decades. He's vice chairperson of Conservation International and a spokesperson for Team Earth — check him out in action! Love!

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Drew Barrymore is an avid animal lover. Not only did she star in the inspiring movie Big Miracle (about saving a trapped family of majestic gray whales), but she also embodied the role and even became great friends with the Greenpeace volunteer she portrayed. "I met with the head of Greenpeace and spent some time with him," Drew said. "And I went and studied whales up in Seattle with Paul Watson, who did Whale Wars. And then I spent a lot of time with Cindy Lowry, who is the woman that I play in the film . . . and we really actually connected."

Drew is also a supporter of ASPCA, and her new line of cosmetics, "Flower," does not test on animals. Hooray!

I Heart Huckabees and Rushmore actor Jason Schwartzman is passionate about animals, food production and the environment. That's his voice in the Farm Sanctuary PSA video What to Eat: The Environmental Impacts of our Food.

 

Mom-of-three Susan Sarandon recently joined the ranks of Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon to fight against fracking. Back in January, the three of them, along with a group of activists, toured rural areas in Northern Pennsylvania, in which fracking has had a major impact — calling themselves Artists Against Fracking.

Susan has also spoken against soda bottles, and has supported the TigerTime campaign, global warming initiatives and more.

Tom Hanks has supported and campaigned for alternative fuels and energy for years. He's even gone public with his apparently awesome collection of electric cars. "I can drive all weekend, hauling dogs and helping my friends move," Tom has said, "and the only reason I’ll need to stop at a gas station is for beef jerky and lottery tickets.'"

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