May 2009

Gisele Bundchen is a super sexy supermodel, for sure, and if anyone can make “green” look good, it’s her! She showed up in Vogue wearing an organic bikini, and fashionistas (as well as their significant others) took note.

The one page feature showed the Victoria’s Secret model in a Barstow Bikini by the loyale clothing company. The suit is made from 100% organic cotton and is made using low-impact dyes.

Loyale is devoted to making sustainability stylish — it’s a “a fashion-forward, sustainable clothing company that aims to make the simple act of getting dressed in the morning world changing.” An admirable goal, don’t you think? And when they have beautiful people like Bundchen getting their name out there, I think it puts that goal well within reach.

Now, if only that $120 bikini (and a body like Bundchen’s) were well within my grasp …

Photo courtesy of Vogue

Twilight hottie Robert Pattinson is serious about raising money for charity, even if it embarrasses the heck out of him. He recently auctioned off a meet and greet and kiss on the cheek while in Cannes to raise money for the amfAR Cinema Against AIDS fund. And raise money he did — two bidders offered up $20,000 each!

Pattinson wasn’t the only thing on the auction block. Josh Hartnett also put himself up there, auctioning off a joking strip tease (which never actually got a high enough bid — so sad!). Bill Clinton’s personal Alpine Alto saxophone raked in $130,000, and Elton John designed a Chopard watch to help the cause. Additionally, a CHANEL transporter (like the Segway, but, you know, Chanel) was up for bid.

President Bill Clinton, amfAR Global Fundraising Chairman Sharon Stone, amfAR Chairman Kenneth Cole, Marion Cotillard, Josh Hartnett, Emile Hirsch, Elizabeth Hurley, Joshua Jackson, Diane Kruger, Hayden Panettiere, and 50 Cent were among the famous faces in attendance. Stone led a heartfelt tribute to one of the faces notably absent — actress and amfAR supporter Natasha Richardson who died from a skiing accident earlier this year.

Photo courtesy of starpulse.com

We all love Jackie Chan — he entertains us, astounds us, and in his spare time, he devotes himself to charity work to benefit the disabled. And now, he’s being honored for his hard work. Chan was named Ambassador of Love in Beijing at an appearance at the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

In addition to his position as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, Chan founded the Jackie Chan Charitable Foundation over 20 years ago. The Foundation provides scholarships and other assistance to youth in Hong Kong, aid to those affected by natural disaster or illness, and other projects that benefit Hong Kong’s people.

And, as if that’s not enough, Chan is also involved with the Dragon’s Heart Foundation, which was created in 2005 to “fulfill the desperate needs of children and the elderly in remote areas of China.” The Foundation has built more than a dozen schools and provided all the necessary items (like books) to go with them, and it also provides warm clothing, wheelchairs, and more to the elderly. Chan himself often travels to these remote areas for the charity.

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a fan of Simon Cowell. He’s always seemed mean and pompous and like someone I would not want to be around. However, I might have to rethink my position — it turns out he’s a big animal supporter, and he recently gave a really interesting interview to PETA.

He discusses the Obamas’ dog decision (they didn’t adopt a shelter dog as planned), saying that he thinks the First Family should also adopt a shelter pup. Heck, Cowell will even pay for dog food! Additionally, he talked about Michael Vick’s horrific animal abuse: “He should never, ever be publicly supported again. Ever.” And then, he went on to discuss the practice of chaining animals up outside.

“That’s disgraceful. The awful thing about what that person doesn’t realize is that in the dog’s mind, as he’s being chained up … that dog has put his trust in the person who’s chaining him. That dog would give up his life nine times out of 10 for the person who’s chaining him up. … For a dog, under those circumstances, just to be left alone, starving to death, lonely and thirsty, is about as low as a person can go. You’ve got to have a really warped, disgusting personality to want to do something like that. That really disgusts me.”

For once, I completely agree with his judgement. How about you?

Photo courtesy of tvguide.com

Tom Hanks was recently honored for being a tremendous actor and all around good guy. And the honor was well-deserved in a number of ways, one of them being his commitment to the electric vehicle. In fact, the actor recently wrote to The New Yorker to set the record straight on which electric cars he’s owned and driven.

While many electric vehicles were required to be returned at the end of their leases (among them, the General Motors EV-1, which a writer from The New Yorker assumed Hanks had once driven), Hanks actually still owns his first electric vehicle — “a Toyota EV. It had four doors, a rear hatch, room for my family, including a dog in the back, power windows, A/C, a great sound system, and the fastest, most effective windshield defroster known to mankind … I have the pink slip. I own that car, and it is still driven every day, albeit by one of my crack staff of employees.”

Lest you worry that Hanks has given up on driving electric, have no fear — for the last two years, he’s been driving an all-electric Scion XB conversion.

If electric cars were more available (and affordable), would you drive one?

Photo courtesy of celebritywonder.com

Kids living in urban areas don’t always see much in the way of plant life, but a number of celebrities are looking to change that for children in some schools in Los Angeles. Along with the Environmental Media Association and Yes To Inc, stars like Rosario Dawson, Lance Bass, Nicole Richie, Amy Smart, Maroon 5, Olivia Wilde, Maria Menounos, and Matthew Rhys are backing a campaign that will bring organic gardens to a number of the city’s schools.

Dawson told Access Hollywood, “I grew up with community gardens in my neighborhood, so I know how important they can be for kids. I am very excited to be supporting the Environmental Media Association’s new project to support organic gardens in LA schools.”

Bass had his own reasons, as he told People magazine: “Organic gardens are so important, especially in urban areas where many students would otherwise never see any greenery. I hope that the Environmental Media Association’s support will help them to grow and flourish in Los Angeles.”

Feeling inspired yet? Take a cue from Michelle Obama and Sesame Street, and go get started!

Photo courtesy of askmen.com

Prince Charles sure has some famous friends. Either that, or he’s got a lot of pull — he was able to convince a surprising variety of celebrities and the Dalai Lama to join him in a 90 second video promoting the conservation of rainforests. Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Pele, Robin Williams, Prince William and Prince Harry were among the big names joining in.

“Our aim, with your help, is to build an online community to call, from the bottom up, for urgent action to protect the rainforests, without which we will most certainly lose the battle against catastrophic climate change,” said Prince Charles.

Ford, who has spoken out about environmental topics before, said, “What happens in the rainforest has an immediate and powerful effect on our lives. The air we breathe, the clean air that’s required, the services that ecosystems provide are beyond value.”

To find out more about Prince Charles’ rainforest project and see the video, head over to the official website. Will you pledge your support?

Photo courtesy of celebritywonder.com

Next month, on June 3, the North Shore Animal League America will present the President’s Award for Humanitarian Excellence to Rachael Ray for the work she’s done on behalf of animals, specifically pitbulls. Ray’s pet food company, Nutrish, has been a big supporter of the North Shore Animal League — the organization is just one of several shelter and rescue groups that benefits from Nutrish sales.

According to the North Shore Animal League, “Rachael’s devotion to her own dog, Isaboo, her championing of the often unfairly maligned pit bull breeds and her support of shelter and rescue groups has brought attention to the plight of homeless animals.” Additionally, “Rachael and her husband John stirred up the excitement attending the DogCatemy Celebrity Gala where they shared their home-made video of their beloved Isaboo. Her concern for the wellbeing of all animals is reflected in the Rachael’s Rescue website, where the Animal League stands as one of several shelter and rescue groups benefitting from proceeds of Nutrish sales.“

Some of the other rescues and shelters named on the website for Rachael’s Rescue are BAD RAP, an organization dedicated to dispelling the myths about pitbulls being violent and bad pets, the ASPCA, and Vet Dogs, a new program from the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, Inc., serving the needs of veterans who are blind or visually impaired.

Want to see Rachael receive the award in person? Get your $150 ticket here.

Photo courtesy of rachaelraymag.com