Look To The Stars News: Conservation

Adrien Grenier Swims With The Bluefin For Conservation

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:00:00 -0000

Entourage star Adrian Grenier is working with conservation organization Oceana to help save bluefin tuna.

According to the charity, the star went swimming with the bluefin yesterday to record a special PSA calling for their protection.

“Kinda nervous,” he wrote on his Twitter page prior to the swim. “If you could swim in virtually, bottomless, open ocean an hour off shore, with a school of 2000lb blue fine tuna, would you?”

His swim came on the same day that a trade ban on the species was defeated in Doha – a decision that could mean the end of the endangered fish.

“Back in from international waters-rugged free diving w/bluefin tuna-These creatures are bitchin’,” wrote the star following the dive.

We’ll keep you updated with news about Grenier’s work to save the bluefin when it comes to hand. In the meantime, click here to see a photo of the star swimming with the tigers of the sea.

Jack Johnson To Give Tour Profits To Charity

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 14:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Jack Johnson will tour North America this summer and give 100% of the profits to charity.

The singer will kick off a 34-date tour in Connecticut on July 9 in support of his new album, To The Sea, and will donate proceeds to charity through his All At Once Campaign. Charities to benefit will include the Kokua Hawaii Foundation – which supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii – and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, which matches fans’ donations to the local charities featured in the Village Green area at each of his shows (up to $2500 per concert).

The singer has also announced that once again the tour will be green, and will utilize biodiesel for all tour vehicles, reduced waste and carbon emissions, water refill stations, and eco-friendly merchandise.

Johnson is well known for his eco-tours, and incorporates a Village Green into each show, where fans can learn about local charities. LookToTheStars.org co-founder Myrlia Purcell volunteered to work at the Village Green in 2008 – to read her report, click here.

Get James Taylor And Carole King Tickets For Charity

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:00:00 -0000

In conjunction with Tickets-for-Charity, James Taylor and Carole King are offering fans one-of-a-kind VIP Stage Seat Charity Packages to their long-awaited Troubadour Reunion Tour, including the very best seats in the house, to benefit the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and other outstanding charitable causes.

Charity Packages include unique Stage Seating arranged in tables of two around the stage, designed especially for the Tour to recreate the intimacy of the duo’s legendary performances at LA’s Troubadour. Available exclusively on www.ticketsforcharity.com, Charity Packages offer fans the concert experience of a lifetime while honoring the life-long environmental work of both Artists.

Charity Packages include:

One VIP Stage Seat (arranged in tables of two)
Exclusive access to Carole King and James Taylor’s sound check session before the show
Pre-performance VIP reception with complimentary wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres
Exclusive VIP Tour Laminate
Commemorative Troubadour Reunion Tour Book

Fans can now visit www.ticketsforcharity.com or call Tickets-for-Charity at 1-866-567-4576 to purchase VIP Stage Seat Charity Packages for tour dates nationwide! U.S. tour dates kick off on May 7 with a performance in Portland, OR and continue across the country through early July.

Help Celebrities Make A Bid To Save The World

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:30:00 -0000

Christie’s International has announced it will hold a new green auction it has dubbed “A Bid to Save the Earth.”

This first-of-its-kind charity auction will take place on April 22, 2010, to coincide with the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The Evening Sale event will be held at Christie’s, Rockefeller Center, New York and be carried live globally via Christie’s LIVE on www.christies.com. Proceeds from the sale will be divided among four leading not-for-profit environmental organizations: Conservation International, Oceana, Natural Resources Defense Council and the Central Park Conservancy.

Christie’s is partnering with Charitybuzz, the leading destination for online charity benefit auctions, to present a companion silent auction which will be hosted at www.ABidtoSavetheEarth.org. Christie’s will waive all fees and commissions for the auction. Native Energy, www.nativeenergy.com, a leader in carbon offsetting, will provide carbon offsets for the entire Green Auction. NBC Universal, as part of its ongoing environmental initiative, “Green is Universal,” will serve as the official media partner for the event.

“We are inspired and honored to convene top members of the philanthropic, environmental, business and cultural communities to benefit the environment,” said Edward Dolman, CEO of Christie’s. “We are equally pleased to present a stellar evening auction and to partner with NBC Universal in telling this exciting story with Charitybuzz in building such a compelling silent auction; and of course our four charity partners, who will do what they do best with the proceeds: advocate for the environment.”

The Evening Sale will be a star-studded event with top celebrities serving on the Green Auction Host Committee that includes: Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford, Tobey Maguire, François-Henri Pinault, Salma Hayek, Bob Fisher, Candice Bergen, Edward Norton, Evelyn Lauder, Alec Baldwin, Zaha Hadid, Brooke Shields and Matt Lauer.

“It is becoming increasingly clear that our wellbeing as individuals and as a global society hinges on nature,” said Peter Seligmann, CEO and Board Chairman of Conservation International. “With pressure mounting on our shared home, Earth, innovative fundraising strategies are more important than ever. This particular initiative will use the knowledge and resources of a world class auction house to raise much needed funds which will go directly towards the maintenance and protection of the ecosystems, habitats and species that are the framework of a healthy planet where all people can prosper.”

The live auction will include major works from artists including Keith Tyson, Maya Lin, Subodh Gupta, and Olafur Eliasson. Other lots will include coveted celebrity experiences, upscale eco-vacations and exquisite jewelry. Hugh Jackman, Christina Aguilera, and Candice Bergen are just a few of the talented stars offering VIP experiences, with additional luxury items secured daily.

“We anticipate The Green Auction to be a momentous achievement in fundraising to save the earth, and we are excited to help Christie’s reach thousands of online bidders through Charitybuzz” said Coppy Holzman, CEO of Charitybuzz.

The Christie’s Green Auction companion silent auction will use online bidding powered by Charitybuzz, launching at www.ABidtoSavetheEarth.org on April 8, and run through May 6. The silent auction will facilitate global participation like Christie’s LIVE, and carry more moderately priced lots.

Lots for the sale on silent auction will include celebrity packages such as spending a day with Hugh Jackman on the set of his movie "Reel Steel’, VIP tickets to a Christina Aguilera concert, a Californification set visit with David Duchovny, falconry lessons with Bobby Kennedy, and lunch with a major television star.

More info can be found here.

Leonardo DiCaprio Heads Star-Studded Video For The Environment

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 20:30:00 -0000

A host of celebrities – including Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward Norton, Justin Long, Emmy Rossum, Forest Whitaker, Jason Bateman, Chace Crawford and Felicity Huffman – have recorded a special video mobilizing America towards a sustainable future.

On the heels of President Barack Obama's push to move America toward a clean energy economy in his State of the Union address last night, the Natural Resources Defense Council Action Fund launched This is Our Moment, a web-based video campaign urging Congress to pass the first-ever climate and clean energy bill, currently pending in the Senate.

“This is our moment – our moment to fight for a cleaner and more secure future,” said DiCaprio, a longtime champion for the environment, and a NRDC Trustee. “The time is now for people across the country to stand up and have their voices heard. We all must call on the Senate to act on this historic opportunity.”

This is Our Moment enables citizens to become participants by speaking to their representatives in two ways: uploading their own videos in support of a clean energy economy, and sending direct emails to their Senators.

The online community can also engage by spreading the message. This is Our Moment is designed to create a virtual army of climate activists through an emphasis on social media tools like Facebook and Twitter, a rotating display of user-generated videos, and the video player itself, which is an embeddable widget for websites, social networking pages and blogs.

Clean energy and climate legislation passed the House of Representatives for the first time ever in June 2009. The legislation, the Clean Energy, Jobs and American Power Act, is now pending in the Senate. The bill has the power to jumpstart our economy, create millions of jobs, break our dependence on foreign oil, and cut global warming pollution. This is Our Moment calls on Americans to hold their representatives to task and to pass urgently-needed climate legislation.

“Americans want real action to address climate change and move our country toward a clean energy future,” said NRDC Action Fund President Frances Beinecke. “This is one of the most important pieces of legislation of our time — we cannot let our moment pass us by. Our Senators need to hear all of us loud and clear.”

The Natural Resources Defense Council is a national, nonprofit organization of scientists, lawyers and environmental specialists dedicated to protecting public health and the environment. Founded in 1970, NRDC has 1.3 million members and online activists, served from offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Beijing.

To view the video, visit the This Is Our Moment campaign website.

Yao Ming Calls For An End To Shark Fin Soup

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Basketball star Yao Ming's new public service announcement for WildAid is asking people in China to think twice before ordering shark fin soup.

Many shark species are nearing extinction as sharks are being stripped of fins and left to flounder helplessly until they die on the ocean floor. “If you could see, each year, how up to 70 million sharks are killed to end up in soup, could you still eat it?” goes the PSA.

Besides the disturbing aspect of de-finning, the loss of shark populations has some serious repercussions. Sharks play a key role in the marine ecosystem from fish populations to carbon-dioxide-consuming phytoplankton to healthy reef systems. Without sharks, former prey flourishes and this affects everything down the food chain line.

Determined to save the species and the oceans, Shark Savers, an organisation created by six divers who have witnessed the massive depletion of shark populations, are attempting to educate people past a fear of sharks.

In a joint awareness effort, Shark Savers and WildAid are offering billboards of Yao Ming’s “Say ‘no’ to shark fin soup” campaign, which people can fund for $100. Each billboard would be placed in a busy location throughout Beijing and Shanghai for one year.

“Remember,” says Ming, pushing away a bowl of shark fin soup, “when the buying stops, the killing can too.”

You can fund a billboard by cheque, creditcard or payola.

Robbie Williams Donates Song To Charity

Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British singer Robbie Williams is to donate his next single to Sport Relief.

Morning Sun has been chosen as the official song for the charity’s 2010 campaign, and will be released on March 8 in the UK.

“I am very happy to donate my time to help Sport Relief and I thank my co-writers for doing the same,” he said. “Please join us in helping this very worthwhile cause.”

The singer joins David and Victoria Beckham in supporting the campaign.

Sport Relief is a fundraising initiative between Comic Relief and the BBC. Money raised goes towards a number of relief programs in the UK and around the world.

Beckhams Design T-Shirts For Sport Relief Charity Campaign

Thu, 21 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0000

David and Victoria Beckham are spearheading this year’s Sport Relief campaign.

The whole Beckham family have created a series of one-off designs with the hope of inspiring the nation to rise to the challenge for Sport Relief 2010– and they’re about to fly off the shelves at Sainsbury’s and TK Maxx where they’re now exclusively on sale.
As part of the series of T-shirts, David took a distinctive self portrait showcasing his renowned football skills. Even Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz joined in the creative process, armed with spray cans and a blank canvas, to create a unique one off Beckham family collaboration.

Speaking about his family’s involvement in the campaign, football Legend David Beckham said: “‘Victoria and I are excited to be involved with Sport Relief again this year. Our family had a great time designing the T-shirt range and we hope it will raise much needed funds for many important causes. The most important thing is that the money raised will make a genuine difference to people’s lives.”

The T-shirts are all made with 100% Fairtrade Certified cotton and all net profits from the sale of the t-shirt range will go towards helping people living unimaginably tough lives both across the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

Also taking part in this year’s campaign will be David Walliams, who will cycle the length of the UK, The One Show’s Christine Bleakley, who will be water-skiing across the English Channel, and Blue Peter’s Helen Skelton, who will attempt to become the first woman to sail the Amazon river in a kayak. James Corden will host a BBC TV special on March 19, and other stars involved in the campaign include Jenson Button and Fearne Cotton.

To find out more, visit the Sport Relief website.

David Beckham To Get Oiled Up For Charity

Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Delinda Lombardo

Comedian James Corden is about to get up close and personal with David Beckham.

Corden – in character as Gavin And Stacey’s Smithy – will give the soccer icon a massage for charity. And Beckham will return the favor afterwards – in a sketch to be broadcast in March on BBC One’s Sport Relief.

“The sketch is hilarious, they couldn’t be more different – the pair of them massaging each other will be a sight to behold,” a source told The Sun.

This is the second time Corden and Beckham have appeared together, last year they were featured in a Comic Relief skit where Smithy gate-crashed an England football team meeting and gave the players a pep talk.

Corden is also filming sketches with other sport celebrities such as Formula 1 champ Jenson Button, cricketer Andrew Flintoff, tennis ace Andy Murray and diver Tom Dale.

Sport Relief is a biennial charity event from Comic Relief, in association with BBC Sport, which brings together the worlds of sport and entertainment to raise money to help vulnerable people in both the UK and the world’s poorest countries.

Little Britain Star To Get On His Bike For Charity

Thu, 14 Jan 2010 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British comedian David Walliams is planning to cycle the length of the UK for charity.

The Little Britain star is well known for his charity stunts – in 2006 he swam the English Channel, and in 2008 he swam the Strait of Gibralter. Both swims were to raise money for Comic Relief and Sport Relief – as is his planned cycle ride.

The actor will be joined on his 875-mile trip from John O’Groats to Land’s End – to take place in March – by Jimmy Carr and Miranda Hart, as well as TV hosts Fearne Cotton and Davina McCall.

Money raised goes towards a number of relief programs in the UK and around the world.

Eddie Izzard Encourages Good Health And Fitness

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British actor/comedian Eddie Izzard is using his recent award for the 43 marathons he ran for charity earlier this year to encourage people in the UK get fitter.

The star was presented with a special award at the annual BBC Sports Personality of the Year event on Sunday, December 13, for his effort, which saw him run 1,100 miles in 51 days for Sport Relief. The run raised over US$300,000 for the charity, which is part of Comic Relief.

And now the star is urging the people of the UK to follow his lead and get fitter.

“We’ve got the Olympics less than a thousand days ahead and I want to encourage people to take something they used to do when they were a kid and start doing it again,” he said. “We’re all living to about 100 now – unless you want the last 30 years of your life to be going really downhill, get healthy, get fit. Then we can encourage our athletes going into the Olympics to be able to have the fittest country [supporting them],”

The star acknowledges that keeping fit is not easy, but insists that it would be a good idea – especially as Britain’s obesity and diabetes problem gets worse. One in five primary school children in the country are now classed as overweight, and 67,000 deaths in the UK every year can be linked to weight problems.

“I’m no athlete,” Izzard said while accepting his award. “Not like everybody here tonight. It was really tough. Everything was painful. People asked me if I enjoyed the running but I enjoyed the stopping! I staggered, I ran and I crawled.”

Harrison Ford To Host Environmental Charity Awards

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart will host a special event for Oceana this Friday, November 20, to honor Deepak Chopra and Arianna Huffington.

The 2009 Oceana Partners Award Gala honors those individuals who have made outstanding contributions through their personal commitment to the cause of protecting and conserving the environment. Arianna Huffington is the co-founder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and author of 12 books. Dr. Deepak Chopra is the Founder of Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, California and Manhattan, New York. He is also the author of many best-selling books.

Joining Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart in hosting the event will be Morgan Freeman, Jeff Goldblum, Trudie Styler, Sting, Robert Redford and Ron Howard. Working behind the scenes are Ted Danson and Sam Waterston.

The event will take place at the private residence of Keri Selig and Keith Addis in Los Angeles. To find out more about the event, visit the official website.

Jack Johnson Donates Tour And Album To Charity

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Jack Johnson's latest release, En Concert, is on sale now – and all proceeds are going to charity.

En Concert chronicles the “special visual and musical moments from Jack Johnson’s 2008 Sleep Through The Static world tour” and features Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder. 100% of the 2008 tour profits and the proceeds from the live album will go to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation – which supports environmental education in the schools and communities of Hawaii – and the Johnson Ohana Charitable Foundation, which matches fans’ donations to the local charities featured in the Village Green area at each of his shows (up to $2500 per concert).

To celebrate the release of the album, Johnson played an intimate acoustic set in front of a hugely enthusiastic audience at the Hawaii Theatre in Honolulu last week, with proceeds going to the Kokua Hawaii Foundation.

Look To The Stars’ founder Myrlia Purcell volunteered for Jack Johnson’s All At Once Campaign during his 2008 tour. To read her report of her experience, click here.

Hayden Panettiere Hits Hollywood For The Whales

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Heroes star Hayden Panettiere was out-and-about in Hollywood on Sunday, November 15, to support her favorite charity – the Whaleman Foundation.

The young star hit the Beso Restaurant to attend the Foundation’s benefit event. The Whaleman Foundation is an organization that aims to educate key decision makers – while raising public awareness – on the issues that affect cetaceans (dolphins, whales & porpoises) and their critical habitats through their films and media outreach.

Panettiere is a long-time supporter of the charity’s Save The Whales Again campaign, and has often helped with initiatives to help. In October, 2007, Panettiere joined Australian actress Isabel Lucas and other activists in a peaceful protest in Japan, to raise awareness of the 25,000 dolphins slaughtered by the nation every year. The group narrowly avoided arrest over the incident, but succeeded in diverting international media to the abhorrent and barbaric practices used to butcher the animals.

Bette Midler Pushes For A Greener New York City

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0000

Written by Catrina K. Sally

Long time Adopt-A-Highway supporter Bette Midler hopes to persuade the 2009 World Series Champion New York Yankees to clean up her hometown. Fresh off their 27th World Series win, the team is looking into working with Midler via the New York Restoration Project.

Founded by Midler in 1995, the New York Restoration Project is dedicated to making New York City cleaner and greener. Since 2004, Midler has provided funds to pay for cleanup crews along the Major Deegan Expressway and anticipates the Yankees following suit. Midler expects the project to set a “green” example for the Yankee’s legions of fans.

Sam Waterston Pens Ocean Conservation Article For CNN

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Law & Order’s Sam Waterston has penned an article for CNN.com on the issue of ocean conservation.

The actor is a member of the board of directors of Oceana, a nonprofit organization that seeks to protect the world’s oceans by opposing overfishing and pollution, and has been honored several times for his conservation work.

“For 800,000 years, the seas were a stable solution, a hospitable solution for all sorts of creatures to live in, and a generous solution to all sorts of human problems, from food supply to waste disposal,” wrote the veteran actor. "We must not make them inhospitable, for people or for the 80 percent of life on the planet that lives in them.

“As a native New Englander, I know full and well how much we depend on the oceans. They have often been a solution for our problems.

“They’ve been a highway for goods and people, connecting us to the world, and a barrier against foreign invasion, protecting us from the world; a source of food and wealth, going back to our earliest beginnings, when whale oil lit our houses and when cod were so plentiful that huge specimens were commonly stacked like cordwood on our docks and wharves, and still there were so many that you could almost walk on their backs across some harbors.”

Waterston goes on to write about carbon levels in the ocean and the effect they have on living creatures.

“For the last 250 years, the oceans have absorbed 30 percent of the carbon dioxide we put into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and deforestation, moderating and masking its global impact. They take in 11 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide per year. Each year, the amount we release grows another 3 percent.

“Carbon dioxide in the sea is the front line of climate carbon addiction. Reverse the trend toward ocean acidification, and we will also have made a giant stride in addressing the effects of climate change. The sea is warning us to change course and calling us to seize enormous opportunities. Now.”

To read the full article, visit the CNN website here.

Bette Midler Launches Charity Auction

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Bette Midler has launched a new online charity auction, and she wants YOU to be part of it.

“It’s just brimming with fabulous experiences donated by dear friends who share my deep concern about the environment!” she said. "With a tennis lesson with John McEnroe, a walk-on role with Steve Carell & Paul Rudd, lunch with Jann Wenner, a getaway to Richard Branson's Necker Island, the chance to meet Cher, John Mayer, Tim McGraw – not to mention yours truly – we’ve got something for everyone!

“Proceeds benefit New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a nonprofit I founded to clean & green New York City. We’ve turned 55 vacant lots into beautiful community gardens and planted more than 250,000 trees, and we’re just getting started, so I hope you’ll join in the merriment by placing a bid today!"

There are also once-in-a-lifetime opportunities featuring Daniel Craig, John Stamos, Melissa Etheridge, Carlos Santana, Jackson Browne, Jay Leno and many more.

The auction runs until November 13 and can be accessed here.

Razorlight To Headline Friends Of The Earth Gig

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Friends of the Earth – a non-profit organization committed to lobbying the UK Government to make a healthy planet and a good life for everyone on it – are proud to announce that British band Razorlight will take part in their LIVEstock event in November.

The event is a one-off evening of comedy and music in support of Friends of the Earth’s Food Chain Campaign. The environmental charity is raising awareness of the link between factory-farmed meat and dairy and deforestation and calling on the Government to support planet-friendly farming. Joining Razorlight will be comedians such as Dan Antopolski, Chris Addison, Marcus Brigstocke, Russell Howard, Richard Herring, Francesca Martinez, Stephen Merchant, Lucy Porter and Mark Watson.

Edinburgh award-winning funnyman Dan Antopolski, ‘In the Loop’ star Chris Addison and Friends of the Earth have thrown down the gauntlet to aspiring comedians with the launch of a new competition for the funniest made up animal joke – and the winners will bag tickets to see Stephen Merchant, Russell Howard, Richard Herring and more perform at LIVEstock 2009 at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo.

The creators of the five funniest animal jokes – as judged by Antopolski and Addison – to reach Friends of the Earth by Monday 2 November will win VIP tickets to Friends of the Earth’s LIVEstock event where they will see their jokes read out on stage by the comics. The overall winner will also receive a pair of Eurostar tickets.

The show takes place on November 12 at the Hammersmith Apollo in London. To find out more about the competition or to get tickets, click here.

David Suzuki Receives Alternative Nobel

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Environmentalist David Suzuki will receive an honorary alternative Nobel – the Right Livelihood Award – for his decades-long efforts to raise awareness about climate change. Suzuki will receive the award in December in Sweden, just ahead of Nobel Prize presentations.

Created to recognize efforts in areas that are not within the Nobel Prize scope, Right Livelihood selected Suzuki “for his lifetime advocacy of the socially responsible use of science, and for his massive contribution to raising awareness about the perils of climate change and building public support policies to address it.”

In an interview with The McGill Tribune, Suzuki said, “Some things in the world we have to live with – entropy, gravity, the speed of light and the Laws of Thermodynamics. Other things such as the economy, market or currency were created by us and if they don’t work, we should change or replace them with something that does. When we are told we need a strong growing economy to afford to protect the environment or that reducing greenhouse gas emissions will be too expensive, we elevate economics above ecology. This is suicidal.”

The Right Livelihood Award Foundation, a charity that awards the exceptional in order to further its laureats’ causes, appears as frustrated as Suzuki. The Foundation’s website states: “Despite the scientific warnings about the imminent threat and disastrous impacts of climate change and despite our knowledge about solutions, the global response to this crisis is still painfully slow and largely inadequate.”

Like many, their eyes are on December’s Copenhagen Climate Conference where hopefully a new global warming treaty, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol in 2012, will be approved.

January Jones Afraid For Sharks

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

Actress January Jones was in Washington recently on behalf of Oceana's campaign to save the sharks. She was there to lobby Congress members to tighten up US laws that would help regenerate the population of sharks from which 100 million are killed every year.

“The United States needs to stand up for sharks,” said Jones. “Congress can do its part by passing the Shark Conservation Act.”

Existing laws already ban “finning” – where a shark’s fins are cut off and the carcass thrown back into the sea – yet allow for the transfer of fins at sea from countries without restrictions as a way around the ban. However, Oceana is pushing for the requirement that sharks be landed whole, i.e. with fins still naturally attached. They also want to decrease the demand for shark products and reduce unintended shark catch.

According to Oceana, sharks are key to maintaining healthy ocean ecosystems by regulating species abundance, distribution and diversity, and providing food sources for scavengers. They’re also critical to the health of other systems. Without them, coral reefs would become algae dominated systems, seagrass beds would decline and chain reactions to these would be set into motion.

As Jones says in a public service announcement: “We should be scared for sharks, not of them.”

Celebrities Support The Amazon At "Crude" Screening

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Written by Elizabeth Willoughby

The New York Times’ Stephen Holden called it “A sprawling legal thriller with rare depth and power.” Village Voice’s Ed Gonzales called it “A Herculean work of investigative journalism.”

They’re talking about Crude, a new feature-length documentary meant to bring attention to and lay out both sides of the 27-billion-dollar lawsuit surrounding Chevron’s polluting of the Ecuadorean Amazon during its years of oil exploration.

While the press has been extolling the film’s efforts, celebrities such as Sean Penn, Rosanna Arquette and Dave Navarro are helping to bring attention to the 16-year trial by attending Crude’s premiers that are running through major US cities. Trudie Styler went so far as to invite 6,000 Chevron employees in San Francisco to see the film.

“You may know me as Sting's wife," she wrote, “and you may know of my work for the environment and human rights. You may also have heard my name mentioned as one of the celebrities speaking out in support of the 30,000 Ecuadorean citizens who are pursuing Chevron to clean up the pollution the company left behind in their homeland. Many people will assume that you and I must be on different sides of the fence on this issue. But I don’t believe that. I’m willing to bet that you and I, and all of your colleagues, agree that everyone has the fundamental right to the life-supporting elements of clean air and clean water…I’d like to give you the opportunity to make up your own mind about what has been going on in Ecuador, and to consider how justice can be achieved for the people suffering there. I’d like to invite you to the movies.”

Atossa Soltani, Executive Director of Amazon Watch, which hosted the Hollywood premier last month, is pleased with the reaction to Crude: “The film shows both sides and allows the audience to be the judge on whether Chevron is guilty. Chevron is fast losing the battle in the court of public opinion and showing clear signs that it is afraid of Crude.”   Amazon Watch’s Corporate Accountability Campaigner, Mitch Anderson wants as many people to see the movie as possible, and “to let Chevron know that it can no longer afford to evade it’s clean up responsibility in Ecuador.”

  You can visit the official film website here.

Meet Jack Black At Conservation International Dinner

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Fans of comedy actor Jack Black – currently appearing in Year One – will be able to meet the man himself at a special dinner being organized by Conservation International.

The dinner will take place in Seattle on October 20, and will also feature the preeminent conservation biologist of our generation and former Board member of Conservation International, Edward O. Wilson.

Conservation International is dedicated to conserving the Earth’s living heritage and our global biodiversity, and demonstrating that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature. Harrison Ford was once vice president of the organization.

To order tickets for the event, click here

Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project Announces Garden Opening

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 11:30:00 -0000

Bette Midler's New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and revitalizing parks, community gardens and public space in New York City, has announced the upcoming opening of the Target Bronx Community Garden on October 6, 2009.

Underwritten by Target, the garden was designed by nationally acclaimed designer and television host Sean Conway. Conway’s plan joins two existing community gardens with very different histories, creating a gathering space for neighborhood activity as well as a refuge for quiet contemplation.

The Target Bronx Community Garden will connect the Anderson Community Garden with the adjoining Woodycrest Community Garden to create a unique multi-use space. The large Anderson Community Garden is a joyful gathering space, welcoming neighbors and children from the elementary school across the street for more than 25 years. The Woodycrest Community Garden is a small parcel of land that has become an unofficial memorial in tribute to those lost in a fire in 2007.

“Once again we are thrilled with the work that Target and Sean Conway have done to make this garden a vital part of the neighborhood,” said Bette Midler, Founder of NYRP. “We applaud the ongoing commitment that Target has to underserved communities. Like NYRP, they recognize that each time they help create a beautiful oasis in a neighborhood, they invest in the future of the whole city.”

The Target Bronx Community Garden is the third New York Restoration Project garden revitalization initiative that Target has supported. NYRP celebrated the opening of the Target Community Garden in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, in October 2007 and the opening of the Target East Harlem Community Garden in October 2008, both of which were also designed by Sean Conway.

“Target is proud to join with New York Restoration Project on the opening of the third Target Community Garden,” said Laysha Ward, president, community relations, Target. “We hope that the garden will become a welcoming green space for the neighborhood and the entire Bronx community to enjoy.”

Sean Conway was inspired by the local community to design the Target Bronx Community Garden as a place for family, friends, and neighbors to gather, garden, and relax outdoors in their own neighborhood. Combining two adjacent properties provided the unique opportunity to create one large multi-functional open space not often found in urban neighborhoods. From the entrance at Woodycrest Avenue, garden visitors will pass through a small grove of trees which commemorate the lives of those lost in a tragic neighborhood fire in 2007. Next visitors will enter into a large open area which contains a large grass space for celebrations and gatherings, an outdoor kitchen where visitors can prepare meals al fresco, an elevated wooden sundeck, newly planted fruit trees and a berry patch, as well as raised open plots for community vegetable gardening. A third feature of the garden is the renovated rock outcropping which highlights the rugged natural beauty of this Bronx neighborhood. The elevated slope faces the community’s public elementary school on Anderson Avenue and will provide a welcoming invitation for neighborhood children to explore the outdoors in their own back yard.

“After learning about the tragedy in this community several years ago that claimed so many innocent lives, I wanted to design a place that commemorated those who died, while creating a place where the neighborhood could gather, spend time together and get to know one another,” said Sean Conway.

NYRP and Sean Conway have outfitted the garden with numerous sustainable and energy-saving features. In the past, community gardeners have found creative ways to meet their needs, such as building an outdoor kitchen from recycled scrap material. The new kitchen area of the Target Bronx Community Garden will feature a grill, gas burners, granite countertops and stainless steel cabinets for storage space. The new garden will also employ a rainwater harvesting system, enhancing the community gardeners’ own innovative water tank and tap system. Additional features of the garden are a compost area to recycle organic household and yard waste and a special composting toilet.

Since 2007, when NYRP partnered with community members to improve the existing garden, NYRP environmental educators welcome students from neighboring P.S. 73 into the garden in the fall for science activities that explore the senses, food chains and plant and animal habitats. The re-designed green space will feature expanded activities, including cooking demonstrations, gardener workshops, youth environmental education, summer concerts and community movie nights.

The Target Bronx Community Garden will also become home to NYRP’s annual Harvest Festival. On Saturday, October 10, this community-based event will engage local families and students in celebrating the season and urban agriculture through the cultivation of fruits and vegetables. This year’s Harvest Festival will feature cooking demonstrations—including homemade salsa and corn tortilla making—led by culinary students, garden tours, a youth-sponsored produce market, arts and crafts, and a live concert by the renowned Puerto Rican band Yerba Buena.

Leonardo DiCaprio Opens e-Activism Center

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 12:30:00 -0000

Leonardo DiCaprio opened a new e-activism centre in Santa Monica last week, which has been described as “a showcase for the highest possible level of sustainable design.”

The Leonardo DiCaprio e-Activism Center and the David Family Environmental Action Center use only recycled or recyclable materials, and 98% of the materials left over from dismantling the original building and constructing the new one were reused or recycled. Set up by the Natural Resources Defense Council, the new facilities aim to demonstrate how buildings can greatly reduce harm to the environment by minimizing the use of land, water, energy and materials.

“Half of all the world’s materials and resources, half of all forests, go into building production. Buildings consume twice the energy of autos, and emit twice the amount of carbon dioxide,” says NRDC Senior Scientist Rob Watson. “They also consume 80% of drinking water.”

The e-activism center has four high-speed Internet terminals linked to NRDC’s activist network to help visitors learn about environmental issues of immediate concern, and to influence public debate instantly by sending messages to government and corporate officials.

“Over the last three years, nearly five hundred thousand NRDC online activists have sent five million messages to public and corporate officials, helping again and again to tip the balance in favor of the environment,” said Dicaprio. “For the thousands of young people who’ll visit this building each year, I hope it will be the start of a lifetime of civic involvement.”

The center is located at 1314 Second Street in downtown Santa Monica, California. The e-Activism Center is open to the public every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 11:00 am until 3:00 pm.

Eddie Izzard Completes 43 Marathons For Charity

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:00:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

British comedian and actor Eddie Izzard has completed his massive charity marathon challenge.

The actor set out in August to run 1000 miles and raise money for Sport Relief – a part of Comic Relief – and the 47-year-old finished his odyssey across Britain on Tuesday when he crossed the finish line at London’s Trafalgar Square.

“I feel dead!” he said as the London rain fell around him.

The challenge saw Izzard run 43 marathons in 52 days, a feat that Comic Relief founder Richard Curtis described as “amazing.”

“What I so admire is the length of it,” said Curtis. “He’s been doing it for so long, every single day. [These celebrities] are really putting themselves on the line for these issues. People in schools and at home think ‘Well, if Eddie can do that, then I can certainly do something to raise money and help people’.”

Band From TV To Launch New Epilepsy Site At Charity Gig

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 15:30:00 -0000

Written by Tim Saunders

Band From TV – the celebrity charity music group made up of stars from some of today’s most popular TV shows – is to play a special gig next month to launch a charity website set up by its founding member.

Talk About It was created by Heroes star Greg Grunberg to raise awareness of epilepsy and help educate people the world and end stigmas about seizure disorders. The site features many of his Heroes co-stars and celebrity friends, such as Zachary Quinto, Chris Pine, and John Mayer. Grunberg is a longtime supporter of epilepsy causes, an issue that he has been involved with since his son, Jake, was diagnosed with the condition. He is the official spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation and Epilepsy Advocate.

Grunberg started the Band From TV – which includes members such as Hugh Laurie, Teri Hatcher, Bonnie Somerville, Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, James Denton, Jesse Spencer, and Bob Guiney – after getting a few celebrities to play together at the House Of Blues for charity. The success of that event has led to a number of gigs in the US which have, according to Hugh Laurie, “raised a gargantuan sum of money for charity.” These charities include such as Save the Children, The Art of Elysium, the Child Abuse Prevention Program and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence through the Band From TV Global Charity Trust. Band From TV recently released their first CD, Hoggin’ All The Covers, which has become a huge hit at Amazon.com and can be ordered here. Look To The Stars was lucky enough to interview Greg just before Christmas, and the video of our chat can be viewed here.

To celebrate the launch of Talk About It, Band From TV – along with special celebrity guests including Scott Grimes from ER and many others – are performing one night only on October 25 at The Canyon Club in Agoura. Come with your family and friends and be ready to rock out to your favorite cover tunes being performed by some of your favorite TV actors.

THIS SHOW WILL SELL OUT!! Tickets may be purchased by visiting Ticketmaster or by calling The Canyon Club Box Office at (818) 879-5016.

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