Ed Begley’s Big Road Trip - June 11th, 2007
If people do indeed learn by example, actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. is determined to be a good example. Dedicated to leading a carbon-netural existence, Begley sticks pretty close to home, but when he does take a road trip, it’s in his Prius.
This past week on June 5, Begley tooled out of Los Angeles headed for Florida to attend an event for World Ocean Day on the 8th. Next he headed up to D.C. to be the master of ceremonies for an event put on by Historic Preservation and the HGTV program Restore America. That’s on the calendar for today. He needs to be in San Diego by June 16, then back in L.A. to start up the second season of his series Living with Ed.
So why the heck would a guy with his own series, whose face pops up on programs like Boston Legal and CSI Miami not just hop a plane? Why drive an estimated 6,284 miles (and stick as close to 55mph the whole way as possible)? His answeres are one part adorable and two parts activism.
- Save money.
- Combat the use of jet fuel.
- Take a vacation.
Long a voice for ending the American dependence on oil and cutting the emissions we send into the atmosphere every minute, Begley is one of the few celebrities who puts his lifestyle solidly where his mouth is. (If you don’t believe it, watch a few episodes of Living with Ed. The man drives his wife insane with his frugality and environmental measures.)
If Begley’s big road trip seems extreme, it is. Environmentally, however, we increasingly live in extreme times. By calling attention to such mindful behaviors as driving more than 6,000 miles instead of sipping Perrier in first class on a jet, Begley is making people take notice . . . and perhaps start thinking about their own habits. That’s exactly the dose of green medicine this country needs.
Posted on June 11th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: alternative fuels, lifestyle |
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