. Earth Science News .




Subscribe to our free daily newsletters



Washington DC - May 12-14, 2020
FROTH AND BUBBLE
Vegan meals and old tuxedos: Hollywood red carpets go green
By Andrew MARSZAL
Los Angeles (AFP) Jan 31, 2020

From glitzy all-vegan galas to recycled red carpet outfits, Hollywood has stepped up efforts to reduce its carbon footprint this awards season, which will soon wrap up with the Oscars.

But while some scientists have welcomed A-listers' renewed zeal on climate change, others have questioned whether Tinseltown's jet-set elite are any sort of example to follow.

The Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild and Critics' Choice Awards galas this month all served plant-based menus, instead of the steak dinners typical of celebrity-packed events.

Oscar nominees were offered roasted maitake mushrooms and vegan cheese at their annual luncheon this week, and will be served a "70 percent plant-based" menu at the February 9 show.

The "brave and compassionate" moves have drawn glowing praise from actor Joaquin Phoenix, who said it was the first time he'd ever eaten at the Globes, as well as environmental actor-activist stalwarts Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo.

Inside the star-studded events, few had any complaints -- even if comedian Seth Meyers wryly observed it was lucky that "food critics" weren't invited to the Critics' Choice Awards.

Climate scientists and activists have also welcomed the trend.

Brenda Ekwurzel, of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said it was "really important for Hollywood" to make an effort and "very exciting to me as a climate scientist."

Convincing people to change their food choices is one of the best ways to immediately reduce carbon emissions, she added.

Switching the diet of 1,500 guests at the Globes would have reduced the event's footprint roughly tenfold -- saving 10 to 15 tons of CO2 equivalents -- according to climate scientist Peter Kalmus.

By contrast, an average person in Bangladesh generates about one ton per year.

The "ripple effects" of even one famous attendee taking up climate activism as a result could have far greater benefits, influencing public awareness and even policy, Kalmus added.

- 'Walk the talk' -

The highly publicized steps taken by Hollywood have not however drawn universal praise.

Few winners and presenters approached the mic at the Globes without offering "thoughts and prayers" expressed for those suffering in Australia's wildfires, while singer Lizzo recently helped pack food hampers for those affected during her world tour.

But accusations of hypocrisy have been leveled at many showbiz stars, with the movie industry as a whole decamping each year to a string of globe-trotting festivals spanning the globe from Cannes to Venice to Toronto to Park City, Utah.

"It is problematic to speak out on the climate emergency if you're flying on private jets" and have a huge overall climate footprint, said Kalmus.

While anyone -- with or without a celebrity platform -- raising awareness about climate issues should be welcomed, it is those who "walk the talk" who have the biggest impact, he added.

Kalmus singled out for praise Australian actress Yael Stone ("Orange is the New Black"), who this month pledged to give up her US acting career because "it's unethical for us to set up a life in two countries, knowing what we know."

"It's not about keeping those direct emissions from those flights out of the atmosphere," said Kalmus, estimating two first-class round trips per year at between 12-24 tons of CO2.

"Putting the planet above your career" makes a highly public statement that climate change "is indeed an emergency," he added.

- Lost in the wash -

According to Ekwurzel, celebrity actors would be most effective if they were to insist on reducing the carbon footprints of gas-guzzling movie productions.

"People who have resources, like those at the Golden Globes, have the most economic power to reduce their high emissions," she noted.

Ekwurzel pointed to renewable electricity usage on film sets as one way to improve the status quo, while singling out transportation and packaging used in movie catering as problematic.

Ultimately, the measures available to Hollywood celebrities are very different to those facing the public.

"When there are thousands of ways we individually can reduce emissions, picking one and getting on a pulpit saying 'this is the way everyone has to do it' will never work," she said.

And however well-meaning, some of those celebrities' efforts may simply be lost in the wash.

Fashion designer Stella McCartney tweeted her delight at Phoenix's decision to wear the same tuxedo -- one of hers -- "for the entire award season to reduce waste."

The move drew a mocking response from some, including Globes host Ricky Gervais, who responded: "That's nothing. I darn my own socks and you should see the state of my... underpants."

Asked to quantify the carbon emissions impact of Phoenix's thrifty wardrobe, Kalmus admitted it was "tough for a T-shirt-and-jeans-wearing scientist" but concluded: "I'm going to go with zero."


Related Links
Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


FROTH AND BUBBLE
Red Sea huge source of air pollution, greenhouse gases: study
Paris (AFP) Jan 28, 2020
Hydrocarbon gases bubbling from the bottom of the Red Sea are polluting the atmosphere at a rate equivalent to the emissions of some large fossil fuel exporting countries, researchers said Tuesday. The gases seeping from the waters - which are ringed by the resorts and ports of several countries, including Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia - then mix with emissions from industrial shipping and turned into noxious pollutants that are very harmful to human health. The Middle East holds mor ... read more

Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.



Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Earth's most biodiverse ecosystems face a perfect storm

Seven WWII bombs made safe at Tesla's German factory site

'See the doctor': fever-hit patients fret in China outbreak city

Puerto Rico investigates unused emergency supplies

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Buildings can become a global CO2 sink if made out of wood instead of cement and steel

A better building block for creating new materials

Protein pores packed in polymers make super-efficient filtration membranes

NASA funds AnalySwift, Purdue tech to speed up composite deployable structure design

FROTH AND BUBBLE
SAIC receives $13.9 million care contract for Navy Marine Mammal Program

Bulgarians' patience runs dry over water crisis

The Blue Acceleration: Recent colossal rise in human pressure on ocean quantified

'Blob' research shows ecological effects that halted fishing and hiked whale entanglements

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Scientists find far higher than expected rate of underwater glacial melting

Scientists find record warm water in Antarctica, pointing to cause behind troubling glacier melt

Rising global temperatures turn northern permafrost region into significant carbon source

Ice911 Research to begin testing its climate restoration solution on sea ice

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Plants manipulate their soil environment to assure a cheap, steady supply of nutrients

First release of genetically engineered moth could herald new era of crop protection

Harrington Seed Destructor kills nearly 100 percent of US agronomic weed seeds in lab study

Oak leaves contain potential cure for citrus greening disease

FROTH AND BUBBLE
New Zealand volcano death toll rises to 21

Flash floods kill nine in Indonesia

Major quake hits Caribbean, triggering evacuations

More torrential rain in Brazil raises death toll to 54

FROTH AND BUBBLE
'Dangerous' to crop African voices on climate: Uganda activist

France warns Pentagon Africa cuts would 'severely limit' counter-terror ops

UN calls for justice for migrant victims of Libya air strikes

French defence chief heads to US to press Sahel case

FROTH AND BUBBLE
Early North Americans may have been more diverse than previously suspected

Researchers develop method to assess geographic origins of ancient humans

Driven by Earth's orbit, climate changes in Africa may have aided human migration

New study debunks myth of Cahokia's Native American lost civilization




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News






Advertise at Space Media Network DSI's 2nd DoD Hypersonic Capabilities Symposium April 22-23, 2020 Alexandria, VA
Washington DC - May 12-14, 2020
Hypersonic Weapons Summit 2020 | Mar 31 - Apr 2 | Washington DC
Tempur-Pedic Mattress Comparison & Memory Foam Mattress Review


The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2019 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement