Famous, Eco-Friendly, and... Frauds?

Press puts A-listers on the defensive about opulent, gas-guzzling lifestyles
By Colleen Barry,  Newser Staff
Posted Sep 1, 2007 6:33 PM CDT
Famous, Eco-Friendly, and... Frauds?
U.S. singer Madonna performs on stage during the British leg of the Live Earth concerts at London's Wembley Stadium, Saturday July 7, 2007. This concert is part of a series of events, also taking place in the U.S., Australia, China, Japan, Brazil, South Africa and Antarctica. Live Earth was inspired...   (Associated Press)

Greenies are putting celebrities under the microscope to see if their eco-lifestyles really resemble what they preach, the Los Angeles Times reports. A-listers insist they're not perfect, but bloggers ask what value their message has when Leonardo zips around in a private jet and Madge owns 9 homes. One critic says that nobody can “consume opulently like a movie star and still protect the planet.”

One non-profit association makes use of the scrutiny by putting “celebrities together with stuff,” coaxing them to stand by hybrid cars to promote the cause. Yet this pro-green image only puts them more on the defensive. "If you want to peg me as not being completely eco-friendly, you'll win,” John Mayer told reporters at Live Earth. “That's not the point, you know?" (More celebrity stories.)

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