Living with Ed

Susan Enfield Esrey, Nov 30, 2007 1:22 PM

What was the most important thing that happened in 2007?

Al Gore's movie, An Inconvenient Truth, got a lot of people's attention. Global climate change wasn't a page-one story; people weren't listening. Now it's the cover of Time and Newsweek. There are very few people left who think it's a hoax.

What's your biggest goal for 2008?

To further demonstrate that people at any income level can do something that will benefit the environment—and their pocketbooks.

You've been doing this since 1970. Your home in Los Angeles is solar-powered; you drive an electric car; you even make toast by riding a stationary bike hooked up to a battery. It's incredibly inspiring, but also a tiny bit intimidating. Where do the rest of us start?

I'm not saying everyone should go out and buy solar panels. Pick the "low-hanging fruit" first. Buy a compact fluorescent bulb. Take public transportation, if it's available near you. Ride a bike—at least part of the time—weather, distance, and fitness permitting. Get an energy-saving thermostat. If you have a patch of dirt in your yard, grow vegetables. If you're in an apartment, join a community garden. And if there's no community garden, start one!

You don't run up Mount Everest. You take one step at a time, get to base camp, and get acclimatized. And not everyone can make the summit. You climb as high as you can and you get a big congratulations, wherever that is.

Ed Begley Jr.'s feature film credits include A Mighty Wind and Best in Show. His best-known television work includes an Emmy-nominated role on St. Elsewhere, as well as recurring roles on Six Feet Under and other hit series.

Ed Begley's green list -S.E.E.

Living with Ed (www.livingwithed.net)
Begley and his wife, Rachelle Carson, host this HGTV series featuring green-living tips and visits to ecofriendly homes of the stars, including Jay Leno, Jackson Browne, and Larry Hagman. Episodes air Mondays at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT.
www.fixingtheplanet.com
A one-stop resource for sustainable living, including discussion forums.
www.begleysbest.com
This all-purpose cleaner is natural, nontoxic, and quick to biodegrade—plus, all profits go to charity.
Environmental Media Association (www.ema-online.org)
Mobilizes the entertainment industry to educate people about environmental issues; also encourages green practices behind the scenes.
TreePeople (www.tree people.org)
A Los Angeles-based nonprofit working on urban forests, water issues, and education.