Big names, big changes: Celebrities who "Go Green"

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Social media was buzzing yesterday with people talking about how their families or companies were going green for Earth Day. It’s always inspirational to see the flood of eco-friendly posts that take over on the day when people are most earth-conscious. But your tree-hugging, can-recycling, food-composting Facebook friends haven’t been the only ones trying to make the world a more sustainable place.

According to One Green Planet, many celebrities have taken huge steps for the environment. Here are some of the greenest people in pop culture:

  • Jane Goodall: We know, there isn’t a much more obvious example of a person with a passion for the environment than the woman who lived with chimpanzees. Goodall founded the Jane Goodall Foundation, which promotes programs for sustainable development projects in Africa. The Roots & Shoots organization that she started in 1991 now has nearly 150,000 members in more than 120 countries.
  • Jack Johnson: In addition to having an incredible voice, Johnson is also the founder of the All At Once Campaign, a social action network that encourages people to make a change locally, as well as globally. He also founded the Johnson Ohana Charitable Campaign, a charity that promotes change through the support of environmental organizations, the arts and music education. He is an avid supporter of the Australian Marine Conservation Society and has performed in support of the Kokua Hawaii Foundation.
  • Leonardo DiCaprio: DiCaprio is a huge advocate of sustainability. He established the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, which works to preserve some of Earth’s last wild places through grant-making, campaigning and media projects. He also produced the documentary, “The 11th Hour” to talk about the environmental state of Earth. DiCaprio also serves on the board of the World Wildlife Fund, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the International Fund for Animal Welfare and Global Green USA.
  • Brad Pitt: Pitt is the founder of Make It Right, an organization dedicated to financing and building 150 homes in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. He also teamed up with his other
    half, Angelina Jolie, and founded the Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping Cambodians living in poverty through community and development projects and programs that include health care, education, agriculture, micro-businesses, conservation and rural planning.
  • Cate Blanchett: Blanchett was the motivator behind the installation of the solar panels on The Warf Theater, and is also responsible for the theater’s installation of its rainwater collection system, which is one of the largest in the world. She also lives in a completely green home.

We may not be able to make celebrity-sized steps toward environmental sustainability, but if we all do little things to make the world a little better every day and advocate for change, big improvements will follow.