ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

November 18th 2008

The Green Quote: Rise Against Band Members Talk About Veganism

Filed under: food & drink, interviews, magazines — parrish @ 10:37 am

“In the last few years it’s gotten so that every restaurant you go to has a veggie burger or a veggie whatever, but yeah, people still think you’re weird. You don’t eat cheeseburgers, what the hell is wrong with you? So yeah, I think the only misunderstanding is how easy it is to be vegetarian and how healthy it is and how some people just don’t want to eat flesh. And the whole animal rights thing too. The way that burger ends up on your plate is pretty ugly. That burger may look fine on your plate, but if you go back and look where it came from, it’s disgusting, I think, really. A lot of people that are die-hard meat eaters think it’s crazy, but those are also people I think who are also good at turning a blind eye to where their food came from. I can’t really do that. I have to know what I’m eating, know what I’m wearing. That’s just my personality type. People can say what they want, but meat’s also awful for the environment. It’s a greater cause of emissions than cars.”

- Rise Against discussing veganism in an interview with Recoil magazine. To read the whole interview, check out their website!

photo credit: prphoto.com

November 18th 2008

James Bond Star Daniel Craig Has Bacon Flown To Italy

Filed under: food & drink, not green — parrish @ 10:30 am

It’s one thing to like bacon, but it’s quite another to LIKE bacon. Case in point, a one Mr. Daniel Craig (aka James Bond) requested that British bacon be flown to him in Italy while shooting Quantum of Solace. 

Besides contributing to the reckless slaughter of animals, Craig is totally pissing off mother earth. Seriously? Flying in bacon from England? 

After hearing the news, the UK chapter of PETA decided to send the 007 star a treat of their own – veggie bacon! On their website, PETA says: “To be a hero on and off screen, we think Mr Bond should save animals’ lives and give the veggie variety of bacon a go! What’s more, he might not be aware that eating meat can make you sluggish in the bedroom: because meat can contribute to clogsing the arteries to all of a person’s organs, it can lead to a higher risk of heart disease, strokes and even impotence – a problem unlikely to affect the fictional James Bond.”

While we definitely would rather see Craig eating the fake stuff, flying in products from Britain to Italy seems mighty wasteful. What do you think Ecorazzi readers? Is it worth the CO2 emissions to prove a point? Chime in and share your thoughts!

photo credit: prphoto.com

November 17th 2008

Celebrity Chef Paula Deen Delivers 25,000 Pounds Of Meat To Food Bank

Filed under: food & drink, green and famous, not green — parrish @ 11:33 am

Paula Deen — the Food Network star who serves up dinner with a side of angioplasty — recently traveled to Washington D.C. to team up with Smithfield Foods and donate 25,000 pounds of ham to the Capital Area Food Bank.

If you’re not familiar with Smithfield Foods, they are the largest pork manufacturer in the world and kill almost 30 million pigs each year. According to PETA, “Smithfield plays with pigs’ genetics and pumps the animals so full of drugs that most of Smithfield’s pigs are very sick, many can barely walk, and about one in five die before they can be sent to slaughter.”

About the donation, Paula said: “Listen to this. Do you know how long that 25,000 pounds of food is going to last? You know hunger is a constant thing.”

But here’s the thing: what Deen doesn’t realize is that supporting companies like Smithfield is actually counter-productive to ending world hunger.  It’s been estimated that if Americans reduce the amount of meat consumption by just 10%, it would free up enough land to grow 12 million tons of grain -enough to save the millions of children and adults starving to death on our planet each year.

So while we appreciate the fact that Paula wanted to help feed the hungry, sometimes it’s more than the thought that counts — especially when the thought involves 25,000 pounds of environmentally-destructive food.

via: news8.net

November 15th 2008

Razzi Snap: KT Tunstall Joins Campaign To Fight Homelessness

Filed under: film-tv, food & drink, green and famous, movies, music — michael @ 3:47 pm

Singer KT Tunstall has joined a Scottish campaign to eradicate homelessness by 2012. Launched by charity Shelter Scotland, the initiative is asking people to name which song reminds them of home. KT chose “Getting Some Fun Out of Life” by Billie Holiday. The top two choices so far are Dougie MacLean’s Caledonia and 500 miles by The Proclaimers. Anyone else find that Proclaimers song now reminding them of The Office? [Read more...]

Organizers for the Jane Goodall Institue Awards ceremony last week probably should have paid closer attention to the type of vehicle actor Pierce Brosnan arrived in. After all, the former James Bond was being honored that night for his commitment to environmental education — so why have him arrive in a Lincoln Town Car Limo? For his part, Brosnan says he drives a hydrogen-powered BMW H7 at home — but couldn’t anyone have borrowed a Prius or something for the event? [Read more...]

In a recent interview, Ellen Degeneres what her favorite part of Las Vegas is. Her response? “Well, the buffet…I’m vegan so I’ll just have salad,” she joked. “But still, it’s still a bargain.” [Read more...]

The new green-themed Bond flick, Quantum of Solace raked in an impressive $27 million on its opening day on Friday. For comparison, 2006’s Casino Royale only managed $14 million. Eco-villains are truly in vogue. [Read more...]

November 14th 2008

Director Danny Boyle Says India Is Tops For Vegetarian Cuisine

Filed under: food & drink — michael @ 1:58 pm

Danny Boyle, director of Trainspotting and his latest flick Slumdog Millionaire, talked recently about the experience of filming in India. Besides describing the smell as “humanity, which is our excrement, and saffron, and then excrement again”, Boyle also had some kind things to say about the region’s vegetarian offerings.

“If you’re a vegetarian, you could not go to a better place in the world”, he said. “I’m not a vegetarian, but it is wonderful, and there’s more choice there than anywhere, because it’s a vegetarian nation, although they do eat meats. That food is extraordinary.”

Boyle also said that India is lightyears ahead of any other country in terms of recycling. “It is a bit hippie, and I was never a hippie—I was always a punk—but you do go there to learn,” he said. “You learn about yourself, and obviously about those of us who occupy this planet. They always recycled in India, and we recycle now, because we’re desperately trying to catch up with the fact that we’re destroying the planet. But they’ve recycled forever in India. It’s part of the whole way the nation is built. People throw things away, but as they do it, there’s a whole other class of people who pick those things up.”

Check out the rest of the great interview here. Slumdog Millionaire opens this weekend.

November 14th 2008

The Green Quote: Dennis Kucinich On Global Warming and Diet

Filed under: food & drink, green and famous — parrish @ 11:46 am

“I don’t think there’s anything that’s taboo in terms of talking about global warming. People need to be aware of the implications of the food that we eat and also of how the food is raised. Having said that, I have never been in the position because of my own choices that I insist that anyone else has to eat that way.”

- Dennis Kucinich discussing global warming and how it relates to what we eat. As many of you know, Dennis is basically a super-awesome dude and we totally think he’s on to something! To read the rest of the interview, visit VegNews.com!

November 13th 2008

The Green Quote: Jennifer Connelly Quits Being Vegan During Pregnancy

Filed under: food & drink — parrish @ 2:02 pm

“I’d been vegan for many years, and then all of a sudden, when I was pregnant with Kai, I wanted a turkey burger. That was the end of my being vegan.”

- Jennifer Connelly tells Marie Claire magazine how she fell off the vegan wagon during her pregnancy. What do you think about Connelly’s prego turkey-addiction? Chime in and share your thoughts!

via: starpulse.com

November 13th 2008

Emily Deschanel Helps Farm Sanctuary Celebrate Thanksgiving FOR The Turkeys

Filed under: animals, events, events: la, events: nyc, food & drink — parrish @ 1:40 pm

You know sometimes Thanksgiving can be a total downer for us eco-loving, veggie folks. Sure, there’s plenty of vegan deliciousness to eat – I mean have you TRIED my pumpkin pie? But even still, knowing that millions and millions of turkeys are slaughtered each year for the sake of “tradition†can be kind of depressing. Well, Emily Deschanel and Farm Sanctuary are working hard to change all that with Farm Sanctuary’s Celebration FOR The Turkeys!

Deschanel – who Ecorazzi has met and can vouch for her extreme coolness— will be spending her Thanksgiving at Farm Sanctuary’s Orland, CA property as she hosts their cruelty-free Thanksgiving event. Can’t make it to Cali? Across the country at their Watkins Glen, NY shelter, Keith McHenry, founder of Food Not Bombs, will play host for the East Coast celebration! Now sadly, both of these events are currently sold out, but there IS a waiting list and we highly recommend jumping on that.

But no worries if you can’t make it — there are still plenty of ways to get involved! For a one-time $25 adoption fee you can participate in Farm Sanctuary’s Adopt-A-Turkey program and receive a special certificate with a color photo of and fun details about your new friend, a Farm Sanctuary membership for one year, and a one-year subscription to Sanctuary – their quarterly magazine. You can also choose to home adopt by completing an adoption application.

As always, a big vegan hug to Emily Deschanel for leading by example and making this holiday season a compassionate one. Rock on, Emster!

November 12th 2008

Madonna Insists Children Eat Macrobiotic, Vegetarian, Organic Diet

Filed under: food & drink — parrish @ 2:25 pm

As Madonna and Guy Richie end their marriage and the child custody battle begins, we here at the Razz are entertained/impressed with Madonna’s “list of demands†that she’s requiring Guy Ritchie to follow while with the children. If this whole “list thing” sounds familiar, you might remember that Heather Mills made a similar 8-page set of rules for Sir Paul after their divorce.

Some of the rules Madge has dreamt up seem silly, like: Guy can’t introduce the kids to any “new friends” or be photographed with the kids. But other rules — like having the kids stick to a macrobiotic, vegetarian and organic diet —  seem pretty groovy. Madonna, however, does demand that the children only drink Kabbalah water – which we’ve already reported is super wasteful and super expensive.

The requests continue with things like: No reading of newspapers or magazines and no watching TV or DVDs. All clothes must be 100 percent natural. Toys must be spiritually and ethically sound. Madonna must be able to speak to her brood three times a day. Bedtime stories for David must be from Madge’s English Rose books. Guy must not discuss the break-up. And finally, when the children are out in public their hands must be cleaned with disinfectant spray.

What do you think about all these rules? Are they good for the kids or too restrictive? Chime in and share your thoughts!

via: smh.com

November 12th 2008

The Green Quote: Chrissie Hynde Won’t Share Catering With Meat-Eaters

Filed under: food & drink, green and famous — parrish @ 11:37 am

“I would love to headline something, ’cause then I don’t have to share the catering with meat eaters. I love working with other bands, and I certainly don’t mind supporting another band. I don’t have to be the headliner; that’s never been an issue for me at all. I’m just more concerned about sharing the catering.”

- Chrissie Hynde tells Billboard.com all about her meat-eaters dilemma. Are you a veggie who has a meat-eating spouse, roommate, or partner with whom you must share omnivorous sustenance? Chime in and tell us how you deal with it. Perhaps we can give Chrissie some tips!

via: 411mania.com