ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

November 13th 2008

Elton John Believes Prop 8 Is A Good Thing

So suck it up and embrace inequality!

Filed under: politics — michael @ 3:12 pm

Elton John, who celebrated a civil union ceremony with longtime partner David Furnish in 2005, believes the gay community should stop fighting the right to “marry” because it “puts people off.” At a NYC fundraiser for the Elton John AIDS Foundation Monday night, the legendary singer said,

“We’re not married. Let’s get that right. We have a civil partnership. I don’t want to be married. I’m very happy with a civil partnership. If gay people want to get married, or get together, they should have a civil partnership. The word marriage, I think, puts a lot of people off. You get the same equal rights that we do when we have a civil partnership. Heterosexual people get married. We can have civil partnerships.â€

Way to settle there, Elton. David over on Equality Loudoun said it best last month when arguing against the idea of civil unions as “separate, but equal” saying: “Isn’t the codification of a separate, parallel institution for some couples in itself a powerful signal to think of those couples and that institution as something unequal? And that inequality in turn reinscribes the idea that gay people themselves are unequal.”

Perfectly stated. In my opinion, Elton John needs to better appreciate the big picture.

via chismetime

November 12th 2008

The 3-Legged Dog That Inspired Barack Obama To Adopt

Filed under: animals, politics — michael @ 8:52 am

So much has been said over the Obama family’s upcoming decision regarding the “first dog” — but long before his road to the White House was clear, the President-elect had already made up his mind to adopt.

Back in 2005, Jana Kohl reached out to Barack Obama regarding dog adoption and her larger campaign to end puppy mills. It was then that the Senator promised Kohl he would adopt if his family ever made the decision to get a dog. In addition, along with 40 other notables, Obama posed for a photo shoot for Kohl’s book A Rare Breed Of Love. His co-star in that photo was “Baby”, a hypoallergenic 3-legged rescue dog and puppy mill survivor. From the release,

Great shot of Barack and Baby, right? January 20th 2009 can’t come soon enough. To find out more about A Rare Breed Of Love, jump here.

Photo credit: PRNewsFoto/CBH Communications

November 11th 2008

Prince Charles Wants Japan To Build A Low-Carbon Society

Filed under: campaigns, green and famous, politics — parrish @ 2:49 pm

Say what you want about Prince Charles, but that is one environmentally-aware dude! In the past, Ecorazzi has covered many of Charles’ earth-friendly deeds, including his resistance to genetically modified food and his Aston Martin DB6 converted eco-car. Now, the Prince is reaching out to Japan for concerted efforts to build a low-carbon society to combat global warming.

“We must not abandon the drive towards a low-carbon economy,” the prince of Wales said in a speech marking the 150th anniversary of bilateral relations between Japan and Britain. He continued by calling climate change “the biggest challenge our planet has ever seen.”

While it’s obvious the world is currently going through a financial crisis, Charles thinks that we must stay focused on our commitment to the environment. “While we hope and pray that the underlying strengths of the global economy will enable it to bounce back, the effects of climate change will be far from temporary and will, indeed, be irreversible,” he said.

To achieve the goal, the Prince urged technological innovation, including energy-efficient technologies and conservation efforts, such as forest management.

We totally, one-hundred percent support Charles as he spreads the word about the dangers of global warming. Hopefully, with the election of our new president, America will soon become an even larger force in the environmental revolution our world is slowly embracing!

November 10th 2008

Rumor: Will The Obama Family Go With A Two-Dog Strategy?

Filed under: animals, politics — michael @ 5:06 pm

Amidst the challenges facing President-elect Barack Obama, one issue that continues to create strong interest is what type of dog the first family is planning to bring with them to the White House.

Perhaps all the gloomy news that’s out there lately is reason for entertaining such a topic but as we’ve mentioned earlier — as as stated by President-elect Obama — the family is trying really hard to stand by their commitment to adopting a dog from a shelter. One of our spies, however, spotted a video clip from The Rachel Maddow Show that suggests perhaps as many as two dogs will be adopted. From the video,

“I was backstage at Grant Park after the Obama speech Tuesday night,” said MSNBC Analyst Lawrence O’Donnell, “and I overheard a certain moment — the future first lady discussing the possibility (at someone else’s suggestion) of maybe a two-dog strategy. There could be a two-dog strategy. It was a speculative discussion, there was no commitment, but it remains a possibility at this point.”

Now that we’ve sufficienty blown your mind, you can get back to worrying about the economy. Or perhaps we can further delay such depression by showing you a video of a chicken hatching some kittens. You’re welcome.

Thanks to Linton for the tip!

November 10th 2008

Chuck Norris Gets Poetic About Obama, Gay Marriage And Patriotism

Filed under: politics — parrish @ 4:05 pm

Chuck Norris sure likes him some republican party! In case you’ve forgotten, earlier this spring Norris campaigned for presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. Most recently, Chuck’s been spending his time working FOR Prop 8 in California to help ban gay marriage.

Chuck recently shared a poem he received with the world, echoing his feelings about the presidential election. The poem goes:

When all of a sudden/There arose such a noise/I peered out of my window/ Saw Obama and his boys.

They had come for my wallet./ They wanted my pay/ To give to the others,/ Who had not worked a day!

He snatched up my money /And quick as a wink /Jumped back on his bandwagon/ As I gagged from the political stink.

He then rallied his henchmen,/ Who were pulling his cart./ I could tell they were out /To tear my country apart!

They took off for his cause, /And as he flew out of sight,/ I heard him laugh at the nation, /Who wouldn’t stand up and fight!

Norris also took it upon himself to write a letter to Barack Obama suggesting 4 ways that Obama might get the opposition to “respect him.†Oh, Chucky!

Read the full letter here!

via: eandppub.com

November 10th 2008

Drew Barrymore Declares Proposition 8 “So Wrongâ€

Filed under: campaigns, events, politics — parrish @ 2:42 pm

A few days ago we created a healthy dose of drama here on the Razz by spotlighting Samantha Ronson’s thoughts on Proposition 8 — an initiative to ban gay marriage in the state of California. Earlier this week, Drew Barrymore joined thousands of protestors who marched from Sunset Junction through the heart of Hollywood protesting the Proposition.

Before the march, Barrymore took a moment to speak to the crowd about her thoughts on Prop 8. She said: “People who I love are being affected by this — people who have defined who I am. This can not happen. We have to change this. This is so wrong. With all my heart I could not feel more passionate about this.â€

Check out the video below to hear all of Drew’s thoughts!

November 10th 2008

will.i.am Premiers It’s A New Day On Oprah

Filed under: campaigns, film-tv, green and famous, music, politics, television — parrish @ 2:17 pm

In the spirit of Barack-Mania, will.i.am recently premiered his new song, It’s A New Day, on Oprah! The songwriter isn’t new to the political genre, having written a song in January called Yes We Can, in support of the 2008 U.S. presidential campaign of Barack Obama.  

In It’s A New Day, will.i.am sings: “I went asleep last night tired from the fight. I’ve been fighting for tomorrow all my life. Yea I woke up this morning feeling brand new. ‘Cause the dreams that I’ve been dreaming have finally came true!

To watch the whole performance, check out the video below!

November 10th 2008

The Green Quote: Willie Nelson Asks Obama To Help Family Farms

Filed under: campaigns, food & drink, politics — parrish @ 10:50 am

“(The Good Food Movement) has grown and thrived almost entirely without the support of the federal government. However, now is the right moment for the leadership of our country to take a role in this important movement. In fact, the future of our economy, our environment and our health demand it. Now is the time for our country to recognize and call on family farmers’ ingenuity, strength and value to our past and our future. We can have strong local economies, green energy, a clean environment, healthy citizens and good food. All of these start with family farmers. I look forward to working with you to make this vision of a family farm system of agriculture a reality.”

- A selection from a letter written by Willie Nelson to President-Elect, Barack Obama. Will the family farm survive? Here’s to hoping!!

November 9th 2008

Might Obama Choose Schwarzenegger To Be Energy Czar?

A title truly fitting for a former action movie star...

Filed under: politics — michael @ 11:17 am

Rumors are swirling that President-elect Barack Obama may consider California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger for the post of energy czar in the upcoming administration. The two haven’t had the greatest relationship — with Schwarzenegger recently stumping for McCain and saying that Obama’s tax plans were “Soviet spread-the-wealth policies”. But perhaps such a move would not come as a complete surprise, especially with Obama being a fan of President Lincoln’s idea to surround himself with people of opposing views. From the UK Guardian,

Of course, we all know how inconsistent Schwarzenegger has been in supporting green policies, but not backing them up personally. The private jet flights several times a week, the inefficient cars, etc. But with California making serious inroads towards a more sustainable energy infrastructure, perhaps someone like Schwarzenegger is just what the country needs. If so, it would continue the impressive rise in political power for the former actor.

Check out more on this story here.

November 7th 2008

Update: Obama Says His Preference Is To Get A Shelter Dog

Filed under: animals, politics — michael @ 4:19 pm

At his first news conference this afternoon, President-elect Barack Obama elaborated on his family’s quest to get a dog; after a reporter in the crowd asked him about the issue. Here’s a rough version of his answer:

“This is a major issue. It has generated more interest on our website than just about anything else. We have two criteria that have to be reconciled. One is Malia is allergic so it has to hypoallergenic. Two, our preference is to get a shelter dog, but a lot of shelter dogs are mutts like me. Whether we’re able to do this or not is a huge issue in the Obama household.”

So, good news that the Obama family is still planning on picking up a pup from the shelter! As we figured, they’re having trouble balancing Malia’s allergies with the rescue desire — but PAWS Chicago Adoption Center is ready to help the first family with that issue. As reported yesterday, they will find a pup in need that fulfills the President’s criteria. Let’s hope they take them up on the offer!