Six Celebs Who Almost Get It

Green hypes and gripes about Brad Pitt, Natalie Portman, Miley Cyrus, and more.

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Leonardo DiCaprio
Hype: Lives in a solar-powered house; made global-warming flick The 11th Hour; currently documenting the green makeover of tornado-ravaged Greensburg, Kansas.
Gripe: In 1999 Thai citizens sued the producers of The Beach for permanently damaging the islands’ dune ecosystems; in 2005 DiCaprio bought a pristine, 104-acre island off the coast of Belize to turn into a resort.

Miley Cyrus
Hype: Proceeds from sales of her 8×10 autographed glossy photos benefit environmental education.
Gripe: The Center for Environmental Health found high lead levels in Hannah Montana backpacks, purses, and wallets.

Laurie David
Hype: The Huffington Post blogger, NRDC activist, and pal to Al Gore has raised millions of dollars to fight global warming by hosting ecosalons in her homes.
Gripe: The utility bill from her multimillion-dollar homes in Pacific Palisades and Martha’s Vineyard will take some serious credits to offset.

Soleil Moon Frye
Hype: Former Punky Brewster star co-owns the Little Seed, a green children’s boutique in Los Angeles.
Gripe: Sixty crayons in a basket is $147. An environmentally friendly birch-wood high chair with a phthalate-free plastic tray runs $250.

Brad Pitt
Hype: After Hurricane Katrina, Pitt dropped $5 million to build 150 affordable, environmentally sound houses in New Orleans’ Lower Ninth Ward.
Gripe: His 1,000-acre estate in France has 35 bedrooms, a lake, a pool, a moat, a vineyard, and a forest.

Natalie Portman
Hype: In 2008 she launched her own cruelty-free vegan shoe line.
Gripe: Pay up to $385 for a pair of Portmans—or get your plastic kicks at Wal-Mart, where a pair of Crocs knockoffs goes for $6.

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