You've probably seen him on TV - as the hairdresser boyfriend to the mom on Six Feet Under, or as 'Pastor Ed' on The New Adventures of Old Christine. He even has his own reality show. But, since 1970, actor and activist Ed Begley, Jr. has also been a strong voice for the environment.
"(In 1970) I bought my first electric car, it was the first Earth Day, I started recycling, and started composting," said Begley Jr., adding that his eco-evangelism was born of a good thing, "which was scouting. I was a Boy Scout and Cub Scout. And, it was also born of a bad thing: smog. I wanted to do something to combat the smog."
Begley offers a checklist of easy things the average person can do to help the environment:
- Get out of your car."That could mean many different things.... Walk to the market... if distance permits where you live. Riding a bike..... if weather and fitness permits. Or take public transportation."
- Reduce your home energy use. "You can get a compact floruescent bulb for a lighting fixture. If you like it, get a few more. Get an energy saving thermostat"
- Home gardening. "Either plant a tree, or plant a vegetable garden. Get your feet in the dirt and do something good for the soil and for yourself by getting involved in gardening."
"All these things I just mentioned are dirt cheap, all good for the environment, so start with those three and build," said Begley, who points out that, kids today are familiar with a lot of brand names, but are usually unable to identify more than a few plants.
"Reduce, Reuse and Recycle" is an earth-friendly mantra - but, Begley suggests taking it one step further by avoiding putting things in landfills thru '
pre-cycling,' or "buying stuff that has a minimal amount of packaging. Buying stuff in bulk."
This tip from Ed can save us all money: "Keep consumerism down," he urges, "by buying only what you really need. And, buy a product that's going to have some durability and is going to last a long time. Live simply so others can simply live."
Begley even has his own line of non-toxic, biodegradable cleaning products. He says "Begley's Best" all purpose cleaner and stain removers "work every bit as well, (or) better than the other cleaners," adding "Why use something with a lot of ammonia or petro-chemicals when you can do it with a non-toxic substance?"
Learn more eco-friendly tips,
listen to the podcast of my interview with Ed Begley Junior at
www.lisa.fm.
Note: Ed Begley Jr. is currently directing and starring in a musical he wrote called "Cesar & Ruben," at the NoHo Arts Theater in North Hollywood. The show runs thru November 4 th and has been getting great reviews. For ticket information, go to
http://www.cesarandruben.net/.
His reality show,
Living with Ed airs on HGTV.