World Water Day (and what I learned about Julia Louis-Dreyfus)

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March 19, 2007

Well, blow me over.

Did you know that Julia Louis-Dreyfus, yes the same Julia who wore a wig you-know-where on Saturday Night Live this weekend in a send-up of panty-less starlets, is an eco-warrior?

That's right, the woman I'm interviewing tonight at 10 p.m. EST/7 p.m. PST here on CBS.com. She refuses to allow her husband to move the family into a tent, but she has street cred as an eco-activist none-the-less. Check out this quote:

"I am hardly by nature an efficient person. I've always had lots of clutter in my life, you know, I'm a consumer. I love the creature comforts. I can't live without my cappuccinos, my hot showers, that kind of thing. [Husband] Brad [Hall], on the other hand, would live in a tent if he could, but that's not me. It's only been until recently that all these practical solutions have emerged for consumers to live efficiently without making big sacrifices. I'm not the type to ride a bike to work everyday, but I'll damn well buy a hybrid-engine car. I'm not the type to cut back on hot showers, but there's no harm in hot water when it's warmed by the sun."

You can read the rest of her quotes here in refreshingly opinionated question-and-answer session Louis-Dreyfus and Hall had with Amanda Griscom for Grist.org.

Before you get depressed by the article (to save the planet all you need to do is be reincarnated as a comedienne, win Emmys and commission a new home), let's talk more about water.

Or, rather, let's join BlogHer Contributing Editor Britt Bravo's great piece about World Water Day. She writes:

Water is the Oil of the 21st Century: Take Action on World Water Day:

World Water Day March 22, 2007

"Fortune magazine calls water the oil of the 21st century — 'the precious commodity that determines the wealth of nations.'"--Food & Water Watch

The 1993 novel, The Fifth Sacred Thing, takes place in 2048 in a world where corporations control water, and Northern and Southern California are in a civil water war. Fiction could become reality unless we start making water access and water rights a top priority...

Britt goes on to provide practical every day tips for conserving water around any house.

And there's nothing in it that forbids hot showers.

What do you do to save the planet? Or do you think this issue is overblown?

Best,
Lisa

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

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CBS Presents: An Exclusive, Live Chat with Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Kari Lizer! Gearing up for the return of the comedy series The New Adventures of Old Christine to the primetime television line-up, Emmy award-winner Julia Louis-Dreyfus and series creator and executive producer Kari Lizer will participate in an exclusive virtual press conference with BlogHer Monday, March 19, at 7pm PST/10pm EST. For more details click here: http://www.blogher.com/node/16457
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Comments

 

The issue is most definitely not overblown.

I do small things, but as we know, they add up. I recycle all my paper, plastic, and glass products. I keep everything unplugged when not in use (all except for the fridge, stove, and a lamp; even my TV and DVD player are on a power strip so that I can unplug them both at once). I wash and reuse Ziploc bags. I keep the heat turned low in the winter and put on an extra sweatshirt. I try to consolidate errands so that I'm not running out here-and-there with my car. Etc, etc. :)

Personal blog: Keep Up With Me
BlogHer blog: Life - Singles

 

"I wash and reuse Ziploc bags."

Me too! Drives my family nutso. And I have begun saying in a grating voice, "paper PLEASE" at the local grocery. I applaud.

The unplugged thing, I could do better on though. Good reminder, gracias.

Lisa Stone
BlogHer Co-founder
Surfette

 

My action with the most environmental impact
is...

...being a vegan.

I recently posted over on my vegan blog links to two articles that continue to beat the drum that eating lower on the food chain is a really good environmental choice. Switching diets saves more CO2 emissions than switching to a hybrid car!

Of course that's not the only reason I eat this way, but it certainly is a great benefit of it.

Elisa Camahort
BlogHer and Worker Bees
elisa@blogher.org/elisa@workerbees.biz