<span class="label"> Month </span> <h1 class="pate-title">April 2011</h1>

Around the world yacht racing enthusiasts just say no to fossil fuels?

Green Living!

Around the world yacht racing enthusiasts just say no to fossil fuels?

[Apr. 21]

You don’t have to be a full time green celebrity to realize that going green makes perfect sense. Called “the world’s ultimate solo challenge,” wind power fuels an eight month solo yacht race around the world that has been held every four years since 1982. The race began in La Rochelle, France in October, and is expected to conclude after the fifth and final leg of the race from Charleston, SC, back to La Rochelle.

“I’m not an environmentalist, or I don’t thump it too hard, but I am there,” said Derek Hatfield of Nova Scotia, who has placed second in the latest leg of the race, according to Reuters. “Things have changed a lot more than we think. I hope it’s not too late. I hope that we can make a difference.”

And that’s the perfect attitude to take. We may not all be green celebrities able to afford green technologies to help us get away from fossil fuels completely, but demonstrating that it can be done, over the long haul, especially for such a grueling race, is promising.

These green skippers are sailing what are called “Eco 60s”, which are old Open 60 yachts outfitted with solar panels, wind generators, and hydrogenerators that power the autopilots, GPS, satellite phones, and laptops that the skippers use while on the seas.

“The goal, of course, is not to use any fossil fuel at all,” said Derek.

Go Green Latest News Latest Rumors and Celeb Gossip

The Body Shop 3 Minute Shower campaign bright green washing idea?

How to Go Green!

The Body Shop 3 minute shower campaign challenge green washing idea?

[Apr. 21]

Mall rats and lady diva shop-a-holics, get ready to plunk down some spending money and dare to bare for 3 minutes or less. That’s right — the Body Shop, who call themselves, “the original ethical beauty brand”, announced its new eco-conscious range of Shower Gels for Earth Lovers and kicked off its Earth Lovers Three-Minute Shower Challenge in 2011. The beauty boutique with a store presence in shopping malls all across the United States hopes the green marketing campaign will raise awareness about water conservation by challenging their eco-friendly consumers to take a shorter shower. And with star celebs like Jennifer Aniston already having opened the dialogue with the press about their 3 minute shower ritual activities to save the planet (inspiring countless green men across the planet to fantasize about her in eco friendly suds), why not? Talk about your positive spin on green washing!

Current Events Green Products Latest News Latest Rumors and Celeb Gossip

Going Green: Chevrolet Volt named 2011 World Green Car at NY Auto Show

Going Green!

Star celebs fav green car Chevrolet Volt named 2011 World Green Car at NY Auto Show —

[Apr. 21]

Late night talk show hosts Jay Leno and David Letterman ought to be happy. The 2011 Chevrolet Volt was named 2011 World Green Car of the Year at the New York Auto International Auto Show this week, and both star celebs have been endorsing going green automobiles. The celebrities have actually come forward to give their celebrity endorsement to green transportation on both of their respective television shows, helping promote the idea that clean and green transportation is the way to go.

Further, both star celebs have shown support for American auto products including the Ford Fusion and the new Chevy Volt. While Ford has remained financially independent, Chevy took bail out money from the U.S. government. There has been some private sector criticism that any awards given to the Chevy Volt are at the behest of President Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and House Democrats. However, the people at Chevy who participated in the design, production implementation, and marketing of the new green car say that playing politics to win favors in the United States just ain’t so.

“The selection of the Volt as the World Green Car is a further proof point of the fuel-efficient technologies that are now being offered by the Chevrolet brand around the world,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet marketing. “This award, and the others that have preceded it, validate the efforts of the development team to build a truly remarkable vehicle with the potential to transform transportation around the globe.”

The Chevrolet Volt was chosen from an initial entry list of 12 new vehicles from around the world, then a shorter list of 10, then three finalists: the Chevrolet Volt, the BMW 320d Efficient Dynamics Edition and the Nissan Leaf. The award is decided by a panel of global automotive journalists.

Go Green Latest News

How To Go Green: Simple ways to make your home more eco-friendly exist?

How To Go Green!

Simple ways to make your home more eco-friendly —

[Apr. 21]
Making your house into an eco-friendly home doesn’t have to be top dollar expensive or ridiculously time consuming. You don’t have to be a celebrity like Leonardo DiCaprio or Ed Begley Jr. to do it, either. One smart energy company has actually just released a list of eco friendly HOW TO GO GREEN lifestyle tips related to helping consumers save money on electricity while doing the right thing for the environment.

According to MXenergy, going green is something you do by making one small change at a time. As one of the nation’s leading independent energy providers, the organization’s staff are big proponents of the sustainability movement, saving the planet by improving the world one eco friendly house at a time.

As part of the company’s Earth Week celebration, MXenergy offered clients and people searching for information on ways to go green at home a simple, easy list of go green tips. The best part? Any homeowner or renter can use their bright green ideas to reduce their home’s carbon footprint and increase their energy efficiency.

“I think it is important for people to realize that small changes really do have an impact,” says Marjorie Kass, MXenergy Managing Director. “Sometimes people have the perception that ‘going green’ is going to cost them a lot of money. The truth is there are simple, inexpensive choices we all can make that really do make a difference.”

We concur.

Celebrity Scandals Current Events Latest News Latest Rumors and Celeb Gossip

Celebrity Scandal: Newspaper hacks star celebs phones to get dirt?

Celebrity Scandal!

Newspaper hacks star celebs phones to get dirt?

[Apr. 21]

We are not talking about Beyonce Knowles and Lada Gaga telephone video celebrity scandal. A scandal that has been brewing for years with Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World tabloid is coming to a head. A judge has ruled that four test cases, among them pet friendly actress Sienna Miller, star of Factory Girl (2006) and The Edge of Love (2008), may move ahead with a lawsuit against News of the World for a phone-hacking scheme that violated the rights of a number of celebrities, sports stars, and royal family.

The word broke out in 2005 and 2006 that the tabloid had been involved in various means of intercepting voicemail communication and other private communications through phone-hacking. The News of the World had previously claimed no knowledge of the phone-hacking scheme, saying it was the work of just a couple of rogue employees, but investigation lately has demonstrated that the practice was far more widespread than initially thought.

The attorney for News Group, which owns News of the World, has argued that the case should not be allowed to continue because the paper has offered to settle for more than what complainants are likely to get awarded in court should they win. Regarding Sienna Miller, the attorney, Michael Silverleaf told the judge, “She cannot realistically recover more than we are offering.”

Sienna Miller has 21 days to decide if she will take the settlement, but it could mean allowing the newspaper to escape investigation into what could be many more cases. The paper has identified only eight complainants with whom it is offering to settle.

KIVI-TV reports:

Miller’s lawyer, Hugh Tomlinson, said money was not the primary motivation for many of the claimants.

“Damages are an aspect, but when private information is involved, the kind of relief people are looking for goes beyond simply monetary compensation,” he said.

Already Andy Coulson has had to step down as head of communications for Prime Minister David Cameron as a result of the scandal. Coulson was editor for News of the World while the phone-hacking scheme was ongoing, according to Yahoo! News. And two senior men with News of the World have been held on charges, according to Reuters.

Latest News Latest Rumors and Celeb Gossip Music Trivia Television Reviews

Did dancer Mark Ballas get American Idol singer Pia Toscano on DWTS?

Hollywood Gossip!

Did Mark Ballas secretly help ex American Idol contestant Pia Toscano get a gig singing on DWTS?

[Apr. 20]

Dancer Mark Ballas and Disney princess Chelsea Kane are keeping up with the rankings on Dancing with the Stars. Sources close to the production crew on DWTS staff are wondering if Ballas pulled some strings to to get the American Idol favorite onto Dancing with the Stars. After Pia introduced herself to the dance pro by way of a mutual acquaintance of wrestling star Chris Jericho, who also is a competitor on DWTS. Ballas says, no, though. Even thought judge favorite Pia Toscano was voted off of American Idol, she is still a hot commodity in Hollywood social circles as a new voice and pretty face, and the hot male celebrity dance pro took note. Apparently, that Pia Toscano will be performing next week on Dancing with the Stars while Ballas dances with Karina Smirnoff on the April 26 results episode thanks to a romantic spark between Pia and Mark. But he denies being anything more than just friends and claims he has zero influence with the producers decisions who to bring on the show as musical guests.

Ummm… yeah. Sure he doesn’t have any pull… and of course they are just friends… and no WAY the DWTS producers would ever think of capitalizing on some free press if one of their dance pros just happens to hook up on his down time with the hottest female contestant ever voted off American Idol.