Million-dollar shoes. $150,000 goodie bags. Copious Dom Perignon. The Oscars are an homage to glorious overconsumption, and can in no way be considered an ascetic event. All the more reason to make them environmentally friendly, say activists -- especially considering the 40 million potential viewers primed for a lesson on green living.
"The Oscars have always been a venue for making political statements," says Danny Seo, celebrity eco-stylist and host of the Lime radio show "Simply Green." "You have millions of people tuning in: So how do you bring attention to an issue like environmentalism with style and without being on a soapbox?"
The most obvious answer lies behind the wheel of a Prius. Or this year, a Lexus hybrid as well. A record 25 celebrities are expected to arrive at the 78th Academy Awards in cleaner-burning cars rather than gas-guzzling limos as part of the Global Green-organized "Red Carpet-Green Stars" drive-up -- Nicole Kidman, George Clooney and Joaquin Phoenix among them. The program, in conjunction with Toyota and EMA, delivered Orlando Bloom, Charlize Theron and Will Ferrell to last year's event, each in a hybrid Prius. Those who aren't famous enough to merit an invite from Toyota can still arrive in an eco-friendly car from 3-year-old EVOlimo, which rents out luxury Chevy Suburbans that run on compressed natural gas.
"The most powerful message (the Oscars) could send out right now is, in their opening credits during the pre-show, 'Look, there's Cameron Diaz in a hybrid car!,'" says activist Laurie David, who uses EVOlimo for her own red carpet arrivals. "Cars are something every individual gets to a make a decision about."
But transportation is just a start: Truly greening the Oscars would require a sweeping, eventwide makeover -- from cruelty-free clothing and makeup to organic wine and recycled sets.
Eco-friendly celebs would, in an ideal world, wear cruelty-free, organic makeup that wasn't tested on animals, such as Aveda or Zia cosmetics. They could even book an appointment with an all-natural makeup artist, like Rose-Marie Swift, whose clientele includes Kim Cattrall and Jessica Lange.
Before draping themselves with a 50-carat diamond necklace, nominees might want to think twice: Conflict diamonds have been linked to African warfare, human-rights abuses and even Al Qaeda. A better choice might be Canadia diamonds from Canada, which are mined using environmentally friendly practices. Other companies such as Kraiko and Tiffany & Co. also hawk conflict-free gems.
Fear of PETA's red paint pellets has caused fur to fall out of fashion on the red carpet, but those who insist, could wear vintage. Charlize Theron commissioned a faux fur, specially designed for her by John Galliano. Even that hand-beaded couture gown can be an eco-no-no: The fabric was made with polluting chemical dyes, farmed with pesticides and milled in factories. Fortunately, high-end designers Giorgio Armani, Stella McCartney and Ermenegildo Zegna use only organic fabrics, natural dyes and environmentally friendly yarn factories (McCartney's clothes are even vegan).
But there's only so much one attendee can do to make an impact. The greater onus falls on the Academy. The show itself could, for example, go carbon neutral with the help of Native Energy or TerraPass. They would calculate exactly how many carbon dioxide emissions would be released during the planning and execution of the Oscars, then offset the damage by investing a comparable amount in sustainable energy or by planting trees.
The enormous sets? Could be built from recycled materials or wood from sustainably grown forests -- and assembled using nontoxic paints and adhesives. Goodie bags? Rather than electronics and mink eyelashes, load them up with gift certificates to organic restaurants and free stays at environmentally sound resorts.
Paper waste, adds activist David, is also a huge problem. "Papers, ballots, invitations, magazines, tribute books: They hand out tons of them at every event. Do we need to be cutting down virgin forests for things that are looked at for one second?" Better to print them on 100% recycled paper with soy ink.
There are easy fixes for pre- and post-Oscar parties as well. Flowers: pesticide-free; the filet of beef: grass-fed, free-range; even the wine could be organic. Following the lead of the Governors Ball, any leftover food would be recycled and given to a food bank like Angel Harvest.
When it comes time for cleanup, the Academy could hire the L.A. Conservation Corps, an org of at-risk youth that wrapped up the Environmental Media Awards -- the equivalent of the Oscars of the green world -- by recycling all glass, plastic and cardboard, and taking away any organic waste to be composted. And whoever ends up doing dishes should remember to suds up those champagne flutes with a nontoxic, chemical-free detergent like Seventh Generation. Dish duty may seem micro, but everything adds up.
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