Written by Vegetarian Star on Monday, March 30th, 2009 in Actors, Environment-Eco-Green.
It’s no secret that environmentalism and vegetarian go hand in hand, and what other Hollywood star to demonstrate this than Ed Begley, Jr. After all, it is his name Bones actress Emily Deschanel screams in the dark in the name of saving energy.
He recently discussed his motivations for going green as well as vegetarian.
You’ve been green before green became trendy. What made you decide to get involved in sustainable living?
It was growing up in smoggy L.A. I started in 1970 because I’d lived for 20 years, from 1949-1970, with horrible, choking smog and I got fed up with it one day. I wanted to be part of the solution rather than part of the problem. So I bought an electric car for $950, started recycling, composting, I rode my bike, took the bus, shut out the lights, turned off the water. I did as many things as I could on a very modest budget. What happened next I didn’t count on. I was doing it for the environment and realized I was saving money. I was a broke actor in 1970 and couldn’t afford fancy solar panels or something like that, so I just did cheap stuff and I realized I was saving dough. I liked that, obviously. Who doesn’t like that? And I did more and I saved more dough, and so 39 years late, I’m still doing it.
I read that you are a vegetarian. Was becoming a vegetarian something you did prior to green living, or was it a part of it?
It was part of the whole environmental choice. It was a 1970 choice to be green, to eat lower on the food chain. I had heard it was better for the environment. It took less water, less land, less energy to grow 1 pound of broccoli than a pound of beef. So, for that reason, and in a humane world, the kinds of things that go on in slaughterhouses. It’s not like the old days of raising cows out in a pasture and I’m sorry Bessie but you’ve got to die so we can live. It’s not like that anymore. It’s very bad conditions in these factory farms. The hogs, chickens, cows and I don’t want to be a part of that. But for my own health, I thought it was better to eat a plant based diet. I’m going to be 60 soon and I have boundless energy and I feel really good so I’m all for it.
Read the entire interview with Ed at The Examiner.
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