It Wasn't Easy Being Green

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Added: Tue. Jan 06, 2009 10:57am
Posted in: Television

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Ed Begley, Jr. started growing bolder when growing bolder was NOT cool. He learned as a young boy never to waste anything. He was a starving actor down on his luck in 1970 when he bought an electric car. He said it wasn't as much to help the environment as it was to help him afford to commute. But the bug bit, and soon, he was into reducing his carbon footprint before anyone knew what that meant.

He was so passionate about it, he was labeled a "weirdo" and a "wacko," and he believes it even cost him jobs in the '90s. After his successful stint on the 1980s classic hospital drama St. Elsewhere, he did a lot of guest spots on TV shows before creating a string of memorable characters in Christopher Guest's movies "Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind" and "For Your Consideration." But through his ups and his downs his passion for the environment has never changed. In fact, he says his celebrity has enabled him to become even more eco-friendly.

Now he lives in a solar powered home, which also provides the energy to run his car. He's developed a solar cooker that is making it possible for impoverished families in Africa to be able to afford to prepare meals. And he has also developed a line he's very proud of called Begley's Best, an all-purpose cleaner that does the work of any household cleaning product.

These days, being Green is fashionable. It's hip. It's even "Hollywood." But that's not why Begley has fought all these years. His is an amazing story, full of insight and inspiration. It's a story you should hear.

Click to listen.