He’s an electric-car-driving environmentalist, a liberal, and an Obama supporter. But unlike fellow Hollywood libs Charlize Theron, Susan Sarandon, Anne Hathaway, Spike Lee, and Darryl Hannah, Clooney chose not to attend the DNC. He’s all the way over in his other home country of Italy promoting his new film with Brad Pitt, Burn After Reading, but when asked whether he wanted to attend the convention, he replied, “I like watching conventions on television. I think the stars there should be the people who have been elected.”

He wasn’t exactly raving about Obama’s prospects, saying he was optimistic but also worried about the future, and Pitt was similarly tight-lipped. Perhaps, as an article in the Telegraph mused, this was tied to McCain’s comparison of Obama’s fan base to that of a celebrity. (As if McCain would turn away such a passionate, not to mention youthful, following, were he capable of attaining it.)

Georgie boy and his co-star are also philanthropists. Last week, Cloon and Pitt held a fundraising dinner for the charity they co-founded, Not on Our Watch. The organization benefits and raises awareness of the humanitarian crises in Darfur and similar global issues.

Speaking of Brad Pitt, his Make it Right campaign for building sustainable homes in New Orleans has chosen a New Orleans company, South Coast Solar, to supply solar panels for the homes being constructed in the Lower 9th Ward, which was ravaged by the storm three years ago. The solar panels won’t just benefit the environment but will result in lower energy bills for the residents. The first round of solar panels is being put into place right about now.

According to Treehugger, Clooney already donated $300K to Make it Right, with plans to donate more. He’s such a decent fellow that I hardly noticed how completely gorgeous he is.

Source: Plenty The World In Green

Posted By: Butler Ives

NEW ORLEANS — Three years ago this week, Clarence Green was kicking a hole in the attic window of his Lower 9th Ward home to escape the rising floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina.

There was hardly any.

“We dodged a punch,” said Green, 52, a truck driver. “This can’t compare to Katrina. It was hardly anything.”

The Lower 9th Ward became the symbol of the 2005 catastrophic floods of Katrina. Residents rescued from roofs and attics in the neighborhood were broadcast across the world and came to symbolize the destruction and slow-footed response of the federal government.

The floods knocked homes out of the neighborhood and pushed a barge into the street. The floods also scattered neighbors, dropping the Lower 9th Ward’s population from 18,000 to less than 3,000 today.

This time, the levees and flood walls held. The area is protected by a mix of old I-walls and new, stronger T-walls, both of which held up well against Gustav’s battering winds and tidal surge, said Bob Turner, of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority-East, who monitored the levees.

“We haven’t found any significant problems anywhere along the way” in the Lower 9th Ward, Turner said.

Still, as Gustav loomed as a Category 3 storm in the Gulf of Mexico, many residents of the Lower 9th Ward heeded warnings and evacuated, said Linda Jackson, president of the Lower 9th Ward Homeowners Association. Many residents had planned where they would go and with whom they would stay, a stark difference of the chaotic fleeting immediately after Katrina, she said.

Right before she left Sunday evening, Jackson drove up and down the Lower 9th Ward streets, knocking on doors and urging residents to leave.

“Everyone was ready to go this time,” she said. “No one wanted to stay and go through that again.”

On Tuesday, the neighborhood was empty and quiet. Occasionally, a New Orleans police cruiser or National Guard Humvee was seen driving down a street.

One of the few people in the area was Jake Spahr, a security specialist with Oakley Services. The company had been hired by the Make It Right Foundation, the organization started by Brad Pitt to raise money and build homes for Katrina victims in the Lower 9th Ward.

On Tuesday, Spahr cased down Tennessee Street in the Lower 9th Ward, cradling a semi-automatic rifle, watching over seven houses under construction, just in case looters might show up. The new homes withstood Gustav’s punishment, not even losing a solar panel, Spahr said.

“There’s a lot of hope for this neighborhood,” Spahr said. “I think it could be really nice.”

Pam Dashiell, an activist in the Holy Cross section of the Lower 9th Ward, said surviving Gustav unscathed could encourage Katrina victims to return home. However, they should still remember they live next to levees, she said.

“As we continue to rebuild, we have to keep our vulnerability in mind,” she said.

By: Rick Jervis, USA TODAY

South Coast Solar awarded contract after competing in nationwide RFP…Company to provide solar electric panels and installation services for the first Make It Right homes.

July 25, 2008 (New Orleans, LA) Today, executives with New Orleans-based South Coast Solar, Louisiana’s leading provider of solar electric panels, solar hot water heaters, and solar pool heating products announced that the Company has been chosen to be the solar energy provider and consultant for the first Make It Right homes under construction in the Lower 9th Ward.

“We are excited to have been selected by Make It Right New Orleans for this important residential project in New Orleans. As lifelong residents of the city, my partners and I are committed to rebuilding New Orleans greener and more energy-efficient than before Hurricane Katrina. The utilization of solar power for these homes will enable these returning homeowners to live in more environmentally responsible homes that use less energy, which for the homeowners will translate into significantly lower energy bills,” says Troy Von Otnott, President of South Coast Solar.

In addition to meeting the qualifications of the RFP, South Coast Solar meets Make It Right’s objective of utilizing as many local resources as possible. South Coast Solar will design and install the rooftop solar energy systems for these Make It Right homes. Solar energy design has commenced on the first six homes, some of which are expected to be completed by August 29, 2008, the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Installation of each solar energy system takes only one day.

About South Coast Solar:

South Coast Solar, headquartered in New Orleans, LA, is Louisiana’s leading solar energy company specializing in both renewable energy systems and energy efficiency products and services. The company provides design and installation of solar energy systems for residences, multi-family apartments, hotels, restaurants and commercial businesses.

SCS provides solar electric panels, solar water heater systems and solar pool heating systems. The company represents the top solar product manufacturers in the world including SunPower, Schuco, Enerworks and Heliocol. SCS is the only authorized dealer of SunPower in Louisiana. SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers the highest-efficiency solar electric technology worldwide. SunPower’s high-efficiency solar cellsgenerate up to 50 percent more power than conventional cells. For more information on Sunpower visit www.sunpowercorp.com

About Make It Right:

Make It Right’s mission is built upon catalyzing redevelopment of the Lower 9th Ward by building a neighborhood of safe and healthy homes that incorporate modern, high-quality design and construction while preserving the spirit of the community’s culture. Make It Right is committed to building 150 houses in the Lower 9th Ward; ensuring a green, affordable, sustainable, and replicable community to serve as a model for furtherrebuilding; including the Lower 9th Ward community as an integral part of the process; and a finance plan that ensures that residents who wish to return to the Lower 9th Ward can do so without further financial hardship. For more information on Make It Right visit www.makeitrightnola.org