Star Is Solar Powered

Actor Ed Begley Jr. is known equally for his roles in TV and film as he is for his environmental activism. Despite his celebrity, Begley does not live in a Hollywood mansion, instead opting for a two-bedroom house that he has remodeled with solar panels and other sustainable technologies. I spoke with Ed about climate change, what people can do to live more sustainably, and how his activism has affected his career. Begley was nominated for six Emmys for his work on St. Elsewhere and recently had roles on popular shows Veronica Mars, Boston Legal and Arrested Development. Ed and his wife Rachelle Carson (who was named after Silent Spring author Rachel Carson) can be seen quibbling about their sustainable lifestyle on the reality program Living With Ed on Home and Garden Television.

MM: Good theater often involves a sense of conflict. What kind of conflict about sustainable living can we expect to see on Living With Ed?

Ed: Hopefully it will be entertaining conflict. She speaks her mind and so do I. She wants stuff that looks good, and I want stuff that is practical. We have been able to meet in the middle with stuff that looks good and is practical.

MM: Some people have the perception that there is too much compromise required to be environmentally responsible. Do you feel you've compromised with your home?

Ed: You don't need to sacrifice anything at all. I can still have a cool beverage and a warm shower; I just do it more efficiently. [Not having to compromise] is what I set out to do some time ago, and I think I have proved it is possible. I'm not a Luddite; I'm not shivering in a tent. I have a very comfortable lifestyle.

MM: You have made lots of changes to your home including adding solar panels that are too costly for many people. What steps can any person take to reduce their environmental footprint?

Ed: I couldn't afford to put in solar myself today; I put in when I had a TV series and I could afford it. But I encourage people to pick the low hanging fruit. Do the things that are possible, such as installing compact fluorescent light bulbs and energy saving thermostats, taking public transportation, or bike riding where your level of fitness and weathers permits. There's also gardening -- if you have a little piece of dirt -- or joining a community garden. There are so many things that you can do that if you do those, then you may find that you are saving enough money that you can go to the next level, such as buying plastic barrels that collect rainwater. Then you may find that you save even more money and someday afford to buy 4 or 10 solar panels.

MM: How do you think that your environmental activism has affected your career? Do you get distressed if you are on set and people don't recycle or the production isn't environmentally responsible?

Ed: I've turned down so much work over the years it's not funny. I also turned down many movies because they were too violent, which is just another form of pollution. For a while I think I gave people the creeps. I've never made trouble on the set, but I think there was a perception about me, so I didn't work much in the decade of the 90's. I only worked on two studio movies for the entire 10 years. There is a price to be paid for activism, and I paid it. On most sets people are doing a good job now.

MM: How did you get involved in distributing your environmentally friendly cleaning product, Begley's Best? (Ed sometimes delivers the products himself and sells in person at the supermarket.)

Ed: I was inspired by what Paul Newman has done. He gives a lot of money to charity, and I was interested in doing the same. I don't take any salary, and I raise money for charity by selling products. I do all of the work and don't get compensated. I like the idea of selling non-toxic products.

MM: Why are so many people in the entertainment field speaking out about environmental responsibility?

Ed: The scientific community wanted to reach opinion makers, and they were successful in reaching people like Leonardo DiCaprio. I gave Leonardo his first ride in an electric car in 1990 when we were working together on a series called Parenthood. He understood what was at stake and decided to start speaking out. Traditionally entertainment people want to help. They feel fortunate and the want to give something back.

MM: Celebrities such as Al Gore and others who have been promoting environmental responsibility have been criticized for traveling on private jets that add to global warming. Do you think that a fair criticism?

Ed: I personally don't fly in private jets. I don't fly in commercial planes unless I have to because I don't like to fly. Unless my schedule requires flying, I will drive my Prius because it generates less pollution. With my acting and being on 20 environmental boards, I have a busy schedule, but I don't have Al Gore's schedule. Is it worth the amount of jet fuel he uses to get out and spread the word? I don't know. You decide.

MM: With the success of the films An Inconvenient Truth and Who Killed the Electric Car?, there seems to be an expanded awareness of the effects of climate change. What else needs to be done for that message to reach an even wider audience?

Ed: We need more news about things like the Bush Administration agreeing to protect polar bears, and the large section of the ice shelf breaking off in Antarctica. People get it, they understand the impact of global temperature change. But even if you believe that this is part of a natural cycle of fluctuations, why would you want to make it worse? Why put a febrile patient in a sauna? With the information that is available now it would be hard to prove that increasing CO2 emissions won't aid the temperature change.

MM: Do you think there is a disconnect for people between their energy consumption and what happens to the environment?

Ed: People want to disconnect, many people do. They want to pretend that it's not them. While nearly every scientist is in agreement, if there is one person who still argues that humans aren't contributing to climate change, then it's a great reason not to change and continue driving your SUV or to leave the lights on.