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Cause celebEdward Norton - Rays of Hope
"If your overpaid, with a job you enjoy, how can you not give something back?" asks Norton, above at the Los Angeles home of Yvette Andrews and her kids. In Style Magazine, November 2003Power to the people! The actor talks about a subject close to his heart: the BP Solar Neighbors Program, which offers free solar electricity to low-income familiesIt all started a year ago. My brother and I were in Kunming, China, visiting our father, an environmentalist who is the senior adviser of the Nature Conservancy's Great Yunnan River Project [a venture to protect China's natural and cultural resources and to improve the livelihoods of local people]. The thing that blew my mind was that I was in a city of about five million people, and when I went up to my father's office building and looked out over the rest of the city, there wasn't a single roof that wasn't covered in solar panels. I thought, You know, Southern California should have this too! I'm a pilot, and when I fly over L.A., I see mile after mile of flat roofs baking in the sun. I realized the potential was there for a radically different way of life. It's surprising how much sense it makes to add solar power to your home. Clean and renewable energy is important to the environment, but what some people don't know is that solar energy is also a great investment because it gives families a permanent reduction in their utility expenses. For a family that's making less than $40,000 a year, eliminating the monthly utility bill can make a huge difference. I started thinking about what I could do, and approached BP Solar with this plan: For every celebrity I could get to buy a solar power system for his or her home, BP Solar would donate one to a low-income household. BP said it was a fantastic idea, and the BP Solar Neighbors Program was born. So far the feedback has been great. Pierce Brosnan got in touch with us, and he's putting the system on two of his houses. I love the fact that people from all walks of life are finding a connection through this and are working toward a common goal to improve their quality of life. I love any idea that helps dissolve boundaries of race and class, and forces a common interest among people. What do James Bond and a family in South Central Los Angeles have in common? Both their homes are powered by solar energy. I don't want this to sound like your classic left-leaning "green" Hollywood thing; this is not about politics. It addresses issues all people are concerned with - those that make environmental and economic sense. I want to send letters to the Dixie Chicks and Bill O'Reilly and say, "Hey, let's find common ground and do something that makes sense." Even though you have an idea you know could be fantastic, it can be
hard to get started. But one think I've learned from my family is
that if you just get the ball rolling and put in a little effort, things
will take off. Fifty years ago people in the movie industry thought
that television would never amount to anything because it was just
a stupid little box that couldn't get good reception. Now most Americans
own them, and the TVs are affordable and high quality. I think the
same thing will happen with solar energy. In fact, I'm convinced that one
day I'll be flying a plance over L.A. and will see as many solar panels
on people's roofs as swimming pools in their backyards. - as told to
Cortney Lumpkin
For more info go to bpsolar.com/homesolutions or ema-online.org ArticlesMain Page || Biography || News || Films || Articles || Photo Gallery || Multimedia || Site Map || Website UpdatesIf you have new information on Edward Norton (and you can provide a verifiable and reputable source), please email me- Susan Note: Articles and images have been posted without permission for noncommercial and nonprofit use
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