Begley brings 'green' message to USF this week

Ed Begley Jr. was green long before it was cool.

For years, he has peddled his bike around Los Angeles; personally worked on making his modest home super energy efficient; tried to recycle just about everything he could; and spread the word about going green.

The actor and star of "Living With Ed" is bringing his save the planet message to Tampa this week at a national conservation conference being held at the University of South Florida.

The conference coincides with the Going Green Tampa Bay Expo Friday and Saturday on the USF campus.

"I grew in Los Angeles where the smog with choking us and around 1970 I decided to personally just do my part," he said in a recent telephone interview. "I was born in 1949 and I grew up with that smog. Thankfully, it's gotten better now; but we've still got to do more."

Begley, 60, son of an Oscar-winning character actor, has enjoyed a successful acting career, appearing in hundreds of films and TV shows since the early 1970s. He was a six-time Emmy nominee for his role on "St. Elsewhere" and most recently was in the first season of the CBS comedy "Gary Unmarried."

A third season of his reality show, "Living With Ed," begins Oct. 21 on the Planet Green cable network.
It follows Begley's efforts to make his home and his Hollywood friends more environmentally friendly much to the chagrin of his less zealous wife, actress Rachelle Carson."I found that if you use humor you can get people to watch and get the message across," says Begley who does things such as hooking up a toaster to be powered by a stationary bicycle.

Begley bought his first electric car in 1970. In 2001, he switched to the Toyota Prius and also has a 2003 Toyota RAV4 EV electric powered vehicle. He lives in a 1,600 square foot home that utilizes solar and wind power. His annual power bill is less than $300.

He says there was a time when he was mocked as a somewhat nutty "tree hugger" but saving money and making America less dependent on foreign oil are issues that just about everyone can agree on.

"People from red states and blue states can come together on this," he says. "I am encouraged now seeing people from all walks of life embrace the environmental challenges. You can save money and help save the world. My goal is to get people on-board one person at time."

His recent book, "Ed Begley Jr.'s "Guide to Sustainable Living," offers ways people can reduce their carbon footprints. Using an "energy audit," Begley explains how each person can create a game plan for living more environmentally friendly at home.

He also markets environmentally safe cleaning products (Ed Begley's Best Cleaners). For more information on Begley visit edbegley.com

Begley is scheduled to address the 4th annual Campus & Community Sustainability Conference at noon on Friday in the Marshall Student Center on USF's Tampa campus.

The conference draws advocates, students and industry and government leaders interested in exploring new policies, programs and practices for creating sustainable communities. It is not open to
the public.

However, the Going Green Tampa Bay Expo is free and open to the public. Last year's event drew more than 3,000 people. The expo showcases products and services as well as information about creating a more sustainable Tampa Bay area. It is a partnership between USF and the Hillsborough County City-County Planning Commission.

In addition to booths featuring environmentally friendly products, there will be numerous workshops conducted by local experts on topics such as composting, water conservation, and "greening" businesses. More than 80 exhibits will be on hand. Go to goinggreentampabay.com for more information.

"The combined sustainability conference and expo present a unique opportunity for people from all walks of life to learn and collaborate," said Sharon Hanna-West, USF's Exide Distinguished Lecturer of Ethics and Sustainability who has spearheaded brining the events to campus.

"Responding to the challenges of a changing planet is the most critically important action we will undertake in our lifetime, and all of us, regardless of our disciplines, can continually improve our environmental literacy," she said.