LIVING LIKE ED

Perhaps you’ve heard of Ed Begley, Jr. He’s an actor with quite a list of credits to his name. Not a leading man, but nevertheless a successful actor who has been in the business for over 30 years, with many appearances on both TV and screen.

It turns out that Ed has also been doing something very unconventional for that same 30+ year time period. Ed has been consistently living green, investing in sustainable businesses, and living off the grid for most or all of this time.

It has not been an easy journey, more one of small steps. In his book, LIVING LIKE ED, released in 2008, Ed and his more aesthetically focused wife, Rachelle, share their methods of maintaining a balance between his dedication to total Eco-friendliness and her desire to weave in a bit of the glamour and glitz that Hollywood has to offer.

For instance, while Rachelle’s Prius gets 50+ mpg, Ed prefers his electric car or a bicycle for local transportation. By charging his car off of his solar-created electricity, he is using virtually zero electric that has been created by unsustainable sources. His home and his car are all powered by a collection of unconventional, sustainable methods such as a wind turbine, solar, and more.

Of course, as an actor, public speaker, and businessman, Ed occasionally has to travel long distances that his electric car cannot manage. The Prius works for most of his cross-country trips, unless time does not allow the drive. His occasional plane trips are definitely taken begrudgingly, but he compensates by using Terrapass, to help recover the damage done by his kerosene-powered trip on a jet. This company invests your fee, paid to erase your use of petro-chemicals, by investing your money in projects that do just that. It’s a fascinating business concept to read about in Ed’s book, and one that is growing in popularity.

Ed’s book shares his daily tips and techniques for living lean, simple and completely carbon free, in an entertaining format, bouncing back and forth with Rachelle’s segments that share her slightly lighter shade of green. While both committed to the environment, Rachelle struggles to enlighten Ed to see the beautiful side of life, as well as all that is green and Eco.

A great primer for the beginner, this book opens the readers’ eyes to the possibilities and answers the question, “What can I do to live like Ed?”

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