Ed Begley Jr. Interview

Actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. recently released a new book — Ed Begley, Jr.'s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life. His eco-guide is full of practical, straightforward advice and 'how to' guidance about greening your home and lifestyle. We caught up with America’s favorite celebrity activist to find out more about his hot new book.

Tell us about your new book.

After I finished writing the first book, I received thousands of emails from people with even more questions. My production team and I sat down and sorted through all the email and identified a bunch of key areas where people seemed to want more advice and help.

But everyone seemed to have the same issues with ‘where to start’ and ‘in what order to do things’ and ‘how to get the most bang for the buck’.  So the real purpose of the new book was to create a sort of road map for people to follow…and that map starts with Conservation.  So many people wanted to know about solar panels and wind turbines and hybrid cars and electric cars…but those are expensive things that often need to be considered AFTER more core issues of resource usage are addressed.

Every homeowner has a different situation, so we need resources that help identify each situation and address it individually.
—Ed Begley Jr.

The book is broken down into 3 sections:  Conserve, Produce and Manage. And I try to show everyone how by starting with conservation, and making your home as energy efficient as possible, you get the most bang for your buck. Putting solar panels on an energy inefficient house is like going out in the rain with an umbrella filled with holes!

So, this book goes into fairly good detail on energy and resource conservation techniques, including the all-important home energy audit process.  And, by bringing in a bunch of experts from many areas, we’ve got some really good information on technologies ranging from windows and insulation to HVAC, solar and wind.

The first book was really about my personal 40 years journey.  This new book has a lot more detail and substance to hopefully help people plan out their own sustainable living journey using the best resources we have today.

Do you think people need more 'how to go green' info?

What we need is more info or more resources available that help people with their specific needs. Every homeowner has a different situation, so we need resources that help identify each situation and address it individually.  That is why I’m so behind the home energy audit – it’s a way for each homeowner to create a road map for their specific needs.

You are the ultimate green Hollywood guy - do you ever give up hope?

No. I never give up hope. I’ve often recognized that things are bad, but have always held out hope that the situation would improve, and it usually does.

To get more people involved, we need to address a wide range of issues that matter to a wide range of people.
 —Ed Begley Jr.

Are you seeing progress in people's attitudes towards the planet?

I see progress in many ways. There are people that want to save money. There are people that want to simplify their lives. There are people who are concerned about their health and wellness. There are people who are concerned about national security and rising oil prices. There is a growing consensus about global climate change. And, there are more and more people concerned about the health of our planet itself. With motivations coming from so many places, I’m very encouraged about our future.

What do you think needs to change to get more people involved with environmentalism?

We need to focus on ALL the things that matter to ALL people.  I get so much fan mail from ‘red state’ republicans that say things like “I may not agree with you politically Mr. Begley but where do I buy one of those rain barrels to catch my rainwater?”

Sometimes people may not be on board with the science of global climate change, or they might not be on board with a particular environmental bill or movement. However, they may see their energy bills or water bills rising, or they may see the billions of dollars leaving our economy and going to the Middle East and want to do something about that in their own lives. To get more people involved, we need to address a wide range of issues that matter to a wide range of people.

We asked you this last time, but we will ask you again in case something changed in the last year. What are the five most important things people can do for the environment?

1. Get out of your car as much as you can. Walk, take public transportation or ride a bike as much as you can.
2. Get energy efficient lighting for your house. The earth and your wallet will both thank you.
3. Put weather stripping up around your doors and windows, making your home tight and efficient.
4. Start a compost container or pile, and use it for starting a home garden – it will deliver great food through a great pastime. If you live in an apartment, get part of a community garden!
5. Practice the 3 Rs – reduce, reuse, recycle.

What other eco projects are you working on at the moment?

I’m in the middle of installing an advanced graywater/rainwater recycling system in my home. It’s a very advanced system that I believe is the way everyone will recycle water in their homes in the future.

Any future plans?

Filming 13 new episodes of our TV series LIVING WITH ED for the next several months – that will keep me and my wife pretty busy!

Any thoughts of running for political office? Ed For Governor?

Absolutely NOT!

Visit: http://www.edbegley.com/environment/

Order this book on Amazon.com - Guide to Sustainable Living

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