Green and Black: Eco-Friendly Celebrities
In honor of Earth Day, stars who give to the environment.
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Drake - April 22 is Earth Day, and in honor of all things recycled, conserved and composted we're putting a spotlight on celebs who keep it green — and not just in their bank accounts. Our list of earth-conscious stars kicks off with Drake. The singer put his ticket sales where his mouth is by headlining an eco-friendly college tour in 2010 to encourage environmental sustainability. (Photo: JD Pht Bx & MCGM / Splash News)
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Kerry Washington - The Scandal star is an environmentalist, but believes in moderation. "I won't tolerate extremists. I don't want to be a hypocrite, but I'm not giving up my hair dryer," she tells Ebony. "Do whatever is doable for you. Whether it's buying recycled toothbrushes or shopping at a local organic fruit market or changing the light bulbs. Taking tiny steps can help in a huge way."(Photo: Jason Merritt/Getty Images)
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Wyclef Jean - The Fugee-turned-politician may have attracted some unwanted controversy for his philanthropic efforts, but that hasn't slowed down his green initiatives. 'Clef partnered with Justin Timberlake to design a pair of eco-friendly yet stylish boots with proceeds donated to his Yele Haiti foundation. He also supports sustainable agriculture in the island nation. "We are not only interested in feeding people in response to the current crisis, but we want to offer them an alternative that can help them in a sustainable way," he said. (Photo: Johnny Louis/WENN.com)
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Erykah Badu - A devout vegetarian, Badu helps us save the environment and improve our skin by teaming up with Kiehl's to promote the Limited Edition Superbly Restorative Argan Body Lotion. The bottle, which she designed, is made of 100 percent post-consumer recycled packaging. (Photo: Victoria Lindt/WENN.com)
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Russell Simmons - Eco-consciousness goes hand-in-hand with the hip hop icon's other interests, yoga and spirituality. The mogul also maintains a vegetarian lifestyle and is active in a number of environmental causes, including PETA. (Photo: Larry Busacca/Getty Images for GLAAD)
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Common - The rapper and actor is passionate about advocating a sustainable, vegan diet. "To the hip hop community I say, if you eat better, you feel better and live better," preaches the PETA rep and animal activist. (Photo: Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for AMC)
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Oprah Winfrey - Some of Oprah's favorite things include eco-conscious cleaning products, light bulbs and reusable shopping bags. The influential media queen also uses her platform to promote organic living and an earth-friendly diet. (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
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Halle Berry - The mom of two made a huge lifestyle change when she was pregnant with her first child. "I'm working on the nursery, but it's all going to be organic and eco-friendly," she told People, adding that she felt an extra responsibility to leave a clean Earth for her daughter. "There are so many things out now that you can use. They even have organic disposable diapers! I'm going to really try hard to make it all organic." (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
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Morgan Freeman - Perhaps because he's played God on the big screen, Freeman feels an extra responsibility toward the earth. "Whatever we can find that is going to help us clean up the environment, we should be working really hard on developing," the normally media-shy star told The Grist. "Environmental causes is one place where you can get me to open my mouth. And put my foot in it if necessary." (Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
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Mario Van Peebles - The cult star believes environmentalism shouldn't just be a rich people problem. "The people who tend to get hit first and worst are often African-American, Hispanic and lower-income white folks," he explains to the Washington Post. "Those people tend to think, 'I'm just trying to get my kid to school; I can't think about being green.' Unfortunately, that's not still an option. We're all in it together." (Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images for NAACP Image Awards)
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