Brad Pitt announces New Orleans design competition

[Elvira]

04/20/2006

Brad Pitt today called for people to submit proposals for an environmentally friendly design competition he is sponsoring to rebuild parts of New Orleans devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

“It is our hope that this competition will generate and uncover new and innovative ideas, which will advance the practicalities of responsible architecture, as well as spark a long overdue rebuilding effort for the people of New Orleans,” the actor said in a statement.

He added: “This competition asks the question, can this catastrophe be turned into opportunity?

"Can we create for these neighbourhoods and its families something even better than they had before? We encourage anyone with an idea to get involved.”

Pitt, who is currently in Namibia with Angelina Jolie and their children, is teaming up with Global Green USA, a national environmental organisation, on the design project.

Pitt will lead a jury made up of architects and local leaders to choose designs by six finalists, who will then work with local neighbourhoods on more detailed proposals.
irishexaminer.com

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakin...n=220176407&x=

[Bellatheball]

Eh? Good for him. At least he seems to have this one independant interest.

Of course, he could just want to be the next Ty Pennington.

[Karizma]

That is really wonderful. I'm hoping he is serious about his causes, that will make him even more attractive to me

[lalala]

People fighting for environmental issues usually don't feel confortable with guzzling tons of fuel to fly their precious ass all over the planet

[Karizma]

Really? then how the "global green" people travel from one city to another? via camels?!

[lalala]

The issue is to avoid unnecessary pollution which is obviously not Brad Pitt daily concern judging by his travelling habits - Now environmentalists in the UK are even making a case against flying even only for one holiday a year

[Karizma]

I don't think his travellings (in his opinion) are unneccessary. Those ones who are making cases against flying more than once a year are extremist wackos IMO. Until there is a new environment-friendly invention for travelling then they have no case and they have no right to dictate how many travellings are allowed per person/year. Utterly ridiculous.

[lalala]

In your logic no one would have the right to "dictate" norms for environmentally friendly architecture either then? As for his travel being necessary, that's a hard case to make, and it pollutes more and wastes more fuel than driving 24 hours/day 365 days/year in a fuel guzzling hummer

[Karizma]

no cuz there IS an environment-friendly alternative approach in regards with architecture so why not use it? I feel if this approach in indeed effective then govs should dictate the new methods tp be employed rather than the old harmful method. But this is not the case with travellings, there is no alternative so they basically state no to travel more than once which is completely irrational. Just like fur, i would have never opposed killing animals for fur if there weren't synethic furs or wools, alternative in which people could use to warm their bodies. Where there is an effective alternative then yes old harmful methods should be dropped (if not banned) but other than that it's impossible.

[lalala]

Environmentally friendly architecture doesn't allow energy guzzling projects and imposes restrictions in the same way that it does for travel - In Europe the projects impose smaller windows for instance to have constructions that don't require air conditionning in the summer - there are choices to be made. Same thing for travel if you care for the environment you don't fly day in day out especially not in private jets, or at least you don't proclaim to care about the environment in that case, simple logic

[Karizma]

Well i am sure he has his reasons why to fly occassionaly. I was talking about the comparison between architeture and planes. I think you can only judge when there are alternatives. If there are effective environment-friendly planes and he or anyone else who claims to care about anvironment neglect them and kept using traditional planes, then yes he will be hypocritical other than that i don't see the comparison. But that is my personal opinion, i just believe i care about the environment but i still make more than 2-3 travels per year as there is nothing i can do about it.