See how celebrities are helping to save the planet - one mansion at a time

(ARA) - What do big-name celebrities like Ed Begley Jr., Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Orlando Bloom, Daryl Hannah, Julia Roberts and Julia Louis-Dreyfus have in common?

Aside from being ridiculously good-looking and having more money than they know what to do with, these celebrities have all taken steps to significantly "green" their homes. The excessive size of most celebrity mansions - and the fact that they own multiple places around the world - doesn't really lend itself to the idea of green interior design. However, many stars have made a concentrated effort to reduce the carbon footprint caused by their extravagant houses.

Ed Begley, Jr. may be one of the most well-known "green" celebrities. He has an entire TV show dedicated to his green lifestyle, and he took his home entirely off the electrical power grid by using solar panels and wind power to keep it running. He even cooks his home-grown food in a solar oven and created his own line of non-toxic green cleaners to keep things sparkling clean.

But Begley isn't the only Hollywood hunk to step up and take one for the planet by adopting green interior design tactics. These three men all understand how important it is to make their homes as environmentally friendly as possible:

* Johnny Depp hired an environmentally-conscious interior designer to help turn his 35-acre island home into a self-sustaining habitat that runs on solar-hydrogen power.

* Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the original eco-celebs. In 2008 he made a big move by purchasing a condo in Riverhouse, an eco-friendly building that overlooks the Hudson River. Most recently he is recognized for purchasing a $3,200 green toilet.

* Orlando Bloom worked to make his London home as green as possible by using the newest technology and installing everything from solar panels to energy-efficient light bulbs.

Many other celebrity studs have worked hard to reduce their impact on Mother Nature by greening their homes, but the men of Hollywood are not the only ones stepping up to the plate. There are plenty of women making big moves to go green as well:

* Daryl Hannah is a leading force in the green celebrity movement. Her converted-stagecoach home in the Rocky Mountains is solar-powered and made with salvaged materials. Hannah takes going green to a whole new level with her interior designing - her guests are encouraged to sit on a couch made from moss-covered stone that she waters to keep alive.

* Julia Louis-Dreyfus shares an energy-efficient home with husband Brad Hall that boasts a retractable roof to stimulate air flow, daylighting to reduce the use of electric lights, solar heating and salvaged wood.

* Julia Roberts did a $20 million green renovation on her Hollywood mansion to help reduce its potentially massive footprint. Renovators used recycled tiling, sustainable building materials and three roofs of solar panels.

As you can see, many stars are putting their millions to good use to help save our planet. Large-scale green renovations like those mentioned above probably aren't within the budget of the average American, but there are plenty of smaller steps you can take that will make a big difference. Get inspired by your favorite green celebrity, and start implementing environmentally-friendly changes in your home today.

Information in this article was provided by Harrington College of Design. Contact Harrington today if you're interested in developing marketable knowledge and career-relevant skills with an industry-current degree program. (Harrington College of Design does not guarantee employment or salary.)

Courtesy of ARAcontent