'The Vampire Diaries' star Ian Somerhalder has been nominated for the World’s Most Responsible Celebrity Award, in this year's International Green Awards.
Somerhalder, who campaigns tirelessly on topics such as habitat, energy and animals through his IS Foundation, is up against sustainable fashion supporter Livia Firth and Asian star eco-activist Nadya Hutagalung for the title.
Best known as smouldering vampire Damon Salvatore in the hit US show and for his previous starring role as Boone Carlyle in long-running TV drama 'Lost', Somerhalder was also recently honoured at the Environmental Media Awards in LA with the Futures Award.
As well as setting up and running his own foundation, he is also an Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), where his work has included a video call-to-arms for people to participate in environmental activity.
Talking about his environmental work, he recently said: "I don’t know how to do anything else other than be an actor. If I wasn’t in this, I would be in alternative energy and conservation."
The aim of the International Green Awards is to raise the bar around the 'cult of celebrity' and the award hopes to put the spotlight on progressive individuals who harness the power of the media and challenge conventional thinking on the climate agenda.
The winner, who will take the title from last year's greenest celeb - international supermodel Gisele Bündchen - will be announced on Tuesday 20 November at Battersea Power Station, London.
Who do you think is the greenest celebrity?
Green Celebrities
Gisele Bündchen(01 of17)
Although she may be one of the most beautiful women in the world, Gisele Bündchen is much more than just a pretty face. Named the 2011 Greenest International Celebrity of the Year, Bündchen devotes an extraordinary amount of her time and money to environmental causes. She has been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment Program since 2009, works with the Brazilian movement A Drop Of Water (Gota D'água), and is involved in her hometown's Clean Water Project. And with the Amazon rainforest as one of her main passions, Bündchen co-hosted the Rainforest Alliance annual gala in 2009. (credit:Getty)
Robert Redford(02 of17)
Actor Robert Redford is a long time environmental advocate and a trustee of the Natural Resources Defense Council and founder of the Sundance Institute.
A long time blogger for HuffPost, Redford has written many pieces dissecting the impact of fracking on our planet, and the cozy relationship Big Oil has with the government.
In a June blog piece, Redford wrote about energy subsidies and the Rio+20 conference. "We should not be subsidizing the destruction of our planet," Redford affirmed. "Fossil fuels are literally cooking our planet, polluting our air and draining our wallets. Why should we continue to reward companies to do that?" (credit:Getty)
A long time blogger for HuffPost, Redford has written many pieces dissecting the impact of fracking on our planet, and the cozy relationship Big Oil has with the government.
In a June blog piece, Redford wrote about energy subsidies and the Rio+20 conference. "We should not be subsidizing the destruction of our planet," Redford affirmed. "Fossil fuels are literally cooking our planet, polluting our air and draining our wallets. Why should we continue to reward companies to do that?" (credit:Getty)
Adrian Grenier(03 of17)
Adrian Grenier may share good looks and acting chops with his Entourage alter-ego Vince, but the similarities end when it comes to extracurricular activities. Unlike the hard-partying Vince, Grenier is an activist who uses his fame to better impact the world around him. He created a TV show called "Alter Eco" for Discovery Channel's Planet Green, the website SHFT.com, which promotes sustainable living through various multimedia, and supports eco-friendly fashion. In addition, he is an Oceana ambassador and works with charity:water to bring safe drinking water to third world countries. And did we mention that he won the Blue Sky award in 2008 for his environmental activism? (credit:AP)
Meryl Streep(04 of17)
While Streep is often considered one of the greatest screen sirens in history, her passion for environmental health is no act. In 1989, she created Mothers and Others, after reading a Natural Resources Defense Council report regarding pesticides in produce, according to USA Today. The group taught consumers about chemicals and toxins that have become commonplace for non-organic foods.
Although the organization shuttered in 2001, Streep's fight for environmental food awareness continues today. She is involved with Children's Health Environmental Coalition, a group that aims to protect children from toxins in water and food sources. (credit:Getty)
Although the organization shuttered in 2001, Streep's fight for environmental food awareness continues today. She is involved with Children's Health Environmental Coalition, a group that aims to protect children from toxins in water and food sources. (credit:Getty)
Mark Ruffalo(05 of17)
A longtime green advocate, things got personal for Mark Ruffalo when hydraulic fracturing or "hydrofracturing" began to disrupt his hometown in upstate New York's Sullivan County. Ruffalo educated himself on the complex practice and has been using his fame to call attention to this destructive method of natural gas extraction. The A-list activist, who founded Water Defense, even landed himself on a U.S. terror watch list for organizing screenings of a documentary about natural gas drilling.
Ruffalo specifically seeks to fight gas companies' positive spin about the arguably destructive practice. In one memorable forum, he challenged their claim that the extraction method would bring much-needed work to low-income communities. "You don't put everyone else in jeopardy just because its going to bring jobs," he said on the local news, "you don't bring your daughter to the red light district because you're having hard times." (credit:Getty)
Ruffalo specifically seeks to fight gas companies' positive spin about the arguably destructive practice. In one memorable forum, he challenged their claim that the extraction method would bring much-needed work to low-income communities. "You don't put everyone else in jeopardy just because its going to bring jobs," he said on the local news, "you don't bring your daughter to the red light district because you're having hard times." (credit:Getty)
Alec Baldwin(06 of17)
Actor and activist Alec Baldwin, know for his role on the sitcom "30 Rock" and for movies like "The Cooler" and "The Departed," is a a staunch advocate for clean energy.
Baldwin told HuffPost's Lynne Peeples, "The biggest problem in the anti-nuclear movement is the constant big lie, and the constant assertion, metronomic assertion, in the industry, that nuclear is clean power."
He also tackled the oil industry, saying, "In fairness, the oil industry is ... a bunch of a very, very smart, very shrewd, very necessary, industrialists who did their part and did what was asked of them to get us to where we are now. Now it's time for them to step aside in terms of their primary role."
In April 2011, Baldwin blogged for HuffPost about nuclear power, writing, "Fukushima shows us that utility companies reap all of the benefits, while we assume all of the risks." (credit:Getty)
Baldwin told HuffPost's Lynne Peeples, "The biggest problem in the anti-nuclear movement is the constant big lie, and the constant assertion, metronomic assertion, in the industry, that nuclear is clean power."
He also tackled the oil industry, saying, "In fairness, the oil industry is ... a bunch of a very, very smart, very shrewd, very necessary, industrialists who did their part and did what was asked of them to get us to where we are now. Now it's time for them to step aside in terms of their primary role."
In April 2011, Baldwin blogged for HuffPost about nuclear power, writing, "Fukushima shows us that utility companies reap all of the benefits, while we assume all of the risks." (credit:Getty)
Natalie Portman(07 of17)
Portman, a vegetarian since childhood, turned full-on vegan after reading Jonathan Safran Foer's book "Eating Animals" last year (although she went back to being a vegetarian during her pregnancy) . She blogged on The Huffington Post, "The human cost of factory farming -- both the compromised welfare of slaughterhouse workers and, even more, the environmental effects of the mass production of animals -- is staggering."
She traveled to Rwanda to film a documentary about endangered gorillas, she's designed her own vegan shoes, and is now even sporting an eco-friendly engagement ring from husband Benjamin Millepied. Portman's passion for the environment began at a young age - she can even be seem dancing in a very...uniqueenvironmental video as a World Patrol Kid. (credit:Getty)
She traveled to Rwanda to film a documentary about endangered gorillas, she's designed her own vegan shoes, and is now even sporting an eco-friendly engagement ring from husband Benjamin Millepied. Portman's passion for the environment began at a young age - she can even be seem dancing in a very...uniqueenvironmental video as a World Patrol Kid. (credit:Getty)
Brad Pitt(08 of17)
Although he is not the family UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, Brad Pitt is one of Hollywood's leading green men. The award-winning actor supports many different facets of green activism, namely animal rights, sustainable living, and green building. Pitt co-founded the "Make It Right" foundation, which rebuilds homes in Katrina-torn New Orleans using affordable eco-friendly technology.
He also hosted a PBS series focused on green design in 2006, and, together with Angelina Jolie, donated $2 million to the African Wildlife Sanctuary, says MNN. (credit:Getty)
He also hosted a PBS series focused on green design in 2006, and, together with Angelina Jolie, donated $2 million to the African Wildlife Sanctuary, says MNN. (credit:Getty)
George Clooney(09 of17)
When it comes to green activism, George Clooney doesn't mess around. "You don't want to be a spokesperson unless you are absolutely committed to a cause," the actor said in an interview with TIME magazine. And according to his own logic, Clooney is a total environmental buff. MSN reported that after his role in Syriana, Clooney helped launch Oil Change, a campaign to diminish America's oil dependence. He is also a major human rights activist, protesting in favor of aid for Sudan and Darfur, and even going so far as to get arrested at a protest in March 2012. Clooney drew a parallel between human rights issues and climate disasters in 2010, when he asked Today Show's Ann Curry "If you knew a tsunami, or Katrina or a Haiti earthquake was coming, what would you do to save people?"The rugged actor also tries to stay green in his everyday life. According to MSN, he drives two electric cars, and was the cover photo for Vanity Fair's first green issue. (credit:Getty)
Leonardo Dicaprio(10 of17)
DiCaprio is a long-standing environmentalist, who sits on the boards of the Natural Resources Defense Council and Global Green USA. He has created the environmental documentary "The 11th Hour," where he said, "It's clear humans have had a devastating impact on our planet's ecological web of life. Because we've waited, because we've turned our backs on nature's warning signs, and because our political and corporate leaders have consistently ignored the overwhelming scientific evidence, the challenges we face are that much more difficult. We are in the environmental age whether we like it or not."
And just this winter, DiCaprio made headlines for surviving a plane scare in order to get to a summit on saving the world's tigers, donating $1 million to the World Wildlife Fund. (credit:Getty)
And just this winter, DiCaprio made headlines for surviving a plane scare in order to get to a summit on saving the world's tigers, donating $1 million to the World Wildlife Fund. (credit:Getty)
Alicia Silverstone(11 of17)
Once known as the archetypical valley girl Cher in the movie "Clueless," Alicia Silverstone now makes her name as the face of vegan beauty. She wrote a diet book called "The Kind Diet" which she says "is about living your healthiest and happiest life to the fullest, while taking care of mama Earth at the same time." She also regularly updates her blog, The Kind Life, with vegan recipes, beauty tips, and other Earth-friendly finds from the celebrity fashionista.Silverstone recently created a cyber-windstorm for pre-chewing her son Bear Blu's food. "It's natural," she defended herself to Entertainment Tonight. (credit:AP)
Sting and Trudie Styler(12 of17)
In 1989, Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, formed the Rainforest Foundation Fund to preserve rainforests and protect indigenous populations within them. "Sting and I founded the Rainforest Fund after seeing with our own eyes the destruction of one of the world's most precious resources," Styler was quoted as saying in a HuffPost article. "If we all take action, we can help save the planet and prevent further harm to the rainforests and indigenous people who live there."
Styler blogged for HuffPost that she and Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund after flying over the Amazon and meeting people on the ground there. She said, at first, "Sting was criticized for daring to be a rock star who wanted to change the world." But she says their group has worked to successfully protect over 115,000 square kilometers of rainforest. (credit:Getty)
Styler blogged for HuffPost that she and Sting founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund after flying over the Amazon and meeting people on the ground there. She said, at first, "Sting was criticized for daring to be a rock star who wanted to change the world." But she says their group has worked to successfully protect over 115,000 square kilometers of rainforest. (credit:Getty)
Daryl Hannah(13 of17)
Actress Daryl Hannah, known for films such as "Blade Runner" and "Splash," has lent her name to several environmental causes.
In 2009, she travelled to West Virginia and was arrested while protesting mountaintop removal coal mining. She wrote for HuffPost, "I was honored to be joining an inspiringly brave group of concerned Americans."
More recently, she was one of over 1,200 people arrested in August in front of the White House as part of a Keystone XL pipeline protest. (credit:Getty)
In 2009, she travelled to West Virginia and was arrested while protesting mountaintop removal coal mining. She wrote for HuffPost, "I was honored to be joining an inspiringly brave group of concerned Americans."
More recently, she was one of over 1,200 people arrested in August in front of the White House as part of a Keystone XL pipeline protest. (credit:Getty)
Pierce Brosnan(14 of17)
This UNICEF ambassador is known in Hollywood for his Earth-friendly ways. While Brosnan stays environmentally aware on a daily basis by driving a hybrid car, according to Hello! Magazine, he has advocated for sustainable government legislation as well as publicized himself as a major supporter of environmental charities.
He's protested natural gas facilities near his Malibu home, and according to Treehugger.com, spoken in public forums in support of the EPA and green legislation. In 1997 he was given an Environmental Leadership Award by Mikhail Gorbachev, and in 2008 Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Smith were inducted into the Environmental Hall of Fame. (credit:Getty)
He's protested natural gas facilities near his Malibu home, and according to Treehugger.com, spoken in public forums in support of the EPA and green legislation. In 1997 he was given an Environmental Leadership Award by Mikhail Gorbachev, and in 2008 Brosnan and his wife Keely Shaye Smith were inducted into the Environmental Hall of Fame. (credit:Getty)
Woody Harrelson(15 of17)
Actor Woody Harrelson has reportedly been a vegan for nearly 25 years. In fact, for the 2009 film "Zombieland," Harrelson ate a special vegan Twinkie instead of the real thing.
Harrelson has also called for greater activism against oil. Speaking at a media and technology conference in Amsterdam in 2007, Harrelson said, "Certainly (oil companies) just want to get as much out of the ground and make as much money as possible before they transition into anything else. So I still think it's time for some strong activism, especially as it relates to our dependency on oil." (credit:Getty)
Harrelson has also called for greater activism against oil. Speaking at a media and technology conference in Amsterdam in 2007, Harrelson said, "Certainly (oil companies) just want to get as much out of the ground and make as much money as possible before they transition into anything else. So I still think it's time for some strong activism, especially as it relates to our dependency on oil." (credit:Getty)
Glenn Close(16 of17)
According to the Mother Nature Network, Glenn Close is a major puppy activist. She works with not one, but two organizations devoted to helping her canine companions. Close and husband David Shaw founded Fetchdog.com, an online shopping site for doggie treats which donates a portion of the sales to dog related charities. In addition, Oprah.com reported that Close is also a staunch supporter of Puppies Behind Bars, a program that helps service dogs and prisoners have a symbiotic, educational relationship. Close also supports non-canine causes. In 2009, the ocean conservation group Oceana honored her at their annual Sea Change Summer party, noting the actress's dedication to ocean conservation. (credit:Getty)
Colin Firth(17 of17)
Who would've thought Mr. Darcy could be a shopkeeper? Colin Firth has set up various eco-themed shops in Britain. He opened two fair trade cafes called Progreso (at least one of which closed in 2010), and an ecological store called Eco in Chiswick, offering ethical, fair trade goods, as well as expert energy efficiency advice for homeowners. As an Oxfam's Make Trade Fair campaign supporter, Colin Firth raises awareness on behalf of Ethopian coffee growers, and lobbies for fair trade in the coffee markets. According to The Times, Firth said that "rather than being a luvvie with a lofty opinion preaching to people, I prefer to do things, to get involved, put my money where my mouth is and learn along the way." (credit:Getty)