Ed Begley Jr., whose full name is Edward James Begley Jr., is an American actor born on September 16, 1949, in Los Angeles, California. He has starred hundreds of films, TV programs, and stage shows. Ed was born into a family of actors so his acting talents are inherited from his own father, Ed Begley, who is none other than a winning character actor in an Academy Award.
At the beginning of the film industry, Ed successfully made himself to receive six nominations in the Emmy Award and Golden Globe Award through his role as Dr. Victor Ehrlich in the tv series “St. Elsewhere “(1982-1988). From there his name became known to the public.
Besides acting as an actor, Ed also often writes and is active as an environmental activist. Before starting his career as an actor, he had been an environmentalist since 1970, following in his father’s footsteps.
His concern for the environment is influenced by his father, a conservative who loves to conserve. Ever since Ed’s family always lived a simple life. They live in simple homes and have a habit of turning off lights, turning off the water, storing strings, tin-foils, and saving on their usage.
Ed began to feel ready to take more steps as an environmental activist just when Earth Day was first announced, in 1970. He did so in honor of his father who died a few days before the first Earth Day.
The first step Ed takes as an environmental activist is to use his first electric vehicle, recycle it, and become a vegan (the person who does not eat meat, fish, dairy products, or eggs).
He also promotes eco-friendly products such as the Toyota Prius, the Envirolet compost toilet, and creates his own cleaning product named Begley’s Best Household Cleaner. Ed also often appears in Hollywood shows by riding bicycles to reduce the use of cars that are one source of air pollution.
Another attempt by Ed to improve the environment is to build a certified LEED platinum home (“green” building). This 147.3 m2 house uses solar power, wind power through the vertical axis of the PacWind wind turbine, the air conditioner made by Greenway Design Group, LLC, and a powerhouse bike for baking bread. The electricity bill for this house is annually only about $ 300 US dollars or approximately 4 million in Indonesian rupiah.
To encourage people to care for the environment, Ed exploits his popularity by promoting his views on the environment and encouraging others to take action. Through the reality show he created with the title “Living with Ed”, Ed hopes to invite his audience to participate in saving the earth as well as behave frugally.
The tv program is not the first time. Ed had been trying to make another “green” program, but nothing worked. Ed feels the success of the “Living with Ed” program is influenced by the participation of his wife’s role in the event. He and his wife successfully starred in a series that aired on HGTV and Discovery’s Planet Green TV channel.
Thanks to his efforts, Ed successfully received an award from the American Jewish Congress in the first Thomas Alva Edison Awards for Energy Independence. Ed has been a pioneer in the field and was recognized in November 2007 for his lifelong efforts in the environmental sector.
Success with his TV program, Ed also wrote a book called Living Like Ed: A Guide to the Eco-Friendly Life (2008) and Ed Begley Jr.’s Guide to Sustainable Living: Learning to Conserve Resources and Manage an Eco-Conscious Life ( 2009). Both books are published by Random House. In 2014, Ed collaborated with Jerry James Stone to write A Vegan Survival Guide for the Holidays.
By actively voicing care to the environmental, Ed Begley Jr. hopes to give awareness to the community about the importance of caring for the environment. It does not have to start with big things, small things like reducing the use of a car, cycling (if weather and body conditions allow), and using public transport are enough to have a positive impact on the environment, especially if done by many people.
No need to wait because tomorrow can be too late. Do what can be done right now, better hurry before it’s too late. Environmental movement by Ed Begley Jr. needs to be imitated by all of us.
