Green Cindy

SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Supermodel Cindy Crawford was feeling guilty about not being green enough until her children pushed her into action.
Now the American model has taken steps to make her Malibu home more environmentally friendly and signed up for a campaign with PUR Water Filtration Systems promoting filtered tap water over plastic bottled water.
Crawford said this would help eliminate some of the 50 billion plastic water bottles used by Americans every year and save people money as well as being good for their health.
A limited-edition water reusable bottle designed by Crawford is available at www.thirstyforchange.com with all proceeds going to Procter & Gamble's "Children's Safe Drinking Water Program" to help reduce water-related disease in many developing countries.
Crawford, 42, spoke to Reuters about going green:
Q: What prompted you to think green?
A: "My kids (Presley, 8, and Kaia, 6) are the ones that inspired me to want to do more. I am concerned about the planet that I'm leaving to my kids and the school they go it very environmentally conscience. They cut down on plastic, they recycle, they have solar power."
Q: Do you think the younger generations are more environmentally aware?
A: "Yes, because that is the culture they are growing up in. They are growing up with a lack of fear of computers and they have a different relationship with them than we do. They are also being brought up not to take the environment for granted and they are beginning to bring that message home."
Q: Were you feeling guilty?
A: "I wish I was more green than I am and I really want to be. This campaign shows people you don't have to go far. You can make small changes in your life and it can make a difference. This is an easy change. You can do it by yourself at home. In Los Angeles everyone has a water bottle with them so get a reusable one and make that change."
Q: What else have you done at home to be greener?
A: "I wasn't aware that if you leave your charger plugged in it is drawing electricity. Once I knew this I started to unplug my phone charger when I wasn't using it. I went to my husband and said the TV in the guest room should be unplugged when it is not being used. There are a lot of other plugs in our house that can be pulled, like the toaster. I have left the microwave in the kitchen plugged in though as I use the clock on that."
Q: Any other ways?
A: "I have stared to reuse cloth grocery bags. I bought loads of them and have left them everywhere so no one has an excuse not to use them. Just these small steps make a difference and you will feel better about it yourself. There is so much more I can do and I will do that in a way that does not overwhelm me."
Q: Do you think the showbiz world is getting greener?
A: "A lot of my friends are very environmentally aware. I don't know a single person who didn't see Al Gore's movie An Inconvenient Truth. Even Vanity Fair does a green issue which shows that it is emerging as a mainstream issue and it will get more so. As a parent you care not only about the world you are creating for your children but the world you are leaving them."
(Reporting by Belinda Goldsmith, Editing by Miral Fahmy)