Oscar Winner "Crash" Star Has A Green Epiphany

by Erin Courtenay - Madison, WI on 04. 7.06
Culture & Celebrity

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Readers skeptical of Alliance Against Urban 4x4s might be chagrined by the unexpected outcome of a similar Greenpeace campaign. When actress Thandie Newton (Flirting. Interview with a vampire. Jefferson in Paris. Beloved. Mission: Impossible II. The Chronicles of Riddick. Crash.) returned to her BMW X5 to find a sticker bearing the phrase: “This gas-guzzling 4x4 is causing climate change”, and describing the damage done by such vehicles, her inner TreeHugger emerged.

“My concerns for the environment had been growing for a long time but I had not connected them with the car I drove. When I saw the sticker it just connected all the dots up,” said Newton. Not only has she made the switch to a (Hollywood standard) Prius, she's upped the eco-celeb ante by launching a letter writing campaign encouraging her former co-stars like Tom Cruise and Will Smith to kick the SUV habit. In the letter she writes: “I loved my X5, loved driving it, and what’s more believed it was safer for my kids, until I discovered the truth about its impact on the environment." Honest, thoughtful and to the point - maybe she should start her own eco-blog? Via Times Oline and Greenpeace.

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Comments (9)

Wait... SUVs aren't good for the environment?!

jump to top CTP says:

Wait...they make the Prius in a right drive?

jump to top markyMark says:

"Wait...they make the Prius in a right drive?"

It's probably just that the photo somehow got mirrored.

jump to top MGR [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

I'm sure they must make the Prius in a right drive. They were released in Japan well before coming out in the US, and they drive on the wrong side of the road there.

jump to top Todd Bradley says:

No, they drive on the right side.

jump to top James Barker [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

Sorry, I was trying to be funny in an "obnoxious American" kind of way. In case I was unclear, my point was just that since Japan is a drive-on-the-left country, it shouldn't be a surprise to see that there are many Priuses (Prii?) on the road with right-hand drive.

In fact, here's a photo of one.

Besides, isn't Thandie Newton from England? Maybe that's where the photo was taken.

jump to top Todd Bradley says:

what's with this "stickering" of cars anyway? do you put stickers on people's other property (laptops, houses, etc)? If I found somebody sticking my auto I'd beat the crap out of them.

I don't have a problem with the message, but the act. If you condone this, it no different than someone putting nazi stickers on german cars. Why don't you go burn down some chinese restaurants while you're at it too.

Vandalizing someone elses property won't exactly embolden them to your cause.

jump to top Eric G says:

The word "sticker" was used, but every time I saw that practice mentioned it was actually more like pieces of paper put under the wipers like a parking ticket.

jump to top MGR [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

As Todd Bradley noted, they most certainly make a right-hand drive Prius. I own one. You can see a picture of the interior at Toyota Australia's website.

jump to top kate [TypeKey Profile Page] says:

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