via yahoo.com

Not only is Paul McCartney a vegan (his designer daughter Stella is, too), he's big into raising awareness about cancer as well. Sir Paul recently gave a concert in the Ukraine, (which technically was part of the former USSR), benefiting the Ukraine's National Cancer Institute. Though tickets were free, the concert, in which Paul played many Beatles' songs, raised over $600,000 in donations.

Australian-native Cate Blanchett grew up caring about conservation; she was taught at a young age to recycle and not to let anything go to waste. Still, even she had a wake-up call while reading a 2004 editorial that said Perth, Australia, would run out of water in 10 years. Remembers Cate:

"I waited for the front-page news to follow in the wake of this editorial. Silence."

Cate was one of several stars to receive an Elle Reader Green Award (see Elle Magazine's Green Issue, May 08). CGG grabbed the magazine right off the newsstand when we saw the big GREEN ISSUE! coverline. But hopefully Elle and other mags will soon realize that every month's mag should cover environmentally-friendly issues, and that Earth Day should be observed 365 days a year! 

Afterall, as Blanchett told Elle, "It's a sad and sorry day when the environment has to become groovy before people pay attention to it."

Cate, however, was green way before it was cool. Check this out: Her home in Sydney is powered entirely by solar panels and has a recycled water system and energy-saving lights. And Blanchett and her screenwriter husband, Andrew Upton -- co-directors of the Sydney Theatre Company -- have designs on "greenovating" their work space too. The couple hope to add solar panels and to reuse rainwater, which would serve as the first steps toward taking the 30-year-old theater off of the grid.

 Another star who was honored for his green-ness: Cate's Babel co-star, the oft-lauded Brad Pitt. We for one, never get bored of saluting this CGG. The guy is For Real. We've heard all about how Brad will go and check out New Orleans' Ninth Ward sites for sore eyes on his motor bike, with no body guard to be found. He's a guy who walks the walk...um, even when cycling! 

Other eco-illuminators honored include Paul and Stella McCartney for making vegetarianism fashionable. The former-Beatle has been an active proponent of getting people to give up eating meat. He told Elle that, "If everyone went veggie we'd need only about half the amount of land" for animals to graze. Stella McCartney didn't fall far from the tree. No doubt influenced by her vegan father and mom, the late Linda, Stella is a proud vegetarian whose fashionable threads are also 100% animal-friendly (that means her shoes contain no leather, folks!).

But don't leave all the work to the rich, famous and philanthropic! Have a heart of green and DO SOMETHING! Earth Day is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate than by getting involved-- head over to the Do Something website to learn ways to "greenify" your life!