Brad Pitt Heats Up Clinton Global Initiative Session On Climate Change

Hello from the Clinton Global Initiative! Hollywood film star Brad Pitt just pledged $5 million toward rebuilding the Lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans at the Clinton Global Initiative on Wednesday afternoon.

"We're prepared to break ground by the end of the year, but we need your help," the actor said of his commitment to helping rebuild the New Orleans area hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina. "We will match dollar for dollar any and every single contribution up to $10 million."

Pitt is working with film producer Steve Bing on the 'Make It Right' project. The effort seeks to install 150 affordable and sustainable homes. Bing also pledged $5 million in matching donations.

The male half of the Brangelina celebrity phenomenon spoke of the work his group already had performed in support of the project. The three day event in New York is an opportunity for the keepers of 602 such 'commitments' to report progress on pledges they made at earlier CGI gatherings, and make new ones.

The star of last year's Oscar-nominated film 'Babel' also sounded off on architectural design. He joked that it was important to make the houses affordable, "and not have it look like a Prius," before he admitted that he owns two of the boxy hybrid cars.

Will that be it for the excitement? In our elbows out news cycle, Pitt's star power gives off light and has a gravitational pull. But do we care as much about Merck's work to spread its Gardasil vaccine to protect women and girls from cervical cancer and HPV, or the use of micro-loans through Kiva.org to offer up seed capital and help the world's poor?

There are certainly a lot of other good stories to tell here, and we're waiting to hear what comes next.

Comments

[Kungfublood]

Just for that I will go to one of his movies soon.

[McVenice]

thx Brad! ...from a neighbor on Forstall St in the Lower 9. This is great news, especially since my block on Forstall St still looks like it was freshly bombed. Make Levees Not War! www.reboottees.com

[GreatFutureForAll]

"Make Levees Not War!"

HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!

What a strange time to be alive!

[Dejack]

Love ya, Brad, and always have
(even BEFORE the $5 million)!

[usna73]

This guy is the real deal. He never forgot where he came from. A "mensch".

[HBeachbum]

Jennifer's house?

[blahber]

smart move ... but whatever you build, make sure its on stilts, because it will be BELOW SEA LEVEL. fools.

[infideltexan]

Good, maybe we can finally give Houston a break and allow Nagan to have his chocolate city back.

[deedrdo]

spoken like a true texan.

[NKVD4ever]

Would you like to deal with an 18% spike in crime in your town?

[asher]

Wow now that's what a leader does. leading by example!
I so love it when celebrities use their fame and vast resources to be proactive and in so doing set an example to others in a wonderfully constructive way. Good on Brad and Steve Bing,in addition to Angelina, all of them compassionate humanitarian activists. School those DC elites on how to respond to their less fortunate fellow man. Action trumps empty rhetoric any day.

[trailblazer]

What is the point of rebuilding the lower 9th unless you make the levies stronger and figure out how to keep the area from eroding and sliding off into the muck? I applaud his efforts, but that's like fixing the stain on the ceiling before you fix the leaky roof.

[KOisGod]

How many BILLIONS promised to New Orleans, that are left languishing in incompetent, repig run govt. red tape departments and siphoned off to graft and cronies?

Millions of that money went to developers and insiders who "qualified" to put up million dollar beach condo's, paid with YOUR tax dollars. There we even condos built near the U of Alabama, no where near the storm strike zone, paid with - you guessed it - Katrina money.

Show me a republican, and I'll know his money was given to him soaked in BLOOD.

[HBeachbum]

The money is sitting therer waiting for the corrupt LA Democrats to get off their asses and do something. If Brad 'n Bing want to spend $10 million to rebuild a slum, be my guest.

[kittycago]

you are more handsome inside than out Mr Pitt.

[jimpryor99]

Good on him. Now lets see if he actually pays the money. Most of the time Hollywood promises things like this, what they really mean is that they will host fundraisers to get the money. They rarely write a check from their own account.

[totalliberal]

Please show proof of this allegation. Otherwise shut up and go hide in your bitter little basement

[backhandpath]

Brad has already built, with his own money, the first house of the project, in Holy Cross neighborhood in New Orleans.

The design was picked from the winner a national architectural competition for these to be affordable, truly green, and culturally relevant middle-income homes. This particular one returns nearly 80% of the energy consumption to the grid.

I know what you mean about celebrities but Brad has been on the job in New Orleans for this and I have seen both he and Angie about town.
Though they have done much in their own associations to help the city recover, they have yet to invite me over to their house in the Quarters for dinner and that chaps.

Brad is cool in New Orleans. Go check out the website in the article. It is true.

[Ginzaman]

Good first step. Now the sign of a REAL commitment is how long will they fight to keep this in the corporate media? And also, why stop at 150 homes? There are a lot more than that that deserve some dignity and help.

[backhandpath]

They are STARTING with just 150 homes.

Brad has put no limit on the number of homes to rebuild. Indeed the whole operation is being set up to last into the coming century.

[kellygrrrl]

Thank You, Brad Pitt.
You are a true humanitarian and your commitment is appreciated.

[avahome]

DITTO!

[totalliberal]

At least the liberal movie stars have not forgotten NO.

More than can be for our child hating, war-monger in chief. Go Brad.

[JudyMillerDubyaAgent]

God bless Brad Pitt. (Where's Lindamart60 with her comments about evil libs?)

[GreatFutureForAll]

He's a fellow supporter of Obama.

His action is consistent with his political leaning.

Well done, Brad!!!