Interview With TV Environmentalist Ed Begley Jnr

Ed is the star of US TV hit show Living With Ed and he kindly took time out of his very busy schedule to answer a few questions for readers of Total Solar Energy.

Ed covers how he started in environmental issues, solar energy and what you can do to make a difference right now.

So pour a coffee and enjoy.

TSE: You’ve had a long involvement with environmentalism, from way back in the 70's. What first got you into it?

Ed Begley Jnr: It was several things. It was the first Earth Day in April 1970, and I wanted to get involved. I had grown up in smoggy Los Angeles and had really had it with the horrible, choking smog.

He was the son of Irish immigrants and a ‘conservative that liked to conserve’. He had lived through the great depression and had saved string and tin foil and turned out the lights and did those things you did back then to save money. He had always told me “Eddie, don’t tell people what you are going to do, show them by doing it.”

And so, to honor him, and to get involved with Earth Day and to try and do something about the horrible smog problem in L.A., I started taking public transportation, riding my bike, walking, recycling, composting, using biodegradable soaps and detergents, eating a vegetarian diet and so on. I even bought an electric car.

TSE: Did people think you were mad?

Ed Begley Jnr: There were some people who thought I was odd. But there were also some people that got it. I think there was actually more pushback in the late 80s and 90s than when I first started this stuff in the 1970s.

TSE: Since those days have you seen progress in people's attitudes towards the environment?

Ed Begley Jnr: Over the last 3 or 4 years, particularly since I’ve been so ‘out-there’ doing this stuff with the TV series LIVING WITH ED, I’ve seen big changes. People really get it now. They get the connection between their actions and saving money. They get the connection between their actions and pollution.

Whether they agree on global climate change or not, they find common ground with their feelings about high gas prices, reducing our dependency on Mid-East oil and trying to save money. People are really getting on board now.

TSE: There are lots of famous celebrities getting involved in environmental issues these days. What do you think is the most effective role for celebrities in environmental issues?

Ed Begley Jnr: Everyone has to take their own path and do what they think is most important for them. For me, it’s leading by example.

I’m not one to preach, but if people see what I’m doing and want to learn more, I’m glad to help in any way I can. The TV show has been a good vehicle for that. People get to see how I live and how my wife and I compromise on things. It’s real, and I think it’s helping people find what works for them.

Others are better at standing up and being a mouthpiece for change. That’s fine too. There are celebrities that much greener than I am – Jackson Brown, Daryl Hannah and others. They are my role models.

TSE: I understand your house is energy self-sufficient. At the moment, many ordinary people can't afford such things as solar energy. If you were in their place, what 3 low cost things would you do to help the environment?

Ed Begley Jnr: People who watch the show regularly or read my books know that none of this came easy to me either. I was a struggling actor in the early 1970s making very little money. I did what I could afford to do on the cheap, and as I saved money, I did more.

I started this stuff in 1970 and didn’t get solar hot water until 1985 and solar PV until 1990 – 20 full years after I started on this path.

I always encourage everyone to pick the low hanging fruit first. Energy saving lightbulbs, programmable thermostat, weather stripping, home gardening, home composting, recycling, public transportation, bike riding – all cheap and easy things that can get you started to saving money day one! I think that’s more than 3 isn’t it…?

TSE: Advocates of Solar energy always talk of a tipping point when solar energy will become cheaper than fossil fuels. When do you think this will happen and what effects do you think this will have?

Ed Begley Jnr: Well it’s certainly become much cheaper than when I installed it on my home in 1990. Back then, we had no net metering and no incentives. I spent $75,000 installing my system as a stand-alone battery-based system.

Nowadays, a system the size of mine would be far cheaper to install and net meter. I think we’ll continue to see prices drop over time and government / utility incentives expand. There are also solar-lease programs now where people can get into solar right away with no money up front at all. That’s encouraging.

TSE: Sources of renewable energy are required more and more. You only have to look at the environmental catastrophe of the BP oil spill. Do you think the US governments have acted strongly enough in pushing renewable energy?

Ed Begley Jnr: I think we have done some really good things, but we need to do more. The Cash for Caulkers program is a good one that I’m very happy about. Solar is great – clean energy production – but CONSERVATION is even cheaper and easier.

By getting all the homes in America to have home energy audits and make them more energy efficient, we can generate huge energy savings. Some estimates are 20% of our national energy use. I hope our elected officials continue to push programs like this. We need all the tools in the toolbox right now.

TSE: Do you think that the US would benefit from solar energy feed-in tariff similar to the German model and what the UK has recently adopted?

Ed Begley Jnr: Yes – I support this.

TSE: You have become involved in Project Porchlight. Can you tell me a little about that?

Ed Begley Jnr: It’s an initiative to promote energy efficient lighting – one of the low hanging fruit! I’m also working with a company called Diogen that manufacturers LED lighting – it’s the next wave of energy efficient lighting.

TSE: You are the star of 'Living With Ed', you have recently written the book 'Guide to Sustainable Living'. What other eco projects are you working on at the moment?

Ed Begley Jnr: Well, we just installed a great gray water / rain water recycling system at the house. You can see it at www.reusegraywater.com.

TSE: Once again Ed. Thanks for your time.

You can catch up with Ed and wife Rachelle on their smash TV hit Living With Ed.

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