By Elizabeth Willoughby on
Brad Pitt's goal to build 150 sustainable green homes in Ninth Ward, New Orleans, following the destruction of the area by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is coming to fruition at long last.
Pitt hopes to have this project, being carried out in cooperation with Global Green, finished by next summer, and is now setting his sites towards all of New Orleans. Last November, Pitt pledged $5 million of his own money and is now asking foundations, organizations and the affluent to join him in helping the families of New Orleans get back into their homes.
Each of Pitt’s homes will cost $150,000, and will be built with green products and innovative materials like eco-friendly termite and mold-resistant wood, soy-based foam insulation and wheat boards, and set on stilts as a precaution against future flooding. The solar generated electricity will be more than enough to power the entire home.
To the general public who cannot make such large donations, Pitt points out that there are other ways to support the project by providing things such as bathroom fixtures or a solar panel.
“Rebuilding this city is not a New Orleans obligation or a Louisiana obligation – it is an American obligation,” said New York Senator Hillary Clinton.
Mr. Pitt, who normally tries to avoid media attention, changed his reclusive attitude with regards to New Orleans.
“For something like this I feel very fortunate to have it and direct it this way,” he said, referring to his celebrity status. “[Hurricane] Katrina was a man-made disaster. This house here is a man-made solution.”
More information, including a personal message from Pitt, can be found at www.makeitrightnola.org.
Copyright © 2007 Look to the Stars
