There has been an expanding trend with celebrities - to buy and use their eco-friendly automobiles. Celebrities such as Leonardo DiCaprio, a pioneer spokesperson of green cars seems to have reached his fellow celebrities, as more of them are trading in their gas guzzlers for eco-friendly alternatives. Today, you can see Georgy Clooney driving his Tango 600, a two seat electrically powered vehicle. Or pretty women such as America Ferrera, Cameron Diaz and Julia Roberts can be spotted driving the Toyota Prius - it is in fact the most common vehicle for celebrity green drivers. The newest addition to the green drivers however is surprising. It is no one other than Paris Hilton who bought herself a GMC Yukon Hybrid (full size SUV) as a birthday gift. 

What is causing this increase in green driving by celebrities? Aliana Marino, vice president of innovative and expansive marketing for Eco-Bags Products, an eco-friendly company that frequently works with celebrity clients offered the following explanation, "In some ways, 'green' is the new 'low-fat'--it's not only the latest trend but also an expression of upper-class consumer restraint," she said. "Any publicized attempt at greening allows a celebrity to show their compassionate, humanist side. It's an excellent counterpart to the negative publicity of egoism and excess to which many celebrities fall victim." 

Read the full story at Globe and Mail.com

---