Celebrities...

So it is summer Olympics time and athletes are converging on Beijing. And with China shutting down factories and limiting cars in an effort for clean air, the environment has never been more at the forefront. So in honor of the earth-friendly efforts the world is putting forth, check out these athletes who are doing their part to make the world a little greener.

According to our friends at Grist.org, there are several athletes who deserve a hand in the air “woot woot!” And I’m going to lead with my hometown team, the Philadelphia Eagles, who basically kick Redskin/Cowboy/Any other random team that the Eagles play in the Superbowl which is the only time I really watch football anway. (And thanks to RiverWired reader Derek Mast for pointing out that the Eagles don't play the Redskins or Cowboys in the Superbowl because of some league sameness....am I still writing?)

First off, the Eagles launched a Go Green initiative in 2003. They’re planting trees all over Philly and recently started a recycling education program for their fans, They have also added their cleats to the Stop Global Warming Virtual March. Even the Eagles cheerleaders have gotten into the game, releasing an “eco-sexy” calendar printed on recyclable paper. The calendar has the cheerleaders in organic cotton bikinis and jewelry made from natural materials and recycled products. See girls, you can totally go green and still be hot.

Next we have Yao Ming, who has spoken out against the hunting of sharks for their apparently-delicious fins in his native China. He also did a PSA for WildAid about the illegal poaching of animals. Who knew the big bad b-ball player had such a sensitive side? Then there’s Kelly Slater, the eight time world surfing champion. He sponsors the Kelly Slater Competition to raise money for Reef Check, an organization that aids the ocean’s coral reefs. Tammy Van Wisse is a world-record-breaking marathon who spent more than three months in 2000 free styling the full length of the Murray River in Australia to generate funds and support for clean-up efforts. And finally, tennis legend Billie Jean King has put her name behind a green housing and fitness community to open in Palm Springs, California.

So props to these good, green atheletes!