Harrison Ford's good deeds at ford-jones.com!

August 15, 2006

Star Power Joins Debate

Published: August 15, 2006
By MIKE MORRIS

Well-known movie star Harrison Ford flew into Tuolumne County yesterday morning to narrate a documentary calling for the removal of O'Shaughnessy Dam and the restoration of the Hetch Hetchy Valley.

Environmental Defense — a national conservation group based in New York — is producing the film, which advocates draining the eight-mile-long mountain reservoir.

"Environmental Defense thinks this is a practical idea whose time has come, and I agree," Ford said as the cameras rolled on top of the dam.

Ford, 64, has starred in some of Hollywood's most notable blockbusters, including the original "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones" trilogies. His most recent film, "Firewall," was released earlier this year.

The actor has also appeared in public service announcements and has served on the board of directors for Washington D.C.-based Conservation International.

Yesterday, Ford flew his own airplane to the Pine Mountain Lake airport before driving to Hetch Hetchy, Environmental Defense spokeswoman Jennifer Witherspoon said.

Environmental Defense, with more than 400,000 members throughout the country, approached Ford about the documentary six months ago and he agreed to narrate it.

"He's a great environmentalist who has been extremely generous with his time and support," Witherspoon said.

"With his involvement, we hope more people will keep an open mind and consider the possibility of a second Yosemite Valley in our lifetimes."

Hetch Hetchy, in the Tuolumne County portion of Yosemite National Park, is the 20th largest reservoir in the state. It supplies water to more than 2.4 million people in the Bay Area and Groveland.

Environmental Defense's existing 19-minute documentary, "Discover Hetch Hetchy," won the best short film award at this year's Wild and Scenic Environmental Film Festival in Nevada City.

The film will again be released later this year with an additional nine minutes of footage, including Ford's narration and interviews with former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Don Hodel and state Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis.

Hodel proposed studying draining the reservoir in the late 1980s. And Wolk two years ago wrote to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and requested a report on the same subject.

The California Department of Water Resources released its Hetch Hetchy Restoration Study last month.

Tearing down the dam and restoring the valley is possible, but will cost between $3 billion and $10 billion, the report found.

Vocal opponents of the proposal include U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, the agency that runs the reservoir.

Visiting Hetch Hetchy with his family, Jeff Moritz watched yesterday as a camera crew from Los Angeles and the Bay Area filmed Ford.

Moritz knew that famed environmentalist John Muir had fought the dam's construction, but was unaware of the current debate to restore the valley.

"I was talking with a ranger, who described the documentary, and it sounds pretty interesting," the Orange County man said.

Thorsten Koenig, vacationing from Amsterdam, took pictures of Ford and the film crew.

"I'm surprised somebody like him is doing something on Hetch Hetchy," he said. "I certainly don't think it's for the money."

His wife, Astrid, was not so impressed by the celebrity.

"Do I think it's cool to see him here? I think it's cool to see this," she said, pointing to the view from the dam. "I think it's cool to see my husband each morning because I love him. I do not have a personal relationship with Mr. Ford."

Photo caption and credit:Harrison Ford, star of such blockbusters as "Star Wars" and "Indiana Jones," visited Hetch Hetchy Reservoir yesterday to narrate a documentary that suggests O'Shaughnessy Dam be torn down. Photo courtesy Jerry Day.

March 2006

World's Largest Day Of Flight For Youth Scheduled For June 10

Thousands of young people will take to the sky on Saturday, June 10, as EAA volunteers continue an outstanding aviation tradition - International Young Eagles Day. The annual event brings together kids and pilots as part of the EAA Young Eagles program, the largest youth aviation education program ever created, which has flown more than 1.2 million young people free of charge since its inception in July 1992.

Each year since 1994, approximately 10,000 young people are flown on or around International Young Eagles Day. The flights are provided by volunteer EAA-member pilots in aircraft ranging from the newest airplanes to vintage biplanes. Such interesting aircraft as gliders, helicopters and even hot air balloons and blimps have also been used for Young Eagles flights.

More than 40,000 pilots have volunteered to support the program including current program chairman Harrison Ford. The well-known actor and aviator has personally flown 200 Young Eagles and is an outspoken advocate for the program.

Aviation has provided me enjoyment and challenges," Ford said. "Flying can be a great teacher and motivator for young people. I encourage my fellow EAA members to give the gift of flight to a young person, especially on International Young Eagles Day. It is certainly an experience you'll both remember."

During International Young Eagles Day, pilots will fly young people on individual flights or as part of Young Eagles flight rallies, which often bring together hundreds of youngsters and dozens of aircraft in many communities. These activities are also part of the effort to fly 1.25 million Young Eagles by EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2006, "The World's Greatest Aviation Celebration," which takes place July 24-30 at Wittman Regional Airport at Oshkosh, Wis.

he Young Eagles concept has been so successful became it's simple. A young person between the ages of eight and 17 is matched with a volunteer pilot. The pair then does a preflight "walk-around" of the aircraft, where the pilot explains the parts of the airplane and how they work. After reviewing the preflight safety checklists that pilots use prior to every flight, the pair takes off for a brief flight (typically 15-20 minutes) to experience the true sensation of flying an airplane.

After landing, the young person receives a Young Eagles certificate signed by the pilot and Harrison Ford. The new Young Eagle's name is then entered into the "World's Largest Logbook" that is on permanent display at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis.

This year, Young Eagles are also encouraged to explore a new website designed especially for them. Along with the World's Largest Logbook, the Young Eagles website is filled with interactive activities, games, aviation information and much more to support aviation interest among young people.

March 2006

Variety has a special "Oscar Style" edition out that includes the article Extreme Green: Oscar gets an eco-makeover. Ford isn't mentioned in the article, but there is a huge picture accompanying the article: "Eco-Auto - Harrison Ford and Calista Flockhart ditched the limo for a Prius at the 2002 Oscars." Nice!

A bit from the article (photo credit: Globalgreen.org):

"The Oscars have always been a venue for making political statements," says Danny Seo, celebrity eco-stylist and host of the Lime radio show "Simply Green." "You have millions of people tuning in: So how do you bring attention to an issue like environmentalism with style and without being on a soapbox?"

The most obvious answer lies behind the wheel of a Prius. Or this year, a Lexus hybrid as well. A record 25 celebrities are expected to arrive at the 78th Academy Awards in cleaner-burning cars rather than gas-guzzling limos as part of the Global Green-organized "Red Carpet-Green Stars" drive-up -- Nicole Kidman, George Clooney and Joaquin Phoenix among them. The program, in conjunction with Toyota and EMA, delivered Orlando Bloom, Charlize Theron and Will Ferrell to last year's event, each in a hybrid Prius. Those who aren't famous enough to merit an invite from Toyota can still arrive in an eco-friendly car from 3-year-old EVOlimo, which rents out luxury Chevy Suburbans that run on compressed natural gas.

"The most powerful message (the Oscars) could send out right now is, in their opening credits during the pre-show, 'Look, there's Cameron Diaz in a hybrid car!,'" says activist Laurie David, who uses EVOlimo for her own red carpet arrivals. "Cars are something every individual gets to make a decision about."

Meritous Articles Archive

1/06	Flying Magazine article about backwoods flying with a group that includes Harrison Ford.
2/06	Men's Journal interview with Harrison Ford conducted by legendary broadcaster Tom Brokaw, touching on subjects including Harrison's work with Conservation International, his love of flying, his aversion to adventuring with Brokaw, etc.

Learn More...

A collection of links for charitable groups and organizations that are important to Harrison, Calista, and those they love. If you have a link to an charitable organization you'd like included, please email the link and a short explanation about the organization to info@ford-jones.com.

Conservation International - One of Harrison's favored charities; he has served on their board of directors for many years. CI's mission is to conserve the Earth's living natural heritage, our global biodiversity, and to demonstrate that human societies are able to live harmoniously with nature.

EAA Young Eagles - Harrison is the current chairman of this organization (the largest youth aviation education program ever created), which has taken more than 1.2 million young people for airplane rides, free of charge, since its inception in July 1992.

Ride On - A favored charity by Harrison's late manager, Patricia McQueeney, Ride On teaches horseback riding to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities.

Los Angeles Commission on Assaults Against Women - Calista is the national spokesperson for LACAAW, an organization whose mission is the elimination of violence against women, youth and children through working toward social change, equality and social justice.

Earth Share - Earth Share is a nationwide network of the country's most respected environmental and conservation organizations and offers a simple way to care for our health, water, air, land and wildlife. Earth Share is dedicated to supporting the vital state, national and international organizations working to protect the environment and our well-being every day.

NatureServe Explorer - Not a charitable organization but rather an authoritative source for information on more than 65,000 plants, animals, and ecosystems of the United States and Canada. Explorer includes particularly in-depth coverage for rare and endangered species.

Lancaster Farmland Trust - If you loved Witness (filmed in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania), check out this site founded in 1988 by local citizens concerned about this unique heritage and dedicated to protecting agriculture from the growing pressure of development.

Christopher Reeve Foundation - an organization dedicated to curing spinal cord injury by funding innovative research, and improving the quality of life for people living with paralysis through grants, information and advocacy.