Looking for a great place to move (or at least take a trip to) to see what the future will look like? Check out these five great, green cities— they are just the first to take the steps necessary to help our planet support us into the future. They’ve all done it, and done it well— so there is really no excuse for the rest of the world. If you can’t make it out to any of these places, just take some ideas from what they have done and bring them to your town hall, governor, or neighbor. If we clamor for change, we will bring it around!

1. Reykjavik, Iceland

This is one place that will certainly suffer if global warming has its way! They’ve done their part to ensure that energy alternatives to fossil fuels are put into practice through a fleet of hydrogen buses. The entire country’s heat and electricity comes exclusively from renewable geothermal and hydropower sources, as well—a feat unmatched anywhere else in the world. They plan to become fossil-fuel-free by 2050, and it seems that they are well on their way to reaching their goal.

2. Portland, Oregon, U.S.

This is the first U.S. city to enact a comprehensive plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, something that will be completely mandatory everywhere eventually. They have mastered green building, as the city boasts 92,000 acres of green space and more than 74 miles of hiking, running and biking trails. Additionally, their transportation system is ruled by light rail, buses and bike lines to limit the number of cars on the road.

3. Curitiba, Brazil

The lucky citizens of Curitiba have a bus system that is recognized as one of the best in the world, a flock of 30 sheep employed with trimming the grass in municipal parks, and over 580 square feet of green space per inhabitant. No wonder 99 percent of the locals are happy with their hometown.

4. Malmö, Sweden

This town is known already for its huge parks and large amount of green space, but the urban planners behind Sweden’s third-largest city are not resting on their laurels. Many neighborhoods have undergone massive, green transformations on the city’s way to becoming an “eco-city”.

5. Vancouver, Canada

The largest city is British Columbia draws 90 percent of its power from renewable resources, as it is a worldwide leader in hydroelectric power. They plan to replace the remaining ten percent with wind, solar, wave and tidal energy. What they can’t accomplish immediately is surely included in their 100-year plan for sustainability.

Environmentalists agree that the publication of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring in 1962 essentially ushered in the contemporary environmental movement. The book presented natural preservation causes previously undervalued by the public, and led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. John Muir, cofounder of the Sierra Club, has also been recognized for his devotion to Mother Nature, along with other historical figures.  But kings, presidents, and artists, in addition to their renowned accomplishments, too have taken part in the green movement, beginning centuries before Carson penned her opus.

As early as 1272, King Edward I of England decreed the burning of sea coal banned in London.  The massive air pollution problem resulted from an overabundance of smoke and smog, and would remain an issue during the Industrial Revolution, which marked the commencement of the modern pollution problem known today.

500 years later, and an ocean away, Benjamin Franklin, along with other Philadelphians declared their “public right” and petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly to stop waste dumping and remove tanneries from commercial districts.  When the Transcendentalist movement in New England gained popularity in the late 1800s, author and leader Henry David Thoreau published The Maine Woods, which brought to light the need for federal protection of forests. This echoed well with the Transcendentalists, who revered and respected nature.

At the start of the 20^th century, US President Theodore Roosevelt visited Yosemite, a trip that influenced his later conservation work. In a 1910 speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, Teddy orated his favor of using America’s natural resources without overconsumption. But perhaps his greatest contribution to the green movement was creating 150 National Forests, 5 National Parks, and 18 National Monuments to conservation.  Two presidents later, Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service.

When the 1950s came about, artists and other laymen joined the green movement. Ansel Adams and other prolific nature photographers enhanced public awareness of conservation and the need to protect the land by creating the Sierra Club Exhibit Format.  These photo collections informed and encouraged people to join environmental movement organizations.

Mohandas Gandhi, the peaceful and political leader himself, also respected nature and influenced the 1970s’ Chipko movement in India, which protested deforestation by literally hugging trees, giving birth to the term “tree hugger.” The Chipko movement was admired for their peaceful protests and their slogan, “Ecology is permanent economy,” proved influential on later green movements and workers.

James Lovelock, a former NASA scientist, proposed the Gaia Hypothesis in 1979 with the publication of his book Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth. Lovelock proposed that life on earth should be understood as a single organism, which became the basis of the Deep Green ideology.

With common men and great leaders who were green revolutionaries as inspiration, the movement continues with unprecedented strength. Certainly history will look back on modern “tree huggers” such as Al Gore and Julia “Butterfly” Hill as equals with these historical luminaries who did their part to think and live green.

A lot of people want to live green or give to environmental causes, but they have trouble finding information or advice. Enter some of Hollywood’s hottest stars who use their celebrity status for good: to raise awareness about the need for global environmentalism. Here are five examples of true star power:

Leonardo DiCaprio not only flies commercially and drives a hybrid car, but in 1998, he started The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation which, “…supports efforts to secure a sustainable future for our planet and all of its inhabitants.” The foundation promotes global warming initiatives, fresh water and ocean conservation, and the need for fuel biodiversity.  DiCaprio also wrote and narrated The 11^th Hour, a documentary film that interviewed green leaders and discussed the challenges and changes facing our generation.

Actress and activist Daryl Hannah sat in a tree for 23 days in a bid to save L.A.’s South Central Farm, an urban community garden. She was arrested for her efforts, but this longtime environmentalist didn’t let the experience deter her. She drives a biodiesel car and runs her eco-blog dh love life, giving tips on living green and ways to get involved with green movements.

Brad Pitt parlayed his love of architecture into rejuvenating the 9^th Ward of New Orleans, a neighborhood devastated by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Pitt founded the non-profit organization Make It Right and remains on the cutting edge of green architecture movement, which strives to build environment-friendly houses.  Because of Pitt and organizations such as Make it Right and Global Green, the Lower 9^th Ward is on its way to becoming one of the largest “green” neighborhoods in the nation.  Pitt also supports his former co-star and noted green guru Ed Norton’s Solar Neighbors Program, a joint project with BP that connects well-to-do individuals with low-income families who wish to go solar, but can’t afford it. Anytime a celebrity purchases a solar energy system, another family receives one for free.

Matt Damon lends his name to several green media projects. He narrated the National Geographic documentary Running the Sahara, which depicts the diverse cultures of the Saharan people while highlighting the need for clean water. Damon put his money where his mouth is and in response to the African water crisis described in the film, cofounded water.org. In 2007, Damon joined up with his longtime friend and writing partner Ben Affleck to raise awareness for the “Clean my Ride, Flex my Fuel” program, a campaign aimed at getting the US Congress to raise fuel-efficiency standards and provide more ethanol-based fuel stations across America.

Not only does she play a Hero on television, Hayden Panettiere is one teenage actress that can say she is one in real life. She’s the spokeswoman for Save the Whales Again!, an international conservation campaign for dolphins, whales, and other sea life. Panettiere even sold personal items online to raise money for the foundation. Most recently, Panettiere stars in the Oscar-winning documentary The Cove, which raised awareness about the secret slaughter of 20,000 dolphins in Japan.  As a result of Panettiere’s heroic efforts and the film’s success, many of the dolphins are to be released into the wild.

Even though you don’t have to be a movie star or a millionaire to make a difference, these movie stars and yes, millionaires, are doing their part, and have helped many find resources to live and give green.