Organic Living with Emily Deschanel

It’s one thing to talk the eco-friendly talk. But as Bones star Emily Deschanel climbs out of her Prius, it’s clear that this is a woman who also walks the walk. Although her character, Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan, is a buttoned-up anthropologist focused on the small, crime-solving details in life, Emily, 32, sees the much bigger picture.

The Los Angeles–born actress is a devoted crusader for environmental causes. She prefers organic cotton, hemp or vintage clothing, wears cruelty-free makeup, and rarely goes anywhere without her nontoxic SIGG water bottle. Emily spends much of her downtime speaking for a planet that can’t speak for itself. Here, she shares her best eco tips and the simple pleasures that keep her so down to Earth.

Q: What are the most everyday ways you’ve gone green?
A: I’ve been vegan for 15 years, and it turns out it makes a very big impact on the environment to eat fewer animal products, which cause more greenhouse gases than all of transportation combined. The United Nations did a study just over two years ago, and that blew my mind. I started thinking that if people are vegetarian for one day a week, that makes a huge difference!

Q: Are there any ways you wish you could be more green?
A: Well, I want to do solar panels on my house. I think it’s important to speak up for the environment because the Earth is not saying something. [Laughs.] I mean, it is, but it is saying things to us in its own way. It makes a big difference to recycle. It makes a big difference to use recycled products. It makes a big difference to reuse things, to not use the paper cup—and each time you do, that’s a victory.