Hayden Still Saving the World
Heroes may be on hold, but the world-saving efforts of one cast member are still as strong as ever.
Hayden Panettiere kicked off the Weather Channel's inaugural Forecast Earth Summit in Washington, D.C., Friday, speaking to a group of high school students about climate and environmental literacy and her involvement with the Save the Whales Again! and Declare Yourself campaigns.
The three-day summit brought together 22 winning "eco-ambassadors" selected through a nationwide essay contest and put them in contact with environmental leaders, scientists and enthusiasts, the latter of which Panettiere presumably falls into.
During the event, the 18-year-old addressed her fellow green teens, speaking about last month's headline-grabbing efforts in Japan to save a fleet of dolphins from local fisherman and the subsequent arrest warrant that was issued in her name.
Before her appearance at the summit, Panettiere continued her efforts to bring attention to the cause, issuing an open letter to the Japanese Government Fisheries Agency, responding to their defense of the nation's whaling practices.
"To say that Japan is carefully managing marine living resources for the future is a joke," she wrote in a letter Friday to the agency's "bogus scientists" on her MySpace blog. "In regards to dolphins and whales, Japan's blatant disregard for these species is unfathomable...There is no humane way to kill a dolphin or whale, and scientific research shows that dolphin and whale meat is unhealthy for human consumption.
"Do you realize how ignorant Japan looks to the rest of the world?...We are determined to end Japan's brutally cruel and needless slaughter of dolphins and whales, and I will do everything within my power to ensure this."
If Panettiere's global do-gooding sounds reminiscent of another passionate, goodwill-spreading thespian, it may not be a coincidence.
The 18-year-old TV star told People at the summit that Angelina Jolie "was definitely one of my inspirations growing up, and she was definitely somebody I looked up to."
She also told the magazine that while her success on Heroes has allowed her to shine spotlights on her various philanthropic endeavors, it also puts a crimp on her social life.
"It completely ruined my personal life," she said. "I mean, you walk out the door, and you've got 10 cameras in your face. Obviously, everything in my life is on display, whether it be true or false—99 percent of it false."
Panettiere was joined at the event by Guster singer and guitarist Adam Gardner, who spoke at the summit about environmental philanthropy and sustainability.
As for the actress, she's keeping busy this week and will be on hand with the Hollywood Foreign Press Thursday morning to announce this year's batch of Golden Globe nominees.
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