Larry Hagman at Jules Verne Nature Day

Kimberlee and I attended the first Jules Verne Nature Day in downtown Los Angeles to watch Larry Hagman receive the Jules Verne Nature Award for his Outstanding Contribution to Evironmental Education and the Promotion of Solar Energy. The event featured displays by environmental and alternative energy companies and orgainizations, as well as movie screenings.

Larry is the spokesman for SolarWorld, so it was no surprise that representatives of that company were in attendance, sporting "Shine, Baby, Shine" buttons. I had one as well, as did Larry, who drew a crowd on arrival. As usual, Larry was "elbowing" everyone instead of shaking hands. He showed interest in "BABY" a vehicle that runs on vegetable oil, then went over to a seating area at the side of the stage to await his award. Because this was the very first Jules Verne Nature Day, Los Angeles Councilwoman Jan Perry, along with Jean-Christophe Jeauffre and Frédéric Dieudonné, president, vice-president and co-founders of Jules Verne Adventures participated in a ribbon-cutting.

Jean-Christophe Jeauffre and Frédéric Dieudonné introduced Larry Hagman to the Dallas theme. The audience was filled with school children, who were attending Nature Day. Larry referred to them as his future fans, asking the media to move so the kids could see. "They're looking at your behinds" he said to giggles from the children. He then talked about solar power, mentioning that it is possible to replace windows with solar panels that you can see through. He described installing a solar electric system at his Ojai home, then said he was thankful for the award he was about to receive. To present the Jules Verne Nature Award to Hagman, Haitian actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, best known for the series Heroes, was introduced. Hagman was involved in the partnership of SolarWorld and the Solar Electric Light Fund (SELF), of which he is a board member, to provide solar installations to medical clinics in Haiti.

Jean-Louis spoke of meeting Larry in Monaco earlier this year, and of the earthquake that destroyed parts of Haiti. He remarked that renewable energy will help rebuild Haiti, and applauded Hagman for his efforts, then presented him with the Jules Verne Nature Award.

Councilwoman Jan Perry was called up to present Larry with a Resolution from the City of Los Angeles. She called Larry a role model. Some children from L.A. schools were also part of the presentation. "Thank you so much for doing everything for the planet. I really appreciate it" one girl said. Larry spoke of his work with SELF and SolarWorld, of how networking produces results, then expressed his thanks for the recognition he had received.

WHEREAS, Larry Hagman has allowed us the pleasure of his company in a long and wide-ranging career as actor, director, and producer; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hagman has given life to perhaps the greatest arch-villain in television history, the deliciously corrupt Dallas oilman, J.R. Ewing, bringing supreme pleasure to generations of viewers in the process; and

WHEREAS, in real life, Mr. Hagman has been an active and committed supporter of alternative sources of energy, becoming, in particular, a persuasive spokesperson for the intelligence, economy, safety and cleanliness of solar power; and

WHEREAS, farther, Mr. Hagman has put his money where his mouth is, converting his Ojai home into the largest residential solar-power system in the United States; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Hagman has, additionally, worked tirelessly for the Institute of Ecolonomics, established to promote the developement of non-polluting technologies which may, in turn, be transformed into viable businesses; and

WHEREAS, is being honored with the 2010 Jules Verne Nature Award at the Los Angeles Jules Verne Nature Day celebration, being held August 13th in the historic heart of downtown Los Angeles:

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that by the adoption of this resolution, the Los Angeles City Council does hereby commend LARRY HAGMAN as a renaissance man of the arts, and as a devoted environmental activist dedicated to the future of our planet.

After the presentation, Larry did several interviews and had photos taken, some of which are on the Jules Verne Adventures web site. For more on Larry Hagman's commitment to solar power, see "Larry Hagman Supports Solar Energy."