Robert Redford

More boost for the local green scene: In town on Thursday was the granddaddy of eco-celebrity, Robert Redford. After Clinton and Greenbuild, who’s going to stop here next? George Clooney in his Tango? DiCaprio? Knut?

To Redford’s credit, he made sure his appearance was not about his new movie, Lions for Lambs, but the Natural Resources Defense Council, of which he’s been a trustee for the past 30 years. The NRDC recently opened its Midwest office in Chicago (directed by former Chicago Department of Environment commissioner Henry Henderson), and Redford was there to lend his support and his golden-boy touch.

Another eco-celebrity? Daley walks the green carpet to introduce his “friend,” Bob Redford.

As people elbowed their way towards the “green” carpet to catch a glimpse of Redford, I found the NRDC’s visionary and founding director, John Adams, standing quietly to the side. Here’s what he had to say about the new office: “The voice of the Midwest is really very important in all of the climate issues and water issues that we’re going to be facing, and we would like to see NRDC play a role in helping that voice to be heard in Washington.” Translation: the office is going to focus on the Great Lakes and the coal fire power plants in the area.

Despite the celeb-frenzy, I managed to get a few pics of Redford. He was, after all, here to support a good cause, even if I was bursting to scream, “I cried when you hit that final homer in The Natural!” Sometimes celebrity gets the best of you.

Photography: Courtesy of Melissa Hephingstine, a local environmental consultant who was tall enough to capture something with Nora’s camera