Brad Pitt Talks Rebuilding New Orleans

At the Fifth Annual Clinton Global Initiative meeting on Thursday in New York City, Brad Pitt gave an update on his organization that is currently building houses in hurricane-damaged New Orleans.

The average family spends $35 a month on electricity in one of the eco-friendly homes that has been built by Pitt's organization, the Make It Right Foundation.

Pitt has pledged to help build 150 houses in New Orleans. The actor said that by the time all 150 are built, the costs will be akin to standard buildings. All of the houses being built come equipped with green technology such as eco-friendly solar panels and energy efficient appliances to decrease consumption.

"I don't know how we build any other way anywhere else," he said. "We can no longer tell ourselves that implementing this technology is too complex a problem because it's just been proven on this little spot on the map."

The Make It Right Foundation was started in 2007 and focuses on constructing houses in New Orleans, which was damaged during Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Pitt and his wife, actress Angelina Jolie, also live part-time in the city.

The Clinton Global Initiative was founded by former president Bill Clinton. It brings together groups from the public and private sector in order to discuss problems and solutions issues such as climate change, poverty, global health and education.

The panel also included Queen Rania of Jordan and U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis.

Source: Associated Press