Tom Hanks to be Master of Ceremonies For ``Earth to L.A.! II'' On May 10, 2002.

Entertainment Editors

LOS ANGELES--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--Feb. 25, 2002

Former President William J. Clinton to Deliver Keynote Address 

at Unique, Star-Studded Event to Benefit the

Natural Resources Defense Council 

Dustin Hoffman, Steve Martin, Martin Short, Larry David,

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Carole King Set to Perform

Tom Hanks will serve as Master of Ceremonies and former President William J. Clinton will be the Keynote Speaker at NRDC's (Natural Resources Defense Council) biennial fundraising event "Earth to L.A.! II." An irreverent evening of comedy, music and one-of-a-kind performances, "Earth to L.A.! II" will be held on Friday, May 10, 2002 at the Wadsworth Theatre in Brentwood, California, with the proceeds furthering NRDC's mission to safeguard the Earth's natural resources.

Also lending their singular talents to the evening's festivities are Martin Short, who will appear in a taped segment as his alter-ego, talk show host Jiminy Glick, "interviewing" director Rob Reiner; Carole King, who will be performing a musical number; and Seinfeld co-creator/Curb Your Enthusiasm star Larry David and Steve Martin, who will both deliver rare standup comedy performances. In addition, Dustin Hoffman and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be making special appearances.

"I have the great misfortune to be married to an environmentalist who gives away oodles of my money to NRDC," said Larry David, who serves as an Event Chair with his wife and event producer, Laurie David. "Nevertheless, I applaud their work, even though I rarely leave the house and haven't set foot in the ocean in fifteen years."

In addition to Laurie and Larry David, the Event Chairs for "Earth to L.A. II" are NRDC trustees Cindy and Alan Horn, Peter Morton and Robert Redford; NRDC Senior Attorney Robert F. Kennedy Jr.; Ariel and Sarah Emanuel; Ron and Kelly Meyer; and Rob and Michele Reiner. Academy Award-nominated production designer Michael Riva will set design the event, reprising his role from "Earth to L.A.!"

"In 2000, we raised $1 million through our first-ever `Earth to L.A.!' event, an unprecedented event-fundraising figure for this organization," said NRDC President John H. Adams. "With `Earth to L.A.! II,' we are hoping to garner even more support from the entertainment community to once again raise awareness and funding needed to continue NRDC's commitment to protect our planet's valuable natural resources."

For over 30 years, NRDC has been winning the fights that matter most for the Earth and its people in the United States and around the world. NRDC's staff of lawyers, scientists and policy analysts advocate for lasting environmental change - and they do it with 82 cents of every dollar raised going toward environmental programs.

-- In response to a formal proposal prepared by NRDC and others, the Clinton Administration created the Giant Sequoia National Monument in April of 2000. This National Monument is designed to save the last unprotected giant sequoias along with the surrounding forest ecosystem, and the wildlife and cultural artifacts found there.

-- In January 2001, following NRDC's decade-long scientific and legal campaign to reduce arsenic in tap water, the EPA announced a stricter standard for limiting public exposure to the dangerous compound - a standard five times more stringent than the one it replaced.

-- NRDC's Dump Dirty Diesel campaign produced a major public-health breakthrough when the Environmental Protection Agency adopted a rule that will cut diesel truck and bus pollution by as much as 95 percent. In addition, to further protect children's health, NRDC succeeded in getting the South Coast Air Quality Management District to ban the purchase of dirty diesel school buses and garbage trucks in four counties, including Los Angeles.

NRDC's purpose is to safeguard the Earth, its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends. In 1970, when there were few environmental laws on the books to protect our water, air and wilderness, several leading attorneys identified the need to create a law firm with one client - the Earth. For over 30 years, NRDC's team of lawyers, economists, scientists and policy experts have helped craft and pass some of the United States' key environmental statutes, including the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. NRDC's strategy is to get results using the most effective tools available, whether it's working with the construction industry to promote wood-efficient building techniques, or mobilizing public opinion to force the EPA to enact stricter guidelines to protect children from harmful chemicals. Today, NRDC has nearly three-quarters of a million members worldwide and is America's most influential environmental organization.

For more information about attending "Earth to L.A.! II," please contact:

Harvin Rogas, Event Coordinator

310-559-9334

For press-related inquiries regarding "Earth to L.A.! II," please contact:

Irika Slavin

818-954-2246

[e-mail]

Jeff Hare

818-954-6292

[e-mail]

For more information about NRDC, please contact:

Liana Schwarz

323-934-6900 ext. 325

[e-mail]

Or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.nrdc.org.