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Ryan Reynolds takes on Big Oil in new video

By April MacIntyre Aug 19, 2010, 17:36 GMT

EcoActivist- Ryan Reynolds - 64th Annual Tony Awards - Arrivals - Radio City Music Hall, 50th Street Between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue - New York City, NY, USA © Sylvain Gaboury / PR Photos

Ryan Reynolds is stepping out of his skintight superhero costume and stepping onto the shoes of eco-activist, moved by what he has witnessed in Louisiana post BP oil debacle.

A star the the recent Comic-Con in San Diego, Reynolds was on panel talking about his role as the legendary comic book character:  "He's a bit of a fractured human being. He has watched his father die, and we move on to find him a little bit later in life, and he's kind of arrogant, cocky and aimless. It's this extraordinary power that's bestowed upon him that sets him upon a more humble path."

Reynolds has been filming in New Orleans for Green Lantern, where he is fitted into a tight motion-capture suit.

"We're shooting in Louisiana, which is pretty close to the sun in terms of the hottest place you can find anywhere around," he quipped at the Con.

Now, as the region was rocked by the BP oil crisis, Reynolds was inspired to spring into activism and leave the actor persona behind for his plea to reconsider fossil fuels.

He is videotaped talking about the net results of the horrific oil spill:

"You don't have to make a personal trip to the Gulf of Mexico to realize the BP disaster has blown the cover off a subject some would prefer to keep quiet: the ongoing damage inflicted by our addiction to oil.

When you see images of blackened beaches, grounded fishermen, and toxic dispersants in the water, you can't pretend that it only costs $35 to fill your gas tank."