Christopher Gavigan

Did I just call you on a boat in France?

Yes, you did. I'm in Cannes. I came out here because my family had a movie in the film festival, so we came for the premiere. [Gavigan is too modest to come out and say that, because his wife, Jessica Capshaw, is Steven Spielberg's stepdaughter, he is in Cannes for the premiere of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.] This is very, very atypical for us. But it's enjoyable and memorable. We brought our eight-month old son, who officially started crawling on this trip.

What percentage of your vacations are eco-friendly or have something to do with your work?

I think my wife and I are always trying to keep that in mind. We always go away for our anniversary, which is tomorrow in fact, so this is our anniversary trip. But last year, we went to Kauai, the green island, and stayed at an eco resort there. Before that, we had gone up the coast to Big Sur and went camping, hiking, and jumping around.

In your book, your wife wrote an essay called, "When Your Other Half Is Greener." I like the way your wife distinguishes between shades of environmental green. Have you always been forest green or was it a gradual darkening of hue?

The more I know, I can't un-know. So there's this commitment to doing something about it. Ever since I came out to California and did undergraduate studies in environmental studies and geography, and since growing up on the East Coast, I've constantly been outdoorsy. But just my educational understanding of the world around us and our personal impact on it, I have to commit to doing something about it.

Your wife says that she's more of a light green. How do you navigate a relationship between different shades of green?

It's a challenge. As every family knows: If momma ain't happy, no one ain't happy. With me bringing home knowledge, information, products or a new laundry detergent, it's a conversation about why I thought this might be better. We're constantly thinking about our lifestyle and trying to minimize our impact, but also to be conscientious. It's not always about buying stuff. It's really about minimizing, and when you do buy, buying smarter, with more information. But I think if you feel strongly about something, a heated conversation can be effective. You can't always be soft. Sometimes in one of these marital battles, I will go to [my wife] and say I know more in this area and have our family's best interest in mind. A couple of times we've had discussions where she wasn't taking the information that seriously and I had to take a deep breath and say, 'I feel really passionately about this and we're going to have to carry this conversation to another level.' And sometimes we'll have to go to the store and talk to someone because she needs more information and needs to hear it from that person. If you have information that is correct and valid and authenticated, then you have to stay true to it and help the person in your home understand why you're standing up for this choice or change. A lot of these issues are about behavioral change. And that's not easy. Getting someone to change daily habits is not easy, because they're comfortable. And there's always an expense component and that's every family's concern.

Has there been an item that you've tried to persuade your wife to change but she's stuck with it anyway?

Yeah, like Courteney Cox was talking about her Windex. [Healthy Child Healthy World includes an essay in which Cox admits that, while she is trying to be greener, she refuses to give up her Windex.] I didn't want to have to put that in there, but she really was committed to it. My wife is a fashionista and she loves her beauty care products. So we're here in France, with one of her friends who has a fancy French makeup line. And [my wife] knew exactly what to look for: She was like, 'I wonder if this has parabens.' She realizes that the higher up in the list it is, the more concentrated it is in the product. It was in the middle part of the list. And she was like, 'Gosh, I really wish this wasn't in there. But I'm going to use it just for tonight anyway.' I think for all women it's difficult with beauty. I have given her some of the nontoxic varieties and she's like, 'This smells like I don't want it to smell or it doesn't have fragrance'—which is a good thing—or 'It's just not working.' Especially in makeup. She uses great lotions and shampoos and whatnot, but for makeup it's hard to find.

So that's her Windex.

[Laughs.] That's her Windex.

If you were to recommend only one organic change when it comes to baby gear, what would it be?

One of our friends on this trip just found out she was pregnant. I said, 'Did you buy your mattress yet? I'm buying your mattress for you.' Creating a nursery and baby care or preparing for a baby, I feel like an organic mattress is a big deal. The beauty care lines for kids are also a big deal. And then I think organic foods for moms who are pregnant is a very big deal.

You have an impressive celebrity rolodex, with recipes from stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, an essay by Sheryl Crow and a foreword by Meryl Streep. How did you convince so many big Hollywood names to contribute to the book?

I never tugged on anyone! Within ten seconds of telling everyone, it seems they were like, 'I want to be a part of it.' They’re just parents who want to raise the healthiest children possible. 'Healthy child in a healthy world—who’s not going to rally behind that? In getting them involved, I wanted to help broaden awareness by bringing in some of these notable moms and dads who can connect to the moms and dads who are seeking this message. If a name like Meryl Streep makes them more comfortable, that’s a good thing.

What are one or two of your favorite celebrity tips?

I love Courteney Cox's tip of getting information from your friends. She said, 'Christopher, I'm not as green as I'd like to be, but I'm learning every day and I'm also learning a lot from friends by their example.' We all lead busy lives. You can learn by reading a book, going to your church and watching your friends and how they are leading their lives. I love the fact that she mentioned that.

Has any particular celebrity been especially inspiring to you?

There's no doubt that Amy Brenneman and Laura Dern, who have been connected to Healthy Child since I started working with the organization, are tremendous messengers. They're really thoughtful people and shown themselves to be true warriors. They're not on Capitol Hill or making films about it, but they're reaching out to everyone at all times. And they live it—they really do. They articulate their challenges as well. Hey, this is not easy, and Amy and Laura sometimes say that.

What do you think is the hardest organic change to make in terms of baby products?

I would have to say toys—because you receive so many gifts when you're pregnant, and you have many well-intentioned people wanting be generous. It's such a wonderful time and I know every mom and dad is so thankful, but I think sometimes you receive a toy or a big plastic block set or something that you're just like, 'I'm not aware of where this was made, or what it's made with.' I'm really fastidious with checking out plastics numbers. Sometimes I can't even find the information, or what the toy was stuffed with, and that's a little disconcerting. I think we're doing our children, and the parents, a great disservice by not clearly labeling things.

Reading your book made me want to go out and save the world. What are some more general, tangible things that concerned readers can do?

The next environmental arena that you can be impactful in is at your child's school. Influencing and becoming an agent of change can be really beneficial for your school, community, and affecting a larger group of people. A lot of these things are all about relationships: how you say the information, with what passion, with what grace and elegance you're phrasing these things, to the resources that you're pulling in. I think you can excite a community of change within a school. This is about children, this is about their legacy, their future, and their health.