Ian Somerhalder plans to turn 'Vampire Diaries' set green with new mobile power company

Ian Somerhalder, star of "The Vampire Diaries" and "Lost," is continuing to be proactive in the fight for a greener future. Somerhalder, who spent his childhood on the Gulf Coast, has been devastated by the Gulf Oil Disaster.

As an estimated 60,000 barrels of oil continue to gush into the Gulf of Mexico every day, Somerhalder is looking toward preventing future catastrophes. "I understand the need for energy," he tells Zap2it. "I couldn't say that loud enough, scream it loud enough if I tried. We all are culprits. As we speak, I'm driving, using fuel. The key is that we need to start moving toward green energy."

To do his part, Somerhalder has joined forces with Go Green Mobile Power. "You're the first person I'm telling this," he shares. "I just became involved with a very strong green energy company that produces portable, mobile green power. The company's called Go Green Mobile Power. Our first prototype is going to be done in a few days."

Go Green Mobile Power will create portable solar/wind/biodiesel generators for use in the film and event industry (as well as other arenas), to replace the off-grid dirty energy that's traditionally used on location.

"It takes a lot of power to run a movie set. We go through a lot of fuel," Somerhalder says. "It's harmful, and we can start changing that a little bit. We can get rid of these noisy, stinky, disgusting gas generators. There's going to be a lot of thought that goes into this revolution that's going to happen."

"We're dealing with California Transportation Department, we're dealing with the Department of Defense, we're dealing with disaster relief -- but we're also dealing with the entertainment industry. We'll be taking major productions green, like big concerts and music festivals. Greening the 'Vampire Diaries' set is a priority for me, which we're going to be doing this year."

Somerhalder is working to be part of the solution, but that doesn't mean he's not still furious at the people who are neglecting the problem. "Tony Hayward is literally basking on his yacht right now, in Europe, while these people suffer and all the animals die," he says. "In this country if you throw your trash in someone else's trash facility, I don't think it's a felony, but you can get in a lot of trouble. Yet a foreign company - now, mind you, it's owned by a lot of Americans, but it's a foreign company - can come into our waters, destroy an entire ecosystem, and the C.E.O. has the brass balls to be caught in public basking in the sun."

He sighs. "I hope this isn't in vain. I'm not being negative anymore, and I'm tired of feeling angry. I'm going to make this into a positive. Hopefully, this makes us think of the future."

Read more from Ian Somerhalder and find out how you can help victims of the Gulf Oil Disaster.