Ian Somerhalder may be getting a ton of buzz as the kinky billionaire in "Fifty Shades of Grey" but the actor is also getting dirty in a new photo spread for Conde Nast. Somerhalder has been honored by Conde Nast Traveler as one of eight "remarkable global citizens" in their latest issue.
According to Hollywood Life, the "Vampire Diaries" actor was honored because of his global and environmental effects and for raising awareness of the issue.
In the spread, Conde Nast Traveler sites how the 34-year-old uses his celebrity status and social media to raise awareness of important global issues. Somerhalder has a strong presence on Twitter and uses the social media site to not only entertain his four million followers with glimpses into his personal life but he also talks to them and encourages them to help make the world a better place.
"He is using his celebrity - ad social media - to energize a new generation of conservationists," Conde Nast writes about the actor.
"We have what governments have been searching for high and low: voice and access," Somerhalder told the magazine. "This is the age of social media. People are tired of having their environment poisoned. Policymakers are going to have to listen. We are the policymakers now."
He is extremely outspoken about this passion. In March he talked about what the young generation can do to help save the planet during an interview for Origin magazine where he posed shirtless on the cover with a sign that read: "Generation Extinction."
His efforts have not only been recognized by Conde Nast Traveler but by the President himself. In 2012, Somerhalder was invited to the White House to discuss sustainable energy and he was also approached by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation about the power of social media, Conde Nast reports.
In 2010, the actor launched his very own organization called the Ian Somerhalder Foundation which fits right in line with his message and encourages people to start environmental projects.
You can check out photos from the Conde Nast Traveler photo shoot here.
