SHORT TAKES : Cruise in High Gear on Earth Day

WASHINGTON — As one of the main attractions at the Earth Day rally in Washington, D.C., Sunday, actor Tom Cruise urged the crowd to recycle, conserve and plant trees.

But he was decidedly vague when reporters asked him about his hobby--driving gas-guzzling, carbon monoxide-spewing race cars. “The thing is, not many people are going to be able to drive race cars, OK?” Cruise said. “It’s important to point to the things you can do to make a difference as opposed to saying, ‘Look at Tom Cruise. Look at where he stands and look at the effect.’ You’re pointing a finger at the wrong why.”