5 celebs who are using their might and iconic status to save planet Earth

When it comes to saving the planet, actors and actresses across the world have been dedicated in their campaigns. Leonardo Di Caprio is known for his conservation efforts, and most recently spoke about saving the Amazon rainforest.

Edward Norton has been a vocal United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, and has spoken on water and solar power. Robert Redford and Brad Pitt too have been vocal about environmental issues. Closer home, actress Dia Mirza has been the face of many environmental campaigns while Gul Panag has spoken about practical solar and rain harvesting systems.

And these are just a few examples. According to a study done by the University of California San Diego and Santa Fe Institute, Leonardo DiCaprio’s speech on the environment at the Oscars in 2016, which was watched by 34.5 million people, saw a huge public engagement.

In an interview with The Washington Post, John Ayers who led the research along with colleagues, said,

“A single speech, at a very opportunistic time, at the Oscar ceremony, resulted in the largest increase in public engagement with climate change ever.”

Being in the limelight many names have taken it upon themselves to protecting our environment. Here are the others:

Mark Ruffalo

Known for his role as the greatest Avenger, Hulk, Oscar-nominated actor Mark Ruffalo is a real-life hero off the screen too. Just like his larger than life green character, the star identifies with his own green initiative, the “Water Defence".

It is a Brooklyn-based activist group founded by Ruffalo that is vocal about banning hydraulic fracturing, an oil and gas production technique which can pollute the soil as well as groundwater in New York and Colorado.

Ruffalo once tweeted,

“If the threat we were facing with #ClimateChange was coming from another country, we would not blink twice at trillions of dollars for a military response that uses violence, bloodshed, and displacement as a solution.”

He has also co-founded Solutions Project, which aims to help people shift to 100 percent renewable energy. In 2018, more than 100 cities, and now half a dozen states, including CA, committed to 100 percent clean energy.

Ian Somerhalder

Known for his role in the series, The Vampire Diaries, Ian was designated as United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Goodwill Ambassador in 2014.

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At the time he said,

“Humans are currently consuming far more than our planet can provide or sustain. We are polluting our air with carbon emissions, destroying our forests and species, and filling our seas with plastic and waste, the time is now to go greener by making choices that are good for people and the planet.”

The Ian Somerhalder Foundation focusses on various issues, like clean-up, green living and water conservation.

Dia Mirza

This Indian actress and former Miss India Asia-Pacific 2000 is currently the UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador. Mostly known for her initiatives to save existing natural resources like water, and conserving the environment, Dia Mirza said,

“Our right to life is underlined by our ability to breathe clean air.”

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She has been working to ban single-use plastics and encouraging people to switch to the use of alternative and sustainable solutions. She is also a part of the Gaj Yatra, which is working towards the importance of elephants and giving them the right of passage, which will be through 101 vital migratory corridors mapped across India. They will also sensitise the local population, government and policymakers.

Dia has also participated in the famous beach clean-up drive in Mumbai’s Versova Beach led by Afroz Shah.

Leonardo DiCaprio

Known for his role in Titanic, the Oscar-winning actor has been vocal and dedicated in his efforts to save the planet. He has spoken and filmed documentaries about global warming, promoting environmental awareness and much more. The actor has been doing his bit and encouraging others as well to do so through his Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation.

In 2016, Leonardo had pledged $15 million to decrease the world’s dependency on fossil fuels. His foundation has been speaking on various issues like climate change, wildlife and landscapes, marine life and oceans.

Meanwhile, the foundation is also working towards protecting 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030. Recently, the partners of the foundation worked with indigenous groups, international organisations and local coalitions. Together, the group secured more than 1.6 million square km of marine protected areas in all the five oceans – an area more than twice the size of Texas.

Voicing his concern on climate change while accepting the Oscars for Best Actor for the movie The Revenant in 2016, Leo said,

“Climate change is real, it is happening right now. It is the most urgent threat facing our entire species, and we need to work collectively together and stop procrastinating.”

Shailene Woodley

The actor known for her role in Big Little Lies is also known for her eco-activism. In 2016, the actor was detained during a protest of pipelines in North Dakota. After her release, Shailene took to Instagram and expressed her concern and even spoke about environmental conservation through her poems.

With an active following of 4.2 million followers, Shailene wrote a post on the recent Amazon fire, where she said,

“Her voice... so heartbreaking. Please hear her. She speaks for our Mother Earth. She speaks for us all.”

(Edited by Suruchi Kapur Gomes)

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