Climate Week: Post 4

Monday night, the United Nations awarded actor, Alec Baldwin, with the Equator Prize. Say what you will about his acting career, but even if you aren’t a fan of the 30 Rock star, it would be hard to not be impressed by the fact that he won an award from the UN that “recognizes the innovators making strides in poverty reduction and the protection of nature despite the manifold threats of climate change and extractive industries.” Seriously cool.

            This isn’t the first time that an entertainment star has been recognized for their positive environmental efforts, *cough-LeonardoDiCaprio-cough* but it makes it no less important. In American culture especially, celebrities hold a certain, large amount of attention. Other areas, like climate change may be lacking on their radar but oh, the latest celeb scandal is always something to chat about. With players like Baldwin, perhaps this could change.

            The actor’s positive outlook on climate change is focused directly with indigenous peoples and their disproportionate disadvantages due to climate change. And the best part is he’s smart and humble about it. “Drought in Central Africa is going to exacerbate the migration issue beyond anyone’s conception. You think what’s happening now in Europe is significant? It’s going to triple,” Baldwin states in the Grist interview. He goes on to say that he’s not too concerned with the award because, “Here are real people on the ground living in an area that’s their home, fighting with governments and industry to defend their land.”

            So just think about that next time you hear something from someone like Kim Kardashian talking about politics (“I had dinner with Obama once, and he just seemed very firm about the change, and that’s, like, his motto.”), be grateful that there are actual celebrity role models that could infiltrate the minds of the media-obsessed Americans in a positive way.

See Interview Here: http://grist.org/climate-energy/let-alec-baldwin-tell-you-why-he-is-an-optimistic-climate-warrior/