by the capitol police and put into handcuffs. But Fonda wasn't alone. She and 138 other

people were arrested, and they were all there for a reason: the U.S. government's dismal

response to the climate crisis. This kind of celebrity direct action is rare, and especially

among the Hollywood elite who are advocating for climate action as their new pet cause.

(Play some clips), And because of this it's more important than ever to dive into the

celebritization of the climate crisis. Today we're going to figure out if celebrity advocacy

is actually working as well as determine who is actually doing the work to build the movements

we need to effectively foster a just transition.

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Are Celebrities Influencing Climate Action? Before we dive into the specifics of celebrity

climate action culture, we need to first understand if their advocacy is even effective. The answer

is… it's complicated. Indeed, as one paper puts it, celebrities like Al Gore and Leonardo

DiCaprio have become the new polar bears, assuming the imagery of the new harbingers

of climate change. But the ramifications of celebrity influence on various environmental

issues can differ wildly. With their widely watched personas comes some amount of power

as well as the filtering of political ideas and theories of change through that persona.

Essentially, celebrities have become nodes through which many people learn about climate

issues or perhaps are inspired to take action. So the result of this celebrity influence

is very much dependent on the celebrity's politics. Some figureheads like Prince Phillip

and David Attenborough champion false ideas of overpopulation and propose neoliberal and

eugenicist solutions, while others, like Jane Fonda push for movement-based direct-action

to end fossil fuel extraction. The spectrum of celebrity solutions to the climate crisis

is almost as broad as the number of climate celebrities. But the way celebrities relate

to movements, usually as figureheads rather than as comrades, perpetuates a “heroic

individual” narrative that runs counter l to anti-hierarchical, grassroots movement

philosophies.

The Personal is Hypocritical? With every cry for climate action from a celebrity,

comes an equal cry of hypocrisy. This is due, in part, because of the nature of celebrity

and our desire for heroic leaders. It positions celebrities as individuals, which means it's

easy to delegitimize climate advocacy by attacking the personal actions of celebrities. After

all, cries of hypocrisy are extremely effective tools of dismantling movements, especially

those focused on the climate crisis. If you somehow have to already have shed all your

fossil fuel use in order to start the work of shedding fossil fuels, then very few people

will ever take action. But here's the thing, while being mindful of how we use resources

and, for those of us in wealthy countries or who have personal wealth, reducing our

use of resources is important, it should never be a prerequisite to dismantling the systems

of capitalism and environmental destruction. In fact BP invented the carbon footprint so

people would think their own lifestyles were to blame and not the exploitative capitalist

actions of the 100 companies that emit 71% of the world's greenhouse gasses. Paying

attention to our own or a celebrity's carbon footprints will never solve climate change

as long as fossil fuel companies continue to build pipelines and pump oil and gas out

of the ground. As journalist David Roberts puts it, Leonardo DiCaprio's carbon footprint

is a “fart in the wind” compared to major corporations and fossil fuel companies. That

being said, Hollywood elites are still elites. Hopping around on private jets, partying on

yachts, and lounging in lavish mansions is unethical in a world where whole nations are

getting swallowed up by sea level rise, and millions are starving. It's hard to take

celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio or Al Gore seriously when they seem so disconnected from

the masses. A world without climate change and inequality means a world without yachts

or private jets. Much like Kim Kardashian driving fashion trends, celebrities have the

power to drive climate action trends, and their personal actions can signal possible

avenues of change. So, let's look at both Leonardo DiCaprio and Jane Fonda in order

to understand two very different celebrity approaches to climate action.

The DiCaprio Way: After leaning over the bow of the Titanic

declaring himself king of the world, Leonardo DiCaprio decided to do something about that

world. So, like most rich people he started a donor-advised fund, and he called it The

Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation. Since 1998 DiCaprio's foundation has handed out $100 million in

grants to over 200 projects. But if you've watched my video on billionaires you'll

know this isn't the whole story. While $100 million is great for the cause, DiCaprio is

often reaping the benefits both in terms of tax dodging and reputation. The watchdog group,

Charity Watch, decried the lack of transparency of the fund, writing that the Leonardo DiCaprio

Foundation uses its donor advised fund status to “avoid the financial and other transparency

requirements that must be met by stand-alone charities.” That being said, DiCaprio has

made a number of speeches and produced films calling attention to the climate crisis. But

like many of his elite friends, his framing of the crisis and the solutions he proposes

often veer on the side of quick techno-fixes that ignore the systemic drivers of climate

change like capitalism. In short, DiCaprio certainly isn't doing terribly compared

to the actions of other celebrities, but it's not possible for the multimillion dollar galas

he throws and flying around on private jets to address the root causes of climate change.

If anything, they highlight the importance of finding another way to wield celebrity

and fame to build movements and action. Which is where Jane Fonda comes in.

The Fonda Way: In the fall of 2019, Fonda decided to turn

her climate despair into action. She set up a base in a Washington DC hotel room near

the White House and for 4 months she held weekly climate rallies on the doorstep of

the U.S. government, often ending in arrests. Unlike big ticket galas or UN speeches, Fonda

was wielding her fame and privilege to build a movement. Using the shocking headlines of

her multiple arrests, as well as enticing her celebrity friends like Sally Fields and

Lily Tomlin, Fonda grounded climate action in direct action. At the same time, Fonda

seems to be trying to take a back seat, offering her podium to indigenous activists and activists

of color. In essence, Fonda knows that where she goes headlines will follow, so she seems

to be using that spotlight to illuminate the real work of those at the frontlines of the

climate struggle. Like her recent appearance at the Line 3 protests. At the end of the

day, however, no one person will save us from climate catastrophe. We all need to lower

our expectations about the impact that celebrities can have on movements. At best, they can actually

be part of a movement, like anyone else, and use their celebrity to raise funds for democratic

distribution, create media to shift mainstream narratives about injustice, or get attention

on specific campaigns. At worst, they can use shady fundraising methods for tax breaks

and good PR.

Heroes and Movements: The true heroes are not just one person, they

are movements across the world blocking fossil fuel infrastructure, divesting from capitalist

exploitation, and building communities based in abundance. The water protectors and the

hundreds of people blocking the destructive progress of Enbridge's Line 3 pipeline are

the ones who we should be paying attention to. These are the people who, for over 500

years, have fought the systems of exploitation that now fuels the climate crisis. The Hollywood

elite can certainly do their part by supporting and lifting up these movements, but the capitalist-imperialist

system that underpins our climate crisis will never fall at the hands of the famous. They're

famous because of that system. Celebrities need to get their hands dirty, listen to those

that have known the land for thousands of years, and struggle directly for a world where

land, air, and life are deeply treasured.

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