Tag: Robert Redford

Which Hollywood Bigwigs Are Speaking on Behalf of Nature?

Posted on by robbie

Burn all the fossil fuels you like. Mow down every single tree. Waste water to the last drop. There’s no need to worry for the planet. After all, its been around for 4.54 billion years and it can take a beating. Humanity, however, is clearly doomed if we continue on this self-destructive path.
The earth will survive climate change; you will not.
That’s the theme of Conservation International’s new Nature is Speaking ad campaign that urges us to care for and protect our environment — otherwise, the human race will perish.
The campaign stars Hollywood A-listers Julia Roberts, Harrison Ford, Edward Norton, Robert Redford, Kevin Spacey and Penelope Cruz who personify different aspects of nature that humans have mistreated (see their performances below). However, no matter how badly earth is treated, its message is this: “Nature doesn’t need people. People need nature.”
As a forceful Roberts says as the voice of Mother Nature, “I’ve been here for aeons. I have fed species greater than you. And I have starved species greater than you.”
“House of Cards” fans will find Spacey’s interpretation of the rainforest particularly chilling. “Humans, they’re so smart,” he mocks. “Such big brains and opposable thumbs. They know how to make things, amazing things. Now why would they need an old forest like me anymore? …Well, they do breathe air, and I make air. Had they thought about that? Humans. So smart, they’ll figure it out. Humans, making air? That’ll be fun to watch.”
MORE: 3 Reasons Why Sunday’s Historic Climate March Could Be the Start of Something Huge
The idea of the campaign is to flip the whole idea of “saving the Earth” on its head.
“So many of the groups speaking about conservation and climate change assume that man can fix the planet, as opposed to the idea that nature has been here for billions of years and we’ve been here for a nanosecond of that time span,” the campaign’s creator Lee Clow tells Fast Co.Create. “Nature will be here long after us, so the idea that we can fix nature is I think kind of preposterous, but the idea that we desperately need nature and we better be the best stewards we can be because of that, might be a more democratic and all-inclusive appeal. As opposed to right versus left, corporations versus ecologists, this is about the human race versus extinction. It’s all of us, as opposed to various factions and groups.”
A new film will debut soon with Ian Somerhalder lending his vocal chops as a coral reef.
For those who are interested in the campaign, show that you’re listening by joining in on social media with the hashtag #NatureIsSpeaking. In fact, for every tweet you send, HP will donate $1 (up to $1 million) to Conservation International.

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The Odd Couple: Robert Redford and Will Ferrell Team Up to Save Colorado River

Posted on by robbie

How do you get people’s attention focused on the parched Colorado River? Enlisting a famous actor and a hilarious comedian is a great place to start.
In the just-released sidesplitting PSA, Redford and Ferrell urge the public to help restore the once glorious delta. With all his usual gravitas, Redford encourages people to join his Raise the River campaign, which is an effort to reconnect the river back to the Gulf of Mexico and restore the delta’s ecosystem. Ferrell, meanwhile, has a whole different approach to solving the problem: Moving some of the ocean with his team of “scientists.”
“We got Old Sundance riding around, trying to raise the Colorado River and restore it’s flow. And I say ‘Do we really need more river?'” says “William” Ferrell against some terrible CGI imagery. “I mean hell, we’ve got plenty of ocean. Let’s move it.” The funnyman, with the help of pro surfer Kelly Slater, then asks you to send money to his mock MoveTheOcean.org campaign.
MORE: To Restore Water to the Colorado River, All These Teens Had to Do Was Send a Text
But in all seriousness, the formerly mighty Colorado River is drying up due to agriculture, urbanization and climate change. And even worse, this year’s horrific drought is sapping up the little bit of flowing water that’s left. More activism and awareness is needed, so why not try being funny for this important cause? According to MediaBistro, there will be more of these videos with the aim to raise $10 million dollars for river’s restoration.
“We saw this idea of a fictitious debate between Mr. Redford and Mr. Ferrell as a novel way to generate greater awareness of the very serious issues facing the Colorado River,” said Jill Tidman, executive director of the Redford Center. “Bringing a sense of humor to the effort opens the door for a much greater audience and offers everyone a chance to be part of winning this campaign—and this is one we are going to win.”