Benedict Cumberbatch, Glastonbury’s Emily Eavis, Game Of Thrones star Lena Headey and Jude Law have all signed a petition in which they admit their ‘hypocrisy’ in joining the fight alongside Extinction Rebellion.
Stars have been flocking to the streets as the climate change activists took over London in a protest to make policymakers wise up to the effects on the planet and wildlife.
However, there has been an argument by some media against the celebrities joining the charge as they enjoy a carbon-guzzling, jet-setting lifestyle that contributes to global warming.
More than happy to acknowledge this, more than 100 stars have signed an open letter addressing their so-called ‘hypocrisy’ while making the move to change.
Can’t fault them for admitting their part in global warming – how are we to move forward if we don’t first accept we need to change our own actions?
The likes of Riz Ahmed, comedian Simon Amstell, Mel B, All Saints’ Melanie Blat, Peter Capaldi, Steve Coogan, Love Island’s Laura Crane, Game Of Thrones’ Jerome Flynn, Bob Geldof, Natalie Imbruglia, Vanessa Kirby, YouTubers Jack and Finn Harries, Daisy Lowe, writer Ian McEwan, Sienna Miller, and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke all signed the letter.
Beginning their message, they say ‘you’re right’ in calling them hypocrites due to their ‘high carbon lives’ and the carbon footprints of the industries in which they’ve made their money.
As activists continued to cause disruption around the capital, defying a police ban to their protesting, the celebrity signatories were resolute in speaking out on the worsening issue of climate change and ‘ecological emergency’ though, feeling it a much more important story than that of their private jet dwelling.
‘The stories that you write calling us climate hypocrites will not silence us,’ the letter continued to read.
‘The media exists to tell the public the truth. Right now there has never been a more urgent need for you to educate yourselves on the CEE (Climate and Ecological Emergency) and to use your voices to reach new audiences with the truth.’
They added in their call to arms, which was posted on Extinction Rebellion’s website this week, they cannot simply ignore the work and activism of young people such as Greta Thunberg to ‘fight for their already devastated future’. And they’re prepared to put themselves ‘in your firing line’ to make sure the important messages are heard.
The celebrities' letter in full
‘Dear journalists who have called us hypocrites,
You’re right.
We live high carbon lives and the industries that we are part of have huge carbon footprints. Like you – and everyone else – we are stuck in this fossil-fuel economy and without systemic change, our lifestyles will keep on causing climate and ecological harm.
There is, however, a more urgent story that our profiles and platforms can draw attention to.
Life on earth is dying. We are living in the midst of the 6th mass extinction. For those who still doubt the severity of our situation, here is the International Monetary Fund on 10th October 2019 :
“Global warming causes major damage to the global economy and the natural world and engenders risks of catastrophic and irreversible outcomes”
And here is Sir David Attenborough on 3rd December 2018 :
“Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years. Climate change. If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon.”
Climate change is happening faster and more furiously than was predicted; millions of people are suffering, leaving their homes and arriving on our borders as refugees.
Alongside these people who are already paying the price for our fossil fuelled economy, there are millions of children – called to action by Greta Thunberg – who are begging us, the people with power and influence, to stand up and fight for their already devastated future.
We cannot ignore their call. Even if by answering them we put ourselves in your firing line.
The stories that you write calling us climate hypocrites will not silence us.
The media exists to tell the public the truth. Right now there has never been a more urgent need for you to educate yourselves on the CEE (Climate and Ecological Emergency) and to use your voices to reach new audiences with the truth.
We invite all people with platforms and profiles to join us and move beyond fear, to use your voices fearlessly to amplify the real story.
Thousands of ordinary people are risking their freedom by taking part in non-violent civil disobedience. We’ve been inspired by their courage to speak out and join them. We beg you to do the same.’
Stars have come under fire in the past for sporting a large carbon footprint while campaigning for climate action.
Last month Dame Emma Thompson admitted it was hypocritical to fly to a climate change protest, but insists she flies a lot less than she used to.
The 60-year-old was criticised earlier this year when it emerged she flew 5,400 miles to attend the Extinction Rebellion protest in Central London.
A flight from Los Angeles International Airport to London Heathrow generates around 1.67 tonnes of CO2. Later Emma said that while it may have been hypocritical of her to fly to the protest that is ‘not the story’.
Speaking to ITV News, the Love Actually star said: ‘What does it matter that I get pilloried. If you put your head up, that’s what’s going to happen. But I think what really does matter is to point out that that’s not the story.
‘I was really shocked by that actually, because all these people know I have to fly when I work. I live here, I’ve always lived here and sometimes I have to fly. I fly so much less than I did but I do have to fly sometimes.’
The Oscar winner continued: ‘The message from Extinction Rebellion wasn’t that no one can fly, it was that for decades now we have been asking for clean energy and this has been ignored.
‘I may well be hypocritical by flying but I’m conscious of flying so I fly much less, but sometimes I have to when I’m working. But I’ll continue to find ways to get to places without flying.’
Leonardo DiCaprio was also one called out for his private jet use, deciding to start flying commercial earlier this year (probably still up the pointy end of the plane, but changes are afoot at least), despite his millions raised in the fight against climate change.
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