Adam Levine Vanity Fair Party - P 2012
Getty ImagesAfter helping President Barack Obama win a second term in the White House, some Hollywood stars are calling on the president to make good on one of the promises that attracted them to him in the first place.
The Sierra Club on Monday published an open letter to Obama, calling on his administration to take urgent action on climate change. The letter — which also appears as a full-page ad in the political newspaper The Hill — is signed by more than 20 entertainers and celebrities, many of them longtime environmental advocates.
“Your legacy as 44th president of the United States rests firmly on your leadership on climate disruption,” the letter reads. “Only the president has the power to lead an effort on the scale and with the urgency we need to phase out fossil fuels and lead America, and the world, in a clean energy revolution.”
Among the star signees are Alec Baldwin, Adam Levine, Morgan Freeman, Susan Sarandon, Woody Harrelson, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Edward Norton, Darren Aronofsky and Yoko Ono. The letter comes ahead of a February 17 rally called ForwardOnClimate, which is being co-sponsored by 350.org and the Hip Hop Caucus.
Many of the stars campaigned and fundraised for Obama, with Baldwin, Freeman and Sarandon notable surrogates, in both official and unofficial capacities. Sarandon and Ono have been on the forefront of many environmental issues, including protesting the potential use in New York of hydraulic fracturing for natural gas — the process at the center of Matt Damon and John Krasinski‘s recent film, Promised Land. Baldwin has also been involved in that fight.
Since the November election, Hollywood has rallied behind the president on issues such as gun control, with many — including Beyonce, Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Rock — participating in videos and rallies to raise support for anti-gun measures. Last week, Silver Linings Playbook director David O. Russell and star Bradley Cooper met with Vice President Joe Biden to discuss measures to improve mental healthcare. They also helped present legislation on the matter in the senate.
