Jane Fonda wants to fight the climate crisis, “the greatest crisis humanity has ever faced”, by getting more involved, as the Hollywood Climate Summit is held in Los Angeles until this Saturday June 24.
She’s 85, has an arm’s length filmography and just beat cancer, but Jane Fonda isn’t planning on slowing down for a second in her activism against global warming, “the greatest crisis humanity has ever faced“.”My cancer is in remission. I have lots of energy. I’m ready to fight more“, she told AFP Thursday, June 22, on the sidelines of the Hollywood Climate Summit being held in Los Angeles until Saturday, June 24.
“I am part of the Hollywood community, I don’t think this community has done enough to fight this crisis (climate, editor’s note). So I’m here to encourage that.“, explained the double Oscar-winning actress.
“Everyone must mobilize”
The summit brings together filmmakers, scientists and activists in an attempt to change the culture of the film industry and raise viewers’ awareness of climate issues. The directors ofEverything Everywhere All At Once participated in it, as well as Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, but also the star of the sitcom Abbott ElementaryQuinta Brunson.
Jane Fonda moderated a panel on “Hollywood takes on the oil industry“, calling on the entertainment sector to stop investing in fossil fuels and reduce its carbon footprint. The actress notably mentioned a California law prohibiting the drilling of new oil wells within one kilometer of homes, schools The law, signed into law last year by California Governor Gavin Newsom, is being challenged by the oil and gas industry, which successfully petitioned to suspend the measure and put it to a referendum in 2024. .
These attempts to obstruct the law “must be blocked. Everyone must get involved“to prevent a precedent from being set in this very democratic state, launched Jane Fonda on Thursday. The actress continued: “People get sick with cancer, heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kids miss school, children are born with birth defects because they live near fossil fuel installations.“
No more cinema for at least a year and a half
Jane Fonda, star from the 1960s with roles like Barbarellarose to the rank of cinema icon with her Oscars for best actress for Klute (1971) and Feedback (1978). It was during this time that she became active, including becoming the first Hollywood celebrity to travel to Hanoi to protest the war in Vietnam.
Ecology has long been one of its priorities. Just recently, she spoke at the United Nations in defense of marine biodiversity, challenged the installation of an oil pipeline in Minnesota and was repeatedly arrested outside the Capitol in Washington while protesting. to draw attention to the climate crisis.
If she didn’t act like that, she’d be”so depressed“that she would lose sleep over it. But she’s not,”because I’m doing my best… We all have to do our best, before it’s too late.“
Jane Fonda has recently appeared in numerous projects, such as the film Tom Brady at all costs (2022) or the Netflix series Grace and Frankie (2015-2022). But in September, she revealed that she had cancer of the lymphatic system and had started chemotherapy. Then, three months later, the one who had already had to fight against breast and skin cancer before, announced that she was in remission.
While a writers’ strike is currently rocking Hollywood, she intends to devote herself fully to activism, especially as the next US presidential election approaches in November 2024.”I’m not even going to try to work (in the cinema, editor’s note) during the next year and a half“, she confided. “The next election is really crucial.” “When you’re famous and have a megaphone, people listen, they pay attention to what you say. So make good use of it!“, added the superstar.