What Shailene Woodley, Gisele Bündchen & Rosario Dawson are Doing For the Planet

Hopefully you saw last week’s article on our favorite activist celebrities… Here is part 2!
Like in the Part 1 article, at No Kill we applaud the efforts of all people, not just celebrities. BUT because of the large influence celebrities have on society, those using their status to raise awareness of contemporary issues deserve recognition!

 

Shailene Woodley

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The second part of our list will start off with Shailene Woodley. Shailene Woodley has used her platform to promote environmentalism and speak up against pollution and climate change. Partnering up with several different charities and NGOs, her environmental activism has had great impacts. Back in October of 2016, Woodley was arrested at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests, recording the event on Facebook for her 40,000 followers! In 2019, Shailene Woodley partnered with Greenpeace and marine researchers to study the devastating impacts of plastic pollution in the water as a Greenpeace Oceans Ambassador. In that same year, she also partnered with American Express and Parley for the Oceans in an eco-campaign targeting plastic pollution. The campaign kick-started the #BackOurOceans social media movement that created tons of environmental awareness AND for every comment made American Express pledged to remove two pounds of plastic from oceans and beaches.

 In 2010, Shailene Woodley founded the All it Takes organization, which continues to promote sustainability and environmentalism in a big way. The organization targets youths and provides children and teens with the social emotional skills needed to support themselves and their communities in a sustainable way.

 Shailene Woodley has had major successes in her professional life as well as her environmental activism!

 

Gisele Bündchen

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Everyone’s favorite super model is also super environmentally conscious! When she is not strutting on the runway, Bündchen is a passionate environmentalist, documentary producer, philanthropist, and U.N. Environment Programme Global Goodwill Ambassador. Often referred to as fashion’s queen of sustainable glamour, Bündchen is often decked out in environmentally sustainable and ethical clothing. Gisele Bündchen is highly involved with many different sustainability initiatives; her Brazilian nationality has fostered a greater sense of responsibility for forest conservation, especially that of the Amazon Rainforest. In 2020, Bündchen, several other celebrities, and Netflix produced and starred in the Kiss the Ground documentary revolving around regenerative agriculture to save the planet’s topsoil.

Bündchen also teamed up with the Ipanema flip flop brand and designed a line of eco-conscious sandals. The super model’s line has drawn attention to the fashion industry’s excessive use of water. The line was produced in order to support environmental campaigns like the World Wildlife Fund’s ‘Springs from Brazil’ initiative and other initiatives to protect the waterways of Brazil.

 

Rosario Dawson

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Rosario Dawson decided to take an interest in fashion and make it a force for good.. Dawson and her business partner Abrima Erwiah co-founded Studio One Eighty Nine, an artisan produced fashion lifestyle brand and social enterprise that has been revolutionary within the fashion industry. The brand/enterprise is based out of Ghana and the United States; it promotes social sustainability because it greatly empowers traditional craftmanship and artisanal communities. Not only does Dawson’s Studio One Eighty Nine play a large role in creating jobs, supporting education and upholding equality, but it is also a much more environmentally friendly option, providing a great alternative to fast fashion!

 In 2018, Rosario Dawson and Abrima Erwiah won the CFDA Lexus Fashion Initiative for Sustainability (and the $80,000 grant that comes with it!). Since then, the brand/enterprise continues to grow and has established partnerships with organizations like the United Nations ITC Ethical Fashion Initiative.

Rosario Dawson has made great strides towards sustainability and Studio One Eighty Nine is an amazing example of what the fashion industry SHOULD look like.

 

 Mark Ruffalo

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Mark Ruffalo is a superhero on and off screen; you may have seen him save the world as Hulk, but his efforts as an environmental activist are also quite heroic. Ruffalo is an extremely passionate climate change activist and renewable energy advocate. He has been recognized by Time Magazine, the New York Times and more for his environmentalism. Additionally, he was awarded the Global Green Millennium Award for Environmental Leadership and the Meera Gandhi Giving Back Foundation Award.

In 2011, Mark Ruffalo co-founded The Solutions Project and still sits on the board of directors. The Solutions Project aims to accelerate the United States’ transition to renewable energy. The organization provides support, funds and recognition for projects promoting solar power, wind power, hydroelectric power, geothermal energy and/or tidal power. The Solutions Project has greatly improved the lives of communities most affected by the effects of climate change.

In 2019, Ruffalo testified before Congress about chemical pollution and the lack of substantial regulation. He has an extremely strong stance against chemical plants and fracking. In 2019, Mark Ruffalo produced and starred in the legal thriller film Dark Waters. The film is based on the DuPont scandal in West Virginia where over 70,000 individuals were subjected to contaminated drinking water due to chemical pollution and runoff. The film raised awareness of the incident and went on to receive the Environmental Media Award in 2020.

 

Don Cheadle

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Don Cheadle, yet another Avenger, is a renown environmental and humanitarian activist and an elected UN Environmental Programme Global Goodwill Ambassador. He aims to use his celebrity influence to create environmental awareness; he has been quoted saying “I hope to use my ‘celebrity’ to motivate people and contribute to moving our global society back from the brink. I am surprised environment is not at the top of the agenda. What is more important than food and clean air? We need a big push.”

In 2008, with the help of other famous actors such as Brad Pitt, Cheadle founded the nongovernmental, international relief and humanitarian aid organization known as Not on Our Watch. The idea behind the organization came from the book, Not on Our Watch, written by Don Cheadle and John Prendergast. The non-fiction book contains first-hand accounts of Cheadle’s experiences during his humanitarian visit to the Darfur area of Sudan during its war and genocide. Cheadle’s book and organization shed light on the human rights violations that occur during times of crisis and aim to help vulnerable, marginalized and/or displaced individuals.

 In addition to his humanitarian efforts, Cheadle is a passionate environmentalist and sits on the board of directors for Mark Ruffalo’s organization, The Solutions Project. He constantly uses his platform to discuss the severity of climate change and the need for action. In the beginning of 2020, Cheadle was elected by USGA as an ambassador of sustainability in golf for the US Open. He has since been the lead spokesman for the USGA as they continue in their movement towards sustainability within the golf sector.

Don Cheadle has taken on many different roles within the realm of environmental and humanitarian activism and serves as a great role model, some would even consider him a superhero!

 

Daryl Hannah

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American actress Daryl Hannah is a big name in the world of environmental activism. Hannah uses her well-established platform to further her campaign for a cleaner and more sustainable world. In 2011, she was named the Environmental Hero at the Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival, the award she received served as a thank you from the entire Santa Barbara community for her long-time commitment to sustainability. Hannah is dedicated to simple and green living; she even uses oil collected from fast food restaurants to power her car!

 Daryl Hannah participates in the efforts of several different environmental organizations and sits on the board of the Environmental Media Association, Mission Blue, the World Future Council and more. As if that is not impressive enough, Hannah also founded the Sustainable Biodiesel Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting the use of sustainable, community-based biodiesel.

 In the past Hannah had her own website/blog dedicated to her environmentalism known as DHLoveLife. Now, Hannah uses all different types of social media outlets to spread awareness and knowledge about contemporary environmental issues. You should definitely check her out on Instagram or Twitter, she even kept the same handle (@dhlovelife)!

As celebrities, such as the ones mentioned above, continue paving the way for a more livable and thriving climate, we MUST follow their example. Here at No Kill, we applaud and admire those celebrities that use their platform to publicize social and environmental issues. We thank them for their extraordinary efforts and urge them to keep going!

–Carolina McCormick