Celebrity Status

There’s a buzz in the crowd and an air of tense anticipation as a room full of officials and delegates from around the world fidget impatiently waiting for the former Vice President of the United States to enter the room. As the time ticks closer and closer to 11:30, more people begin to open up notepads and laptops and set up their pages to take in every detail of Mr. Al Gore’s fifty minute speech. Phones were held in the nervous palms of everyone on the ends of the rows, hoping to get a photo of Gore with no zooming required. This excitement peaked once Mr. Gore entered the room, a roar of whoops and claps exploding from the crowd. This thrill of a celebrity being involved in something so many people care about truly drives a lot of individual care for the environment.

(Al Gore speaking at COP 23)

People have always had things they care about and hope to illuminate to become a prominent issue in society. Every movement starts with a few small groups coming together to create a bigger voice. But these groups need power to generate movement. Celebrities provide the influence to begin that movement. When important members of society speak out on an overlooked or controversial issue, it gathers attention. This attention not only causes other people to rethink the importance of the issue, it flips the switch from wanting a change to being a change.

(COP crew meeting Jamie Redford)

In climate protection and policy, having celebrities as well as lawmakers and officials agree with the public’s viewpoint is increasingly important given the current political issues faced in the United States. During former Vice President Al Gore’s speech he described what it was like to march alongside climate activists to spark change in the people he once served. This was empowering. Knowing that we are not alone, knowing that there are people in positions of power that believe in the issue we are here to address is such a motivation for us. Amongst all of the argument, discrepancies and the differing opinions, there is a beacon of light. We are all at this conference to protect the future of our planet. We’re all here because we believe that climate change is real and we are going to be the generation that reverses the damage that has been unfolding for centuries.
Alana C.