5 Influencers who advocate Greener Living
Commitment to an eco-conscious lifestyle requires progress, not perfection. Luckily, we have inspiring thought-leaders to guide us on how to better care for our planet.
Many celebrities and social media personalities have made it their life’s mission to make the world an eco-friendlier place. Whether raising awareness or advocating action, environmental ambassadors leverage their fame and status to amplify climate issues. Let’s discover five influencers who bring the winds of change for a healthier, happier planet.
Commitment from beyond the camera
One of the most celebrated filmmakers, James Cameron, has backed environmental initiatives for years. Among his passions, a global change-making organization called the Red Carpet Green Dress (RCGD) was established in 2009 to showcase environmentally conscious fashion among Hollywood’s elite. Over the past decade, Cameron collaborated with celebrities to draw attention to the circular economy. A-lister Marlee Matlin attended the 93rd Academy Awards on behalf of RCGD wearing a sustainable gown by Vivienne Westwood made with TENCEL™ filaments.[1]
An athlete’s extraordinary fight
“Ordinary won’t change the world,” cautions Lewis Pugh, a British-South African endurance swimmer and ocean advocate. To raise climate change awareness, Pugh is the first person to complete a twelve-day swim in 3-degree Celsius waters across Greenland’s fastest-moving glacier.[2] “You shouldn’t be able to swim in the North Pole,” claims Pugh, “it should be frozen over.” A relentless activist, he calls on global governments and multilateral organizations to combat global warming. Take a glimpse of Pugh’s journey in The Iceman and discover the great lengths he is willing to go to bring environmental action.
Ayakha Melithafa vs. the climate crisis
A change agent in the South African environmental movement, the 20-year-old activist kick-started the 26th UN Climate Change Conference by accusing the assembly of “all talk, but very little to no action.”[3] She goes head-to-head with policymakers, shedding light on how the climate emergency causes extreme droughts and flooding, especially in poorer countries. Melithafa works as a recruitment official and spokesperson for the African Climate Alliance and was the first South African youth representative at the 2020 World Economic Forum.[4]
From filmmaking to ethical fashion designer
The American actress and producer Rosario Dawson is a long-standing political activist and sustainable fashion designer. She co-founded the artisan-produced apparel brand Studio One Eighty-Nine to empower Ghanaian communities through job creation and education.[5] Thanks to Dawson’s commitment to fair trade fashion in Africa and beyond, the fashion label recently earned the Lexus Fashion Initiative for Sustainability award.[6] Discover more of the latest collections here.
Real-life social media activism
Venetia La Manna defines herself as a “fair fashion campaigner.”[7] From low waste wedding parties to healthy vegan recipes, the influencer offers valuable guidance for greener living, focusing on slow and ethical fashion. “In the UK alone, we have £30 billion worth of never worn clothes just sitting in our wardrobes,” she said in an interview, “it’s just mind-blowing.”[8] Co-founder of the “Remember Who Made Them” Instagram page, she is committed to transforming the future of fashion. In 2018, La Manna showed support to Healthy Seas, a Foundation that cleans the oceans and seas of marine litter, as divers recovered 4,000 kg of ghost fishing gear from the deep waters by the Aeolian Islands. The fishing nets, together with other nylon waste, would later be transformed into ECONYL® regenerated nylon, an infinitely recyclable material to make apparel and other products. Follow her profile today for a daily dose of eco-tips.
References
[1] RCGD official website. Available at: https://www.rcgdglobal.com/2021/04/24/marlee-matlin-stuns-custom-made-sustainable-vivienne-westwood-gown-oscars/
[2] Lewis Pugh Foundation Official Website. Available at: https://lewispughfoundation.org/greenland-swim-2021
[3] “Young South African climate activist gives the Global South a voice in Glasgow.” Daily Maverick. Available at: https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2021-11-13-young-south-african-climate-activist-gives-the-global-south-a-voice-in-glasgow/
[4] “Help Ayakha represent at World Economic Forum. The African Climate Alliance.
Available at: https://africanclimatealliance.org/2020/01/03/help-ayakha-represent-at-world-economic-forum/
[5] Studio One Eighty-Nine Official Website. Available at: https://studiooneeightynine.com/pages/about-us
[6] “5 Celebrities Who Are Turning the Tide with Sustainable Fashion.” Veerah. Available at: https://www.veerah.com/blogs/sustainable-fashion/5-celebrities-who-are-turning-the-fashion-tide-with-sustainable-fashion
[7] Venetia La Manna’s Instagram profile. Available at: https://www.instagram.com/venetialamanna/
[8] “Venetia La Manna explains how to make every aspect of your life more sustainable.” Marie Claire UK. Available at: https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/venetia-la-manna-704541
Author: Naomy Gmyrek
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