Lesson One - Population, Urbanization, and the Environment

Making Connections: Real World

Would You Buy an Environmental Cause from This Woman?

Figure 20.18. Actress Angelina Jolie advocates for a variety of issues, including environmental causes. (Photo courtesy of chris_natt/Wikimedia Commons)

From breakfast cereals to sports cars, we are used to seeing our favourite actors touting products of all kinds. But what about environmental causes? Who is more trustworthy when it comes to promoting the health of our planet: former vice-president Al Gore or international superstar Angelina Jolie? According to a report by Nielsen and the Environmental Change Institute, the answer may vary depending on what country you’re in. Globally, Kofi Annan and Al Gore won top spots as trustworthy spokespeople, but among respondents under age 25, Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie joined Kofi as the most influential spokespeople. Regionally, results varied, with some countries preferring rock stars while others liked getting their environmental messages from sports heroes (Nielsen 2007).

The tradition of rock stars and film celebrities identifying with, if not leading, counter-cultural or progressive social movements was firmly established in the 1960s. Why do we trust the message when it comes from these sources? Most of us do not think that these famous people are scientists in their own right, so it is unclear why their word regarding climate change is so valuable. On the other hand, many of us do not hear the messages of the scientists, even when 2,500 scientists endorse the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. As we discussed in Chapter 17 on the topic of image politics, it is clear that the strong emotional basis of contemporary politics can be given a sharper focus when popular celebrities step out of their pop culture role and become the face of an issue.