More than 200 celebrities, Nobel prize winners, and scientists have signed an open letter calling for systematic change rather than a return to normalcy. In the midst of the pandemic, many have talked about what our return to normalcy will look like and when it will arrive. Others, however, have spoken out on the importance of using this opportunity to make the changes our environment needs to survive.
Consumerism has led us to deny life in itself: that of plants, that of animals and that of a large number of humans. Pollution, global warming and the destruction of natural spaces are leading the world to a breaking point. For these reasons, combined with the ever increasing social inequalities, it seems to us unthinkable to “return to normal”.
“No to a return to normal”: from Robert De Niro to Juliette Binoche, the call of 200 artists and scientists
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The letter calls for changes to how we, as humans, consume. They point out that while the pandemic will do damage, it will not compare to the consequences of the damage done to the environment.
It’s important to remember that despite their call for change, these celebrities have directly benefited from our rampant consumerism and that they too are part of the problem. It is easy to speak from a soapbox about change after you have made millions of dollars off the broken system.
You can read the full letter and a list of signees below.