When celebrities bat for the planet

The wave of the first social media challenge of 2019, the #10yearchallenge, that went viral with celebs sharing their ‘then and now’ pictures may be over. However, a few celebs have shown that it’s never too late to spark a trend that starts a dialogue on issues pertaining to climate change and environment.

Take, for instance, film director and writer Homi Adajania, who posted about the #100yearchallenge alongside a picture urging followers to cut down on the use of plastic. “I had made an Insta video against polluting and killing our oceans. It was shared by several celebrities, who reposted it helped to spread awareness across over 30 lakh viewers across Instagram,” he says.

So, when a celebrity talks about an environmental issue, does it help to create a bigger impact on the masses? Actor Dia Mirza, who has been associated with environmental issues and is also an UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador, says, “Celebrities have proven to be an effective tool of communication for improving environmental awareness. Several of the campaigns that we have been working on have been supported by global ambassadors and have managed to influence lifestyle change and encouraged policy making.”

Actor Juhi Chawla, who also posted her take on the #10yearchallenge to spread awareness on the same, says, “I am sincerely hoping that when a celeb does make a statement, people listen. I know when other celebs put their face to the campaign, it catches my eye.”

And probably that is why stars have decided to lead by example. Chawla feels small habits and choices can go a long way — she uses a bamboo toothbrush, and has got glass/steel/ceramic jars and steel/copper/glass bottles instead of their plastic counterparts.

“Switching to biodegradable napkins, carrying my own water bottle, refusing to buy food packaged in plastic/styrofoam” are some of the habits Dia Mirza has opted for.

Even Adajania has made sure that his film shoots have a big plastic reduction policy where they try and use several alternatives on a daily basis.

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First Published: Mar 01, 2019 16:58 IST