Earth Day, which is celebrated annually on April 22, aims to raise awareness about the issues surrounding the environment while encouraging people to take small steps in their daily lives towards protecting the planet. The theme for this year is Planet vs. Plastics, a rallying cry to combat the plastic pollution crisis. It urges people to confront the health risks of plastics, eliminate single-use plastics, push for a UN treaty to tackle plastic pollution and break free from the wasteful world of fast fashion.
However, not just organisations and activists, several celebrities in India, particularly actors, have been actively working towards raising awareness towards understanding and living a more conscious life. Here are five such actors, who have used their platform in promoting their ideas and how!
Actor Aamir Khan has been working for water conservation since quite some time now, famously founding the non-profit, Paani Foundation, that works towards prevention of drought and watershed management in Maharashtra.
Actress Alia Bhatt started the initiative called Coexist that works towards animal and ecological welfare. She also began the the social media campaign #BeatPlasticPollution to reduce the use of plastic. In 2020, she launched her own conscious clothing label for kids, Ed-a-Mamma.
Through Climate Warrior, her climate conversation campaign, actress Bhumi Pednekar has been championing the cause of incorporating sustainable practices into our daily lives. Last year, she had planted 3000 saplings across Maharashtra to mark World Environment Day.
Possibly the actress known the best for her consistent efforts towards conscious environmentalism, Dia Mirza has been appointed as the United Nations Environment Goodwill Ambassador for India. From waste segregation to sustainable fashion, she raises awareness about the little things you can do to protect the environment.
A little lesser known name here is of actress Nandita Das, who has been a champion for water conservation. In collaboration with the Centre for Science and Environment, she has also spoken about how unthoughtful use of water can lead to a crisis in the near future.