Alanis Morissette -- Environmental News
Written By Katherine Sansom
May 14, 2007
In 2003, the singer – along with Mike D from the Beastie Boys and producer Rick Rubin – sent an open letter to Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles, to criticize his failure to adequately maintain the American national parks under his control. According to the letter, which was posted on Alanis’s personal website, national parks such as Yellowstone, Yosemite and the Grand Canyon were not being properly cared for or maintained.
That same year, Alanis was honored by the Environmental Media Association (EMA) for her environmentalist activism, in particular her vocal criticism of the Bush Administration’s plans to drill for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. EMA praised the artist for using her public status to encourage her fans to make themselves aware of the issues and write letters to Congress rejecting the proposals.
Alanis (along with actor Keanu Reeves) lent her voice to the 2003 documentary, ‘The Great Warming’. The documentary was filmed in eight countries in four continents, presented a fictionalized view of the realized effects of global warming and gave suggestions for making a difference in one’s own life, but it was particularly praised for being aimed at a new audience: Christian evangelicals.
The carbon-neutral documentary features interviews with respected Christian leaders, including Richard Cizik, the Vice President of the National Association of Evangelicals, and attacks the myth of Christians as purely Bush-supporting gas-guzzlers. The film’s argument is best summed up by Cizik when he proclaims, “to harm this world by environmental degradation is an offence against God”.
The documentary was screened in movie theaters, colleges and community centers; transformed into a three-hour television series; and released in four different DVD versions at the end of last year. One of the DVD versions is designed for screenings in churches and synagogues with a Sunday school discussion guide and sermon preparation guide included.
Alanis is also now involved in Reverb, a non-profit organization set up in 2004 that aims to raise awareness of environmentalist issues through the relationship of musicians and their fans. The original inspiration came from Bonnie Raitt’s ‘Green Highway’ idea, and the organization now works with an impressive number of A-list stars to ‘carbon-neutralize’ their tours and record production. In addition to Alanis, Reverb is working with stars such as Avril Lavigne, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Barenaked Ladies.
