Variety’s Power of Women Issue Celebrates Those Who Give Back

variety.com:

But with the support of the NCAC, Blume isn’t scared. She balks on the topic of Roald Dahl, whose books are being republished decades after his death with rewrites to passages that are now deemed offensive.

Does she worry that something like that could happen to her books? “Not as long as I’m around,” she says. And that’s that. — SH Michaela Jaé Rodriguez first aligned herself with the Rainforest Alliance in 2019, as unprecedented wildfires destroyed thousands of square miles of the Amazon rainforest. “I just couldn’t help but get on social media and say, ‘Why are we not paying attention to this?’ If we don’t have the earth, we don’t have anything,’” she says.

Because she’s such a prominent activist for the trans community, Rodriguez is not often asked to participate in the conversation about climate change.

That’s where the environmental nonprofit comes in: Rodriguez aims to use her platform to spotlight their mission to preserve forests and protect the human rights of farmers and forest communities amid the climate crisis. “I’m always gonna fight for the trans community,” she says. “But I’ve realized a lot of people have discombobulated how I see the full spectrum of the world: I really care for this planet.” In addition to her support of the organization, she’s been focused on living as cleanly as possible by switching to a hybrid vehicle and using eco-friendly appliances, while also researching how to add solar panels and a water condenser to her home. “It takes time, you guys, ’cuz this stuff is expensive,” she says, leaning into the microphone on my recorder for emphasis. “But when it happens, it feels so much better.” — AJ Natasha Lyonne doesn’t need to travel too far to use her celebrity for good.