Robert De Niro and 200 Others Sign Letter Saying “No to a Return to Normal”
In a letter to "the World" that was published in the French daily newspaper Le Monde, a group of 200 international celebrities, including Madonna, Cate Blanchett, Penélope Cruz, Adam Driver, Robert De Niro and dozens of other actors, singers, and Nobel Prize winners, and other influential personalities all asked that we not return to the "normal" that led us to the brink of this pandemic, and instead reconsider our "new normal" to be more thoughtful, less consumer-driven and healthier.
The opinion piece, initiated by Juliette Binoche and Aurélien Barrau, was addressed to world leaders and citizens alike and called for us all to deeply consider the impact of our consumer lifestyles, our habits, and the impact we have on the planet with our lifestyle choices.
Called "Non á un Retour á la Normale," it means, "No to a Return to Normal."
The letter reads in part: "The Covid-19 pandemic is a tragedy. This crisis, however, has the virtue of inviting us to face the essential questions.
"The assessment is simple: the "adjustments" are no longer enough, the problem is systemic.
The letter calls for a new way of thinking that includes a radical change in the world rather than "a return to normal" after the coronavirus restrictions are lifted.
This is a wakeup call, the letter says and our existence is at stake.
"The current ecological disaster is part of a "meta-crisis": the massive extinction of life on Earth is no longer in doubt and all indicators point to a direct existential threat. Unlike a pandemic, as serious as it is, it is a global collapse whose consequences will be beyond measure.
The signers include Hollywood stars Jane Fonda, Marion Cotillard and Monica Bellucci as well as Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. The authors pleaded for an end to unbridled consumerism and a "radical transformation" of economies to help save the planet.
"We believe it is unthinkable to 'go back to normal'," said the letter which was also signed by Nobel laureates for medicine, chemistry, and physics along with other influential thinkers. They call the pandemic "a tragedy" but it is also a chance for humanity to "examine what is essential" in our lives.
"Adjustments are not enough. The problem is systemic," the letter stated. "The ongoing ecological catastrophe is a meta-crisis. Unlike a pandemic... a global ecological collapse will have immeasurable consequences," it said. The 200 signatories said this was the time for our leaders "to leave behind the unsustainable logic that still prevails and to undertake a profound overhaul of our goals, values, and economies.
"The pursuit of consumerism and an obsession with productivity has led us to deny the value of life itself: that of plants, that of animals, and that of a great number of human beings," it added. "Pollution, climate change, and the destruction of our remaining natural zones have brought the world to a breaking point."
Here is a list of the Letter Signers in Alphabetical Order:
Lynsey Addario, senior reporter; Isabelle Adjani, actress; Roberto Alagna, lyric singer; Pedro Almodovar, director; Santiago Amigorena, writer; Angèle, singer; Adria Arjona, actress; Yann Arthus-Bertrand, photographer, director; Ariane Ascaride, actress; Olivier Assayas, director; Josiane Balasko, actress; Jeanne Balibar, actress; Bang Hai Ja, painter; Javier Bardem, actor; Aurélien Barrau,astrophysicist, honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France; Mikhail Baryshnikov, dancer, choreographer; Nathalie Baye, actress; Emmanuelle Béart, actress; Jean Bellorini, director; Monica Bellucci, actress; Alain Benoit, physicist, Academy of Sciences; Charles Berling, actor; Juliette Binoche, actress; Benjamin Biolay, singer; Dominique Blanc, actress; Cate Blanchett, actress; Gilles Bœuf, former president of the National Museum of Natural History; Valérie Bonneton,actress ; Aurélien Bory, director; Miguel Bosé, actor, singer; Stéphane Braunschweig, director; Stéphane Brizé, director; Irina Brook, director; Peter Brook, director; Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, actress, director; Khatia Buniatishvili, pianist; Florence Burgat, philosopher, research director at Inrae; Guillaume Canet, actor, director; Anne Carson, poet, writer, Academy of Arts and Sciences; Michel Cassé, astrophysicist; Aaron Ciechanover,Nobel Prize in Chemistry; François Civil, actor; François Cluzet, actor; Isabel Coixet, director; Gregory Colbert, photographer, director; Paolo Conte, singer; Marion Cotillard, actress; Camille Cottin, actress; Penélope Cruz, actress; Alfonso Cuaron, director; Willem Dafoe , actor; Béatrice Dalle, actress; Alain Damasio, writer; Ricardo Darin, actor; Cécile de France, actress; Robert De Niro, actor;Annick de Souzenelle, writer; Johann Deisenhofer, biochemist, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Kate del Castillo, actress; Miguel Delibes Castro, biologist, Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences; Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, director; Claire Denis, director; Philippe Descola, anthropologist, CNRS gold medal; Virginie Despentes, writer; Alexandre Desplat, composer; Arnaud Desplechin, director; Natalie Dessay, lyric singer; Cyril Dion, writer, director; Hervé Dole,astrophysicist, honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France; Adam Driver, actor; Jacques Dubochet, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Diane Dufresne, singer; Thomas Dutronc, singer; Lars Eidinger , actor; Olafur Eliasson, plastic artist, sculptor; Marianne Faithfull , singer; Pierre Fayet, member of the Academy of Sciences; Abel Ferrara, director; Albert Fert , Nobel Prize in physics; Ralph Fiennes, actor; Edmond Fischer, biochemist, Nobel Prize in medicine; Jane Fonda, actress;Joachim Frank, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, actor; Marie-Agnès Gillot, star dancer; Amos Gitaï, director; Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu, director; Timothy Gowers, Fields Mathematics Medal; Eva Green, actress; Sylvie Guillem, star dancer; Ben Hardy, actor; Serge Haroche, Nobel Prize in physics; Dudley R. Herschbach, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Rob Hopkins, founder of cities in transition; Nicolas Hulot,Honorary President of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation for Nature and Man; Imany, singer; Jeremy Irons, actor; Agnès Jaoui, actress, director; Jim Jarmusch, director; Vaughan Jones, Fields Mathematics Medal; Spike Jonze, director; Camélia Jordana, singer; Jean Jouzel, climatologist, Vetlesen Prize; Anish Kapoor, sculptor, painter; Naomi Kawase, director; Sandrine Kiberlain, actress; Angélique Kidjo, singer; Naomi Klein, writer;Brian Kobilka, Nobel Prize in Chemistry; Hirokazu Kore-eda, director; Panos Koutras , director; Antjie Krog, poet; La Grande Sophie, singer; Ludovic Lagarde, director; Mélanie Laurent, actress; Bernard Lavilliers, singer; Yvon Le Maho, ecophysiologist, member of the Academy of Sciences; Roland Lehoucq, astrophysicist; Gilles Lellouche, actor, director; Christian Louboutin, creator; Roderick MacKinnon, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Madonna, singer;Macha Makeïeff, director; Claude Makélélé, footballer; Ald Al Malik, rapper; Rooney Mara, actress; Ricky Martin, singer; Carmen Maura, actress; Michel Mayor, Nobel Prize in physics; Medina, rapper; Melody Gardot, singer; Arturo Menchaca Rocha , physicist, former president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences; Raoni Metuktire , Raoni's Indian chief; Julianne Moore , actress; Wajdi Mouawad , director, author; Gérard Mouroux, Nobel Prize in physics;Nana Mouskouri, singer; Yael Naim, singer; Jean-Luc Nancy, philosopher; Guillaume Néry, freediving world champion; Pierre Niney, actor; Michaël Ondaatje, writer; Thomas Ostermeier, director; Rithy Panh, director; Vanessa Paradis, singer, actress; James Peebles, Nobel Prize in physics; Corine Pelluchon, philosopher; Joaquin Phoenix, actor; Apple, singer; Iggy Pop, singer; Olivier Py, director;Radu Mihaileanu, director; Susheela Raman , singer; Edgar Ramirez, actor; Charlotte Rampling, actress; Raphaël, singer; Eric Reinhardt , writer; Resident, singer; Jean-Michel Ribes, director; Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk; Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize in medicine; Isabella Rossellini, actress; Cecilia Roth, actress; Carlo Rovelli, physicist, honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France; Paolo Roversi, photographer; Ludivine Sagnier,actress ; Shaka Ponk (Sam and Frah), singers; Vandana Shiva, philosopher, writer; Abderrahmane Sissako, director; Gustaf Skarsgard, actor; Sorrentino Paolo, director; Sabrina Speich, oceanographer, Albert Defant medal; Sting, singer; James Fraser Stoddart, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Barbra Streisand, singer, actress, director; Malgorzata Szumowska, director; Béla Tarr, director; Bertrand Tavernier, director; Alexandre Tharaud, pianist; James Thierré,director, dancer; Mélanie Thierry, actress; Tran Anh Hung , director; Jean-Louis Trintignant, actor; Karin Viard, actress; Rufus Wainwright, singer; Lulu Wang, director; Paul Watson, navigator, writer; Wim Wenders, director; Stanley Whittingham, Nobel Prize in chemistry; Sonia Wieder-Atherton, cellist; Frank Wilczek, Nobel Prize in physics; Olivia Wilde, actress; Christophe Willem, singer; Bob Wilson, director;Lambert Wilson, actor; David Wineland, Nobel Prize in physics; Xuan Thuan Trinh, astrophysicist; Muhammad Yunus, economist, Nobel Peace Prize; Zazie, singer.
Sandra Oh and 20 Others It Might Surprise You to Learn Are Plant-Based
1. Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney is no stranger to a meat-free life as he's been vegetarian for 45 years. He initially went vegetarian in 1975 with his first wife Linda McCartney and began his advocacy for animal rights.
2. Sia
If you find yourself constantly singing along to the song The Greatest, then you're already a Sia fan. Sia tweeted that she is "fully vegan now" back in 2014 and stays true to her word
3. Sandra Oh
Way back at the start of Grey's Anatomy, Sandra Oh took the cast out for a plant-based lunch at Truly Vegan in Hollywood. In her effort to inspire contemporaries to eat vegan, the TV star is known to invite her friends for vegan meals that are delicious. She adopted the vegan lifestyle years ago and continues to quietly live a cruelty-free life.
4. Gisele Bündchen
Giselle revealed that when she was at the peak of her modeling career, her diet consisted of "cigarettes, wine, and mocha Frappuccinos," according to an interview in People Magazine. Now 39 and the mother of two children, Gisele eats a "mostly" plant-based diet to nourish her body and stay fueled.
5. Alec Baldwin
Alec Baldwin has made a bigger commitment to plant-based eating since he was first told by doctors that he was pre-diabetic and needed to change his diet. That was decades ago. But, over the last few years, he's been vocal about the benefits not only to his health but also the impact plant-based eating has on the environment.
6. Miley Cyrus
Miley adopted a gluten-free diet back in 2012 for health reasons and two years later, committed to a vegan diet she still lives by today.
7. Pamela Anderson
We all remember Pamela Anderson as the curvaceous blonde in the hit series Baywatch as she played Casey Jean in the red one-piece swimsuit that brought her world-class fame. She is a life-long active animal rights advocate and teamed up with PETA to join the Animal Protection Organization.
8. Kristen Stewart
"We shouldn't eat as much meat guys," Kristen Stewart told GQ in an interview in January. The Twilight star has made a full 180 from vampire to vegan. When she appeared on the game show "Hot Ones" she chose to skip the wings and instead compete by eating increasing spicier sauce on vegan cauliflower wings.
9. Jared Leto
This award-winning actor eats a high-protein diet consisting of only plants. Leto, who has been plant-based for 20 years, says it keeps him "shredded" in an interview. Now, 48, Leto looks half his age.
10. Jaden Smith
Jaden Smith switched up his diet from vegan to vegetarian, meaning that he doesn't eat meat but does eat dairy from time to time. In a recent article by Plant Based News, Smith admits he skipped meals and was not getting the proper nutrition when he was vegan, but this hasn't stopped him from espousing the plant-based life.
11. Meghan Markle
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex has never admitted to being fully vegan, but sources say, she eats a plant-based diet most days during the week. She is teaching Prince Harry vegan cooking and in a Plant-Based News article, Markle explained how she hopes to raise baby Archie on a mostly vegan diet.
12. Serena Williams
As a professional athlete, fueling the body is a key factor to Willaim's successes. In a Bon Appetite article, she explained that she adopted a plant-based diet back in 2012, she was eating a lot "healthier" for her sister, Venus, who eats a strict vegan diet for health reasons.
13. John Mackey
The popular grocery store, Whole Foods Market sells vegan products and nonvegan products which arises black lash from ethical vegans as CEO John Mackey follows a strict vegan diet. The successful businessman grew up in Houston Texas and told Business Insider that he would traditionally eat processed foods for dinner while watching TV with his family. Now, Mackey steers clear from the processed isle and eats a clean vegan diet and feels amazing at the age of 65.
14. Jason Mraz
Jason Mraz, singer of the popular song, I'm Yours, committed to a vegan diet to support his friend diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. Mraz says he eats mostly raw food and told magazine sources his favorite vegan dish is "Chocomole, a mixture of avocados, dates, cacao, agave nectar, and coconut oil."
15. Leona Lewis
Long time vegan, Leona Lewis grew up in a vegan household and continues to eat a plant-based diet. Lewis first adopted the diet at 12 when she learned about the health risks of eating animal products but told Women's Health Magazine she occasionally eats an omelet. She also mentioned her 2:30 lunch is normally a kale salad topped with dried cranberries and she loves a veggie stir-fry for dinner.
16. Hannah Teter
Hannah Teter changed her diet after watching the documentary, Earthlings when she discovered how "horrible" factory farming is. After a strict vegetarian diet, Teter liked the way she performed as an athlete and believes that her diet helped her win gold at the 2006 games.
17. Maggie Q,
You may recognize Maggie Q as the star of the Nikita series, but in the plant-based world, she's well-known for her heroic activism. Maggie Q has followed a strict vegan diet for 19 years, making her a true veteran of the lifestyle. She made the plant-based diet transition because she felt sluggish and had low energy, she has said. The famous actress keeps in shape by eating veggies and plant-based protein and working out with a passion.
18. Madelaine Petsch,
Winner of the first Masterchef vegan cook-off with Gordon Ramsay, Madelaine Petsch was raised vegetarian and went completely vegan at age 14. She claims that she started this diet before it was "trendy" and shot a campaign for PETA last year wearing a dress made of bok choy. Petsch says her vegan diet allows her to feel "healthier" and not "lethargic."
19. Millie Bobbi Brown
After doing a little sleuthing on her social media platforms we think Millie Bobbi Brown qualifies as plant-based. Whether or not she is actually skipping all meat and dairy, one thing is for sure: She eats mostly salads, vegetables and grains and lives a predominantly plant-based lifestyle full of healthy foods.
20. Chloe and Halle Bailey
The grammy-nominated sisters went vegan for a week with their mom but liked it so much they decided to stick with it. For one thing, it helps keep their "voices in shape" by eating a vegan diet and they emphasize the fact that dairy helps to limit extra mucus build-up, according to a PETA interview.
21. Hilary Duff
Best known for her role as Lizzie Mcguire in the long-running series, Hilary Duff is a recent vegan advocate and entrepreneur. She recently launched the vegan and cruelty-free eyeshadow palette, "Day Dreamer" and changed her diet to plant-based last fall.
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