Prior to achieving renown as a Hollywood luminary, Robert Redford, who passed away on Tuesday at the age of 89, spent his teenage years laboring on an oil field in California with the ambition of accumulating sufficient funds to travel to Europe and pursue art studies.
This experience significantly influenced his unwavering dedication to climate action throughout his life. In a 2010 statement for the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), he commented, “Even at the age of 16, it troubled me because I could discern that the messaging from oil companies and their hired lobbyists was promoting the idea that it would be beneficial for the economy, beneficial for everyone. And I perceived it differently.”
In the video, where he reflected on the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe that had unfolded a few months earlier, Redford discussed the human cost of the oil spill—11 individuals perished in what is considered the most severe oil spill in U.S. history. Redford observed that he understood firsthand the difficulties encountered by oil workers. He stated, “I know what it entails when an individual’s employment, their entire livelihood, depends on upholding that standard and how arduous it becomes when a company’s principles clash with some of the inherent dangers. That’s challenging because it’s the job you possess, and it might be the only employment available to you.”
His time on the oil field ignited a lifetime of environmental advocacy for the actor—including his ardent support for clean energy policies within the United States. In a 2018 article, he urged policymakers to permit solar energy providers to operate alongside utilities to facilitate a more affordable transition to solar power for a greater number of Americans.
“Time is diminishing. Our window of opportunity is narrow. I believe there are genuine limitations to our planet’s resources, but there is no boundary to human imagination and our capability to resolve the most significant challenges of our era,” he expressed.
In Utah, where he resided for the majority of his life, he successfully campaigned against a proposed six-lane highway intended to cut through a canyon, as well as a suggested coal-fired power plant. He co-founded the Redford Foundation in 2006, established to back environmental impact filmmaking, and served as a trustee for the NRDC for three decades. In 2009, he presented testimony before the House Natural Resources Committee concerning America’s Red Rock Wilderness Act, which called for the safeguarding of Utah’s wild territories.
While Redford may have hesitated to identify himself as an activist, he was fiercely committed to striving for a world that was hospitable for all. “Unless we swiftly transition away from fossil fuels, we are going to ruin the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the health of our children, grandchildren, and subsequent generations,” he addressed the United Nations during a 2015 event. “No single nation can resolve this crisis independently. We simply must do more.”
