Wednesday night GQ held its annual Gentlemen’s Fund Ball in New York. The event was hosted by its celebrity ambassadors to honor those who have made a difference in the world and to benefit organizations that reflect the values and issues important to them.
One of this year’s ambassadors is Jimmy Fallon, who said he values NRDC because of our leadership in protecting the Earth and its people.
Jimmy learned about us through us through a longtime friend of NRDC. She had witnessed firsthand the devastation that took place in the Gulf after the BP oil spill this summer and has been a critical supporter of our work in that region.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jimmy for his support. One of the reasons NRDC is so effective—and can exhibit the leadership Jimmy mentions—is because of our 1.3 million members and online activists, who rally behind our work, help us drive it forward, and share it with their communities.
Jimmy is a perfect example of this. Not only is he sharing his support through the Gentlemen’s Fund, but he has also talked about clean energy with the viewers of “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.” In case you missed it last summer, during the height of the BP spill, he “slow-jammed” the news on alternative energy—with a little help from Brian Williams.
Climate change and our nation’s energy strategy are serious topics, and in the circles I travel, few jokes are made about them. But by using his natural gifts of humor and charm, I think Jimmy’s able to convey the value of alternative energy in a truly resonant way. And perhaps most importantly, by making the topic fun, suddenly it’s something you want to share with others, as I’m doing right now.
So while NRDC continues to take these issues to State Capitols, the Halls of Congress, corporate boardrooms, and beyond, we need Jimmy and all our supporters to help us reach all the Main Streets, neighborhoods and water coolers throughout the U.S.
I think adding a little side of humor to these issues is a very good way to start. But I’ll leave that part to Jimmy.