In just a few years, Billie Eilish's fame has grown so much that she is now considered one of the most influential pop music artists in the world. She is young and part of a generation that sees its future threatened by climate change. She has become a reference, and this is how she does her fight:
- She takes advantage of her media exposure to raise awareness about climate change.
The singer often takes advantage of high-impact interviews to express her concerns for the environment. One example is the interview she gave to the famous Vogue magazine in 2022, where she was featured on the cover.
Billie Eilish stressed the connection between the climate crisis and social justice, highlighting how the most vulnerable communities are the most affected by environmental changes. By addressing these issues in a renowned magazine like Vogue, she managed to amplify her message, reaching a wider audience and raising awareness about the urgency of addressing the climate crisis collectively.
She always delivers these messages while leading by example:
“I'm not going to force anyone to listen to me, I'm not going to tell them what to do. I'm just going to explain why I do it.”
- She tries to reduce CO2 emissions as much as possible on her tours.
Billie Eilish collaborates with REVERB, a company specialized in sustainability in the entertainment industry, to conduct greener tours. She offers vegetarian meals to workers and makes sure that meat-free options are also available to the public. It sets up spaces where fans can fill up their water bottles for free and learn about environmental organizations. She also incorporates energy-efficient technologies into her concerts.
Most notably, Billie Eilish goes beyond simple symbolic gestures, as she actively works to account for the carbon emissions generated by her tours. This transparency in quantifying her carbon footprint demonstrates her seriousness in addressing the climate crisis and serves as an example for other artists and the industry at large.
“With these changes, we estimate that we have saved 8.8 million gallons of water, 240,000 square feet of forest land, 123 tons of CO2 and over 8,000 animals.”
- Supporting sustainable fashion
According to the United Nations, the textile industry is one of the most damaging to the planet due to, among other things, its high water consumption. For example, 7500 liters of water are used to manufacture a pair of jeans, the equivalent of what a person drinks in seven years. However, Billie Eilish made it clear that glamor and environmentalism do not have to be at odds.
At the Met Gala in 2022, she opted for a beautiful Gucci dress made entirely from recycled materials.
In addition, she has also taken her sustainable message to advertising campaigns, such as her collaboration with Nike. The artist launched a line of sneakers made from recycled materials with the famous sports brand, emphasizing the importance of adopting eco-friendly practices even in the footwear industry.
- She drives her own awareness initiatives.
“Overheated” is the ambitious climate change awareness project led by Billie Eilish. It is a documentary released in 2022, where Eilish offers an in-depth look at her personal journey towards sustainability and highlights the impacts of climate change with stories. Through interviews and personal experiences, Eilish seeks to inspire her audience to take concrete and urgent action to counteract global warming.
To complement the documentary, Billie Eilish organized an event in London two years in a row. She invited experts, activists and other artists committed to sustainability, providing a forum for the exchange of ideas and a call to action. In addition, Eilish used her presence at the event to highlight specific projects and organizations that are actively working to combat climate change, encouraging the audience to join the cause.
- Music against climate change
First and foremost, Billie Eilish is an artist, and her music is a natural extension of her commitment to climate activism. In her song “All the Good Girls Go to Hell”, she denounces with metaphors and in a powerful way the irresponsible actions of humanity against the environment. The description of the video clip uploaded to YouTube, includes the following text:
“A note from Billie: right now there are millions of people around the world asking our leaders to pay attention. Our earth is warming at an unprecedented rate, the polar ice caps are melting, our oceans are rising, our wildlife is being poisoned and our forests are burning. On September 23, the UN will host the 2019 Climate Action Summit to discuss how to address these problems. The clock is ticking. On Friday, September 20 and Friday, September 27, you can make your voice heard. Take it to the streets.”
