Bushfires in Australia are devastating the country, wiping out trees, countless homes, killing 25 people and an estimated half a billion animals after December saw the country’s hottest day on record, an average of more than 107 degrees Fahrenheit, and drought dried its bush land.
As the country burned politician Craig Kelly, a member of Australia’s Liberal Party, said on Good Morning Britain on Monday that there was 'simply no' evidence to suggest a long-term trend towards a warming climate and also said it was 'nonsense' that lower carbon dioxide emissions could reduce bushfires.
While the country desperately tries to fight the fires, and rescue families and animals, and politicians like Kelly deny the threat of climate change, an unlikely national hero has emerged in the form of comedian Celeste Barber. The Instagram star, who has attracted 6.5 million followers on the platform with her tongue in cheek posts about the world of fashion, has taken matters into her own hands and has now raised over $40million (£20.95m) for bushfire victims in the past five days, after being shared by celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Lizzo.
Celeste posted images of her mother-in-law’s house at Eden on the New South Wales Coast on Friday, with the sky turned orange by the bushfires, along with the words: ‘It's terrifying. They are scared. They need your help.’ Her family were later evacuated.
On Monday the 37-year-old comedian and her husband Api Robin assisted at a charity drive near their Northern NSW home and Celeste was spotted sorting through piles of donations.
But it has been the urgent public appeal by Celeste which has become a positive and unifying focal point for donations to the rescue operation (money raised is going to the fire fighters as well as wildlife shelters), with her followers around the world picking up on it and sending money in their droves.
That a celebrity should be the one to lead the way is ironic in the week that Golden Globes host Ricky Gervais told the A-list crowd that if they were to win an award, that making political points in their speeches would be, in fact, pointless.
He said at the ceremony in LA on Sunday night, ‘Don’t use it as a platform to make a political speech. You’re in no position to lecture the public about anything. You know nothing about the real world. Most of you spent less time in school than Greta Thunberg.’
On one hand, Ricky was right. It has become increasingly clear that we do not like to be told what to think by celebrities when it comes to politics (a recent poll by YouGov revealed that just nine percent of Britons say they support celebrity involvement when it comes to politics), and celebrity endorsements during elections have become increasingly meaningless (if Beyonce can’t influence voters then who can?).
Joining her in the fundraising are the singer Pink, who donated $500,000 (£380,000), Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban, who donated the same, and Liam Hemsworth who donated a million dollars (£523,000) and urged their followers to donate.
When it comes to getting shit done during a natural disaster, however, having a celebrity with a big social media influence like Celeste Barber on the frontline isn’t just useful: it’s vital. She is saving lives, and it’s a reminder that while celebrity and social media influence are very much about personal gain they are also being used for good.
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