Adam McKay, the comedy-writer-turned-Hollywood-political-specialist is now putting a substantial amount of his money where his mouth is with regards to the ongoing climate change disaster, per a recent Deadline report. McKay is not only donating $4 million to the Climate Emergency Fund, an organization committed to funding climate activism throughout the world, but has also joined its board of directors.
McKay’s celebrity–packed comedy “Don’t Look Up” for Netflix last year was an elaborate plea for action on climate change, so the move makes sense for the filmmaker, who released a press statement explaining why he chose to hitch his climate star to the CEF in particular:
“The Climate Emergency Fund is unique in their commitment to funding, civil, non-violent, disruptive activism. We are past time for politeness, past time for baby steps. I am proud to support their efforts and call on others to join me in doing everything we can to stave off the rapidly worsening impact of the climate crisis.”
McKay isn’t the only notable public figure to contribute to the CEF. He’s joined in his pledge by outspoken Disney heir Abigail Disney, who announced a $200,000 donation of her own and released a statement of her own on the matter:
“Past generations have failed us, and now it’s up to us to take swift action to avert climate disaster. I’m proud to stand with Adam to lift up the brave activists Climate Emergency Fund supports and call in others to do the same. We do not have time to waste.”
CEF was established in 2019 and has provided funding for more than 90 climate-activism organizations, with $4 million (the same amount as McKay’s donation, to give you an idea of how significant it could prove to be) going out to various orgs just over the course of this year. It is reportedly a non-endowed fund, meaning that it relies on donors such as McKay as well as smaller ones in the general public to stay afloat and operational, another reason why publicity like that afforded by association with McKay could be a big plus.