Ah, Billie Eilish. The popstar whose career seems to be growing faster and faster. Her name is thrown around constantly in the media, and it seems like no one can stop talking about her. But I mean who could blame them?
You could talk about her music, which seems to somehow fit into every genre and none of them at the same time.
You could talk about her style, which seems to defy all norms when it comes to how young female stars “should” dress.
You could talk about her relationship with her brother, which seems to set the standard for what a supportive and caring sibling should look like.
What people might not know, is that Billie Eilish, among all of the other titles given to her, is an environmentalist.
At only 17-years-old, she’s already learned that she has the ability to use her platform to promote change and spark discussion, a lesson that Taylor Swift herself only learned last year (no shade though, I’m a big T-Swizzle stan). Billie recently posted a video with Woody Harrelson, describing the “climate emergency” our world faces today. She points to extreme weather, warming temperatures, and rising sea levels as evidence for the current environmental crisis.
But Billie Eilish isn’t the type of person to say anything with no follow through. She is the epitome of the phrase, “practice what you preach.” So what did she decide to do? She partnered up with the nonprofit organization REVERB to make her world tour as environmentally friendly as possible. Fans are expected to bring their own water bottles, no plastic straws are allowed, and recycle bins are scattered every few feet throughout the venue.
Eilish only serves as evidence to the growing realization that political activism can and should start at a young age. Just look at Greta Thunberg, a fellow teenager who receives almost as much media attention as the singer, who recently spoke at the U.N. Climate Action Summit in front of the world’s leaders. Young people around the world are making their voices heard, one way or another. School walkouts and social media movements are powerful ways to impact the discussion of highly politicized topics, and young people are no longer allowing themselves to be silenced simply due to the fact that they have less wrinkles.
We are single-handedly killing our planet, and the only way to stop it is through action.
So when Billie Eilish tells you to go green, she doesn’t just mean dye your hair.