Dear Friends,
Today I am launching my new effort to stem the tide of climate change and address the outsize influence the fossil fuel industry has on our political system. It’s called the Jane Fonda Climate PAC. The PAC is laser focused on one goal: Do what it takes to defeat fossil fuels supporters and elect climate champions at all levels of government. A link to our launch video is here.
Time is running out to avoid the worst case climate impact. After decades of advocacy, public education and other 501(c)(3)-compliant organizing for climate, our attention is shifting to the political roadblock that is preventing not just bold action but even the most basic no-brainers, like ending the billions of dollars of fossil fuel subsidies we give to coal, oil and gas corporations every year. The climate movement has many strong elements but has not engaged in electoral work at scale. The crushing defeat of the Build Back Better bill, after months and months of advocacy and massive public support, made it clear that we need more elected leaders working for people on the planet, instead of fossil fuel interests. You know the saying: “if you can’t change the people, change the people.”
Over the last months, I’ve been working closely with my allies in the climate movement and have brought in additional help on the electoral front to launch this effort. We only have eight more years to meet science-based climate targets to avoid worst case climate scenarios, but that also means only 4 more election cycles.
I don’t say this lightly, but I feel this is likely to be the most important thing I do in my life. The climate crisis poses unprecedented threats to our communities, our environment, our economy, and our security. It’s not too late to change course. But it won’t happen as long as oil, gas, and coal companies maintain their stranglehold on American politics.
Today, I unveiled a new website with more information on how to get involved and donate to this effort.
I hope you’ll join me.
With Love, Jane
Rebecca J
Thank you.
Steven Vasko
Dear Ms. Fonda: Congratulations on the launch of your new political pac. The question I have for you is: do you still have a mailing address (such as a business address) where one could contact you in order to send photos and the like for your autograph? Thanks for taking the time to read this. Have fun! Yours-Steven Vasko
Jane
Same address as always
Porter Betts
You are such an inspiration for me! The Climate PAC sounds fantastic. My name is Porter Betts from Atlanta and I have just begun an Atlanta Tuesdays Climate Walk down Peachtree Street during lunch hour every week. I am active on Facebook (Porter Betts on FB). Right now we have only a very few people interested, but I pray this may catch on with time and visibility (Greta inspired me by her singular stance which started a movement). Atlanta needs to see this, our city needs to step up visibly and symbolically.
Candita
Jane, I have very young grandchildren 1.8 and 3 years old, I suffer for the world in which they are going to live, thank you for your teachings, I do what I can, I thanks you for your time and dedication to this cause.
Gunner Phillips
I think what you are doing is just great, I am all about making an effort to cut down on fossil fuel and the carbon footprint we are leaving.
Ruth Jane Davison
Wishing you every success with your PAC, Jane! Sadly, I am in the U.K. so cannot contribute; however I am supporting your work from afar.
My best to you always,
Ruth Jane Davison xx
Candita
Jane, you can’t imagine how I need this words: “everything will be fine said for you”, sorry but I can’t tell you here what’s going on. Your example is very important to me💕💕
Candita
Jane, this is important:
https://www.treehugger.com/new-report-rich-countries-cut-oil-coal-production-5223396
Kennedy Davis
So, so incredible that you are doing this. This is going to help move mountains. With you all the way and will support this in any way that I can.
Best,
Kennedy Davis
Nicole
Dear Jane,
I want to say: thank you!
I am a 27 year old woman from Hamburg, Germany. I have had my fair share of childhood trauma, I have gone to therapy for many years. After my last therapy session about 2 years ago I was finally able to say that I am quite fine with my life. But still, I had that underlying sadness. An underlying feeling of despair, a sense of a lack of purpose in my life.
My upbringing has made me a person that longs for security. I have built my life on a safety net. I have never taken any risks. I have never done the bold thing. Even though I am very intelligent, I have always had the feeling of not being smart enough. Not being pretty enough. Not being thin enough—I am sure every woman in the modern world knows these feelings.
Completely randomly I came across an interview of yours some time ago. You spoke about being whole and living an life in integrity. And at that very moment the truth has struck me: I am not living my life authenticly or in integrity at all. That false desire of security has parted me from my true nature. I don‘t want to live the same day for the rest of my life. I want to take risks. I want to be courageous.
This realization has made me very vulnerable. I have been crying a lot in the past weeks. Even though I don‘t want to build my life on fear and on the feeling that I am not enough, my life to a new direction is very stressful still. I am very afraid of failure. I am afraid of being hurt. I am afraid of rejection.
But you won‘t experience deep human connection without putting yourself out there. And that is the essence of being alive in my opinion. The most valuable gift we have as humans is feeling that deep connection to other people.
To hear you talk about your childhood experiences, about you not feeling good enough, not receiving the love you needed as a child… it really resonated with me. You said, if there was one thing you wanted people to know, it would be that it is never too late and that one should never give up! This touched me very deeply.
Isn‘t it the most wondrous thing how two people that have never met each other, share experiences on such a profound level? We have never met each other and most likely never will, but still your words describe my life, my feelings and beliefs perfectly.
The human experience as a whole is simultaneously an individual experience as well as a shared experience. And it all boils down to the basic knowledge that we all are searching for love, safety and a sense of belonging.
There is this beautifu quote by Terentius Lucanus: I am a human being, I consider nothing that is human alien to me. This should be the wisdom we need in our life. What a different we would live in if people would be able to truly emphasize with each other. If we could put ourselves in the shoes of one another and walk a few steps. This would cure the temper of any cynic person.
All these words are written with just one intention: to let you know that there is this at least this one person that you have had a profound impact on. I am trying to change my whole life. I am applying for new jobs (as my job is making the most miserable). I want to get into a different profession, one that is meaningful to me as well as to the society. I have started my daily practice of meditation. I have found interest in Buddhist philosophies. I am trying every day to find my integrity, my true and authentic self and live my truth.
The life you are living is inspiring. I aspire to live a life as bold as you do. I want to start standing up for myself. For my beliefs and for our planet!
I have looked into your FDF and I would love to be a part of that movement. But they do not seem to take place in Germany yet, do they? I think we should change that! Is there any possibility to bring them to Germany?
Again, thank you for everything you do.
Love,
Nicole
Jane
Dear Nicole, Your letter has moved me deeply. Please send me your address. I’m so glad you found my interview helpful. WE aren’t able to bring Fire Drill Fridays to Germany or anywhere outside the US because we don’t have the resources. Why not check out your local Greenpeace. I know that Greenpeace is strong in Germany. Where in Germany do you live? Keep on growing and searching and reading. xx Jane
Nicole
Dear Jane,
I am so thankful that my words have found their way to you.
I would love to send you my address; is there a way I can do so without posting it here publicly?
I live in Hamburg, Germany.
I have already found local groups that I can join.
This really is the most important mission of our lifetime!
xx Nicole
Saiesha
Hi Jane,
Looking back at this post, gives me abit of hope that people such as yourself strive to make a difference for the better.
This week in South Africa, we have experienced a yellow 5 weather warning and our country’s disaster management failed to warn us timeously on the repercussions we would face this week. We all witnessed the horror of mother nature’s shocking abilites the next morning: homes and motor vehicles floating and/or submerged in sand and water , rubble everywhere, landslides, roads washed away, rivers that burst wider and deeper and swallowing it’s nearest surroundings. A tanker which was fortunately empty led into the sea, that was how much force the floods had.
This post had me thinking, in our country there is hardly to no emphasis on climate change, just your normal cliché, reduce, reuse and recycle. Our nearest Greenpeace is in another province (six hours away). I remember a time when the recycling truck used to come on a weekly basis to pick up the recycling bins and this country has even managed to stop that. I feel so hopeless and unmotivated in a country such as South Africa. We are led by people who are driven by power to become an authorative title but lack the intelligence to lead and act. We have currently lost 450 innocent lives and still counting (amongst them a baby). Our country’s representatives just do not care, and yet the earth is still kind and humble enough to provide for us even with our ignorance and careless attitude for the future. This angers me so much.
Last year we were all focusing on the fears of contracting the co-vid virus but our country’s citizens thought it would be more important to loot most of the malls, and rob good, honest people of their hardwork and their lives. Buildings were on fire, products of the looting polluted the roads, in fact the province never looked worse. The government refused to dispatch the army on time and by this time more innocent lives were taken and there was a shortage of food. The government had dispatched the army when the damage was done.
The government has not offered its assistance to even clear up the roads to make them accessible, the neighborhood has made it their responsibility.
However when I look at you, my heart warms with hope. I see your focus and I see your mission. I see your fight. You are a brave individual and you are getting through. The importance of the earth, climate change and respect for it has heightened.
In conclusion, thank you for being a great person who wants to maintain this earth and conserve it. We need more people like you. People Who Act. You are a great influence on being the change. So I just want to say, Thank you.
Love
Saiesha
Dona
Dear Jane, Again thank you for your leadership, tenacity, and courage. Donation made today, happy as always to join with you on this next leg of our journey. I’ve been MIA lately taking risks with my heart to stretch myself but I’m still here. So glad you are too. much love, Dona
Axel Aubert
Dear Ms. Fonda and thank you for using your voice to adress issues that affect the entire world. I know you have been known to speak loudly and clearly during your years, and I am thrilled to see that your voice boom as loudly as ever.
I am lucky enough to live in a country that takes the environmental issues very seriously, even though our population is but a small fraction in the whole scheme of things. Norway try to lead by example, and hope the rest of the world will follow and at least do some of the things.
I know Norway is not there yet, by far, but at least I know the topics are taken seriously and not silenced, and small steps are taken all the time to improve. Is it enough? I don’t know.
I wish you the very best of luck and send all the positive energies I can muster your way, may your words shake the stupidity out of the politicians and open their eyes to the problems we are facing as a united world.
Best regards from Norway
Axel Aubert
Gary McMahon
Jane, It’s worth viewing Russell Brand’s youtube channel today – – 18 April – – whose description is this:
“Klaus Schwab and the WEF tout their work in saving the world using environmental metrics called ESGs. But if companies that have good scores are actually the worst environmental violators, could it be that what the WEF are really working towards is a social credit scoring system?” I note Brand has many of your concerns across the spectrum including the the future of the planet. I think you should guest on his channel, which has over 5 million subscribers, to explore your common concerns. Here’s the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjGYsner6oI
Hannah stone
Hi Jane! I am so excited to be here. I just finished watching an interview with you about your career and I feel so grateful and connected to you. We are so blessed to have you and your powerful voice. I just turned 50 and am dedicating the rest of my life to saving Mama Earth. I have had this idea that I have been cultivating for a while. I really want to share it with you. It’s a way to raise 100s of millions of $$$ for the environment…and for your cause. I’m not looking to make a profit…I just want to change lives. It’s a way to literally save the planet. It is a combination of using the population’s desire to be seen on Instagram,TV, and the Red Carpet. It’s a way to grab people’s attention through fashion and being seen. It’s also fun and interactive…which I think a lot of people need right now. I don’t want to drop the whole campaign right here though…I was hoping to message you privately if possible? I PROMISE you it’s an amazing idea and it wouldn’t take any of your energy…other than possibly bringing awareness to the campaign. It’s a campaign that never ends as it will constantly be raising $$ through fashion and what’s current. If you are willing to receive a private email from me, then please give me an email or email me at [email protected] also my website is http://www.gohannahstone.com just so that you can see that I’m not a crazy stalker 🙂 I’m just an amazing idea person and I see an opportunity gap in Hollywood and regular everyday life that can and will wake people up and get them excited about raising $$ for Mother Earth. Thank you for your time, Jane, <3
Hannah stone
Getting people to just give money to an environmental cause is all good and well but you and I both know that it is a looong and slow slog. It’s hard to get people to part with their $$$…FULL STOP. It’s much easier to entice them into buying something that they already covet and want. It’s a win-win combination of getting people to HAPPILY part with their money. My idea will create a platform where people can shop for 100% donated items and 100% of the sales goes to your cause. (there is so much more to it, I promise) I don’t have the time or energy to start my own Charity but I believe in you and anything that you attach your time and energy to. People would feel GOOD shopping here and would get a virtue signal opportunity and get positive public acknowledgment and a pat on the back(which most people these days seem to need. Also, they will feel a part of something greater. Celebs will want to get involved for the same reason. I PROMISE it is worth your time to just hear me. Thank you:) sorry if I come across as pushy. I am just SOOO excited about creating a constant stream of money to save and SUPPORT the Earth. I’m also hell-bent on getting Clean Water for everyone.
Jane
Hannah, thanks for the idea. I will ponder. I may not have the bandwidth to create a shopping place with donated goods right now. Maybe after the midterms. Appreciate your thinking of this.
Jane
Hannah, I just read this second letter from you and I will email you for more info.
Gabriela Procopio
Dear Jane Fonda,
I am Brazilian. I have 2 twin daughters – Cecilia and Helena. They are 9 years-old. Thanks to you and all your contribution to our Earth planet, I am able to teach my girls to help the environment. They still don’t have social media, but I show them your posts ans interviews. It’s been a great inspiration. We all love you. We deeply need help in Brazil!
Love,
Gabriela
Carrie
I am grateful for your efforts and commitment to making the world a better place. I’m a monthly donar. ✊🌎
Jane
Carrie, it means a whole lot to me to learn that you are a monthly donor to my Climate PAC. Thank you.xxx Jane
Paulina
Dear Jane, I wanted to write you this message for so long but never really found the right words, so I decided to just write down whatever’s on my mind!! the first thing I wanted to say to you is a massive THANK YOU!! thank you from the bottom of my heart for being such a fierce, amazing and inspiring woman. i sometimes can’t wrap my head around the fact how much you’ve inspired me in my life so far and how different my life would probably be if I never discovered you and your work- crazy to think how someone can influence someone’s life without even meeting them personally. I’m a 20 year old woman. there were many moments in my life where I felt lost and had no idea who I really was and what I wanted in life. many times I felt so alone and thought I was never gonna fit in. and somehow I came across you in one of those moments. I’m so grateful that I discovered you in this exact time- in a time where I was trying to fit in but felt so lonely and had no idea who I really was and was afraid to show my true personality because I was afraid to get bullied again and became a version of myself that just wasn’t me. I found you exactly when I needed someone like you in my life. your honesty, creativity and strength inspired me so much and helped me to find out who I really was. your movies, interviews and of course grace and frankie made me realise who I am, what I want in life and helped me to stop hiding behind a version of myself that wasn’t me at all. I wouldn’t be the woman that I am today if I hadn’t discovered you and your work. your energy and constant fight for justice is beyond inspiring. your work, especially Grace and Frankie, helped me so much to stop hiding and to truly embrace my true self and discover that true self. it’s a long journey and I’m still learning so much but I just wanted to let you know that I’m so so grateful that I found you on this journey. I really wanted to let you know that you and the things you do and say really changed my life in the best way possible. I found so much inspiration and positive energy while listening to you talk about your experiences in life or just watching Grace and Frankie and it was just really important for me to say THANK YOU for being you!! I’m sending you so much love!!
Jane
Paulina, What a beautiful letter. Thank you. xx Jane
Dani
Hi Jane,
Congratulations on launching your climate PAC! This is hugely important and if there’s anyone who has the platform and ability to pull in donors, it’s you. My wife and I signed up to become monthly donors right away.
Politics in general, and the climate crisis in particular, occupy the majority of my thoughts and time. I feel very helpless watching governments’ inaction across the globe as reports of irreversible impacts keep mounting. Being able to donate feels like taking action, more so than the actual organizing I’m involved in. I wish there were a way for all disparate movements to come together to create a collective capable of pressuring governments into meaningful action worldwide.
The war in Ukraine has highlighted our dependency on fossil fuels and how that dependency is escalating the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, because leaders are reluctant to impose adequate sanctions against the Kremlin for fear of energy insecurity. What could be strategically used to emphasize the importance of a fast transition to clean energy has instead turned into simply changing fossil fuel vendors. It’s frustrating on so many levels.
A little side note: About two years ago, you gave me the advice to focus my energy on winning over the people who are willing to stand up for climate justice, but have not been asked to get involved, rather than trying to convince those who speak out against climate action to change their minds. That was some of the best advice I have ever received. Getting away from constant conflict made the activism much less overwhelming. It felt like getting permission to shut up once in a while. 😉
Wishing you all the success and a whole lot of donors!
xx Dani
Simone Rudolphi
Hi Jane
Your ClimatePac is such vital next level activism. We need to do more to disrupt the everyday not just with marches but precisely in this manner.
Also keep an eye on the wider release of this brilliant documentary: Finite: The Climate of Change. It tells of the solidarity, skill shares and sacrifice of two big anti coal (opencast extraction) campaigns and how sustained (community) campaigning does make a difference. Exceptional storytelling of a campaign in Northern England stopping the expansion of one and the opening of two further sites and the very tough campaign against RWE in Germany destroying villages and ancient woodland in parallel most footage from 2018 to 2020: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14961862/
Wolf
SUSTAINABILITY is only possible with much fewer people! – OVERPOPULATION is the real root cause of the climate catastrophe and all other huge PROBLEMS on earth! – Please read my PETITION for global birth regulations and maybe you sign and share it: https://www.change.org/p/united-nations-introduce-obligatory-world-wide-birth-controls
Ekiner
Keep marching on. Blessings. Some things are best expressed in song. https://youtu.be/77Eqql7tsGM
Constance
Thank you Jane. This is the first PAC I ever donated to and I truly appreciate your efforts! Your explanation for its purpose opened my eyes – I always wonder how things get done in D.C.!
Jane
Thank you sooo much, Constance. I’m very grateful. xxx Jane
Frederick T Gray Jr
Jane, I might be one of those candidates you’re looking for. Veteran of many campaigns, but running for the first time. Independent for the state House from Oregon’s North Coast. Climate crisis is my top issue. How do I contact your PAC?
Jane
Frederick, call Ariel Hayes who heads the PAC team.
Amandine
Dear Jane,
What a huge and important work you do with Greenpeace ! Thanks a lot for it !!!
I throw a bottle into the sea with a proposal. I want to share with you and people an idea to give us more empowerment to reduce daily their impact in the climate crisis.
There are so many points in which people can have influence daily.
I thought it will be interesting if people could follow a training about what they can concretely do everyday.
I thought about it after my reading of your great book “What can I do ?”. This book is a wonderful source of inspiration.
Of course there are lots of ideas inside ; It’s a basis on which I relied to propose my idea.
Maybe it will be more efficient if people had the possibility (through this training or something else) to meet themselves, share their ideas and actions.
The goal will be to give people more tools to act with their communities, friends, family or coworkers if they want to go further in their actions to reduce the climate crisis.
This way, with all this work of thinking with Greenpeace’s & FDF members, we can find resources to spread this concept in other countries. I attend the appointment almost every friday, all the interventions are so relevant. So many people are connecting around the world, it’s amazing. The idea was to create an additional source of action and reflection on what is already happening within your joint actions with Greenpeace.
After this brief overview, I hope to have the opportunity to get your point of view about it.
It will be a pleasure to be a part of it,
Have a good weekend,
All the best
Jane
Amandine, Appreciate your idea for trainings. What Greenpeace and Fire Drill Fridays are doing is like a training. We give Calls to Action and then Trainers at Greenpeace train people to be trainers of others or train them directly to call and/or visit their elected official about the specific issue we are tackling. Right now it’s an all-hands-on-deck moment to stop the Schumer/Manchin side deal. These are the kinds of things most impactful right now for individual people to do because they become part of an organized collective effort. Individual action isn’t nearly as impactful as working with an organization that already had strategies and tactics have been been proven. We have 8 years left before when we need to cut carbon emissions in half. It’s the time for big collective action.
Aralynn McMane
Dear Jane, You are such an awesome inspiration to young people! I don’t know if this is the right place for this, but here goes: My organization, Global Youth & News Media based in France, encourages teenage journalists to profile climate champions who are making a real difference, especially among their peers. We’ll soon morph that work into a competition to give further visibility to their work with the best profiles published in the educational news service News Decoder. Here’s the idea: Would you be willing to let the winning teenage journalists also do an interview with you?
Aralynn McMane
Hi again, looking forward to approval for my comment or even forwarding to the right person to continue the conversation about Jane accepting an interview by an award-winning teenage journalist as a reward for their already great journalism.
Constance
It is my honor. Sending you ❤️🕊🙏 today and always.
Mary
Thank you Jane! For everything you have done and continue to do!
You may be interested in partnering with 2030 or Bust. 2030orbust.org or facebook.com/2030orbust
Laughlin Artz who has extensively studied with Werner Erhard has been leading this campaign for 7 years. He has skateboarded across the United States, is creating the Concert for Power slated for January 2023 in New York and is demonstrating OUR starving for power by literally starving until he reaches the monetary goal to fund the Concert for Power.
I donate to both Campaigns and I thought I would mention a possible merger.
I have loved your films my whole life and watched Grace and Frankie all seasons at least 4 times so far.
Wishing you lots of love, light and power in your journey against cancer.
I have no doubt about you.