Actress Jane Fonda has generated controversy with her statement calling for the arrest and imprisonment of white men, whom she blames for the climate crisis.
During the Cannes Film Festival, Fonda expressed her views, stating, “‘It is a tragedy that we have to absolutely stop. We have to arrest and jail those men — they’re all men [behind this].” She also asserted that there would be no climate crisis without racism and criticized the existing power dynamics, where “white men are the things that matter and then everything else [is] at the bottom.”
Fonda had previously discussed the link between racism and climate change during an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show. She highlighted the issue of waste disposal and suggested that marginalized communities, such as poor people, indigenous people, and people of color, are disproportionately affected due to where waste is typically dumped.
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Fonda called for prompt action, noting that there is a limited timeframe of around seven to eight years to significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption. She pointed out that those who bear the least responsibility for climate change, such as people in the Global South, on islands, and poor people of color, often experience its harshest consequences.
Fonda’s remarks were made in response to an audience question at the Cannes Film Festival. She argued that both racism and patriarchy contribute to the climate crisis, emphasizing the hierarchical mindset that places white men at the top.
It is not the first time the “Grace and Frankie” actor has sparked controversy with her comments on the intersection of politics and the environment. In a blog post in July 2020, titled “White Supremacy and the Climate Crisis,” Fonda explored the interconnected nature of these issues, asserting that white supremacy permeates cultural institutions and impacts economic, political, and climate-related matters.
