Chris Hemsworth, an avid surfer and the face of HUGO Boss’ 2021 sustainable capsule of casual clothing, is no stranger to environmental advocacy. From voyages in support of Oceana’s work to pairing with Priyanka Chopra in “Count Us In,” a 2020 TED Countdown initiative that promoted community activism, Chris Hemsworth and climate change have become a match made in heaven (or in the ocean).
As far back as 2012, Chris Hemsworth and his wife Elsa Pataky have been associated with Oceana, a global nonprofit that supports clean ocean life. With a motto of “Save the oceans, feed the world,” Oceana is dedicated to bridging sea life with humans.
On the homepage, an image of a healthy coral reef thriving with fish and plantlife greets you, displaying the diverse ecosystems of a protected sea. The angle? If we save the ocean, we’re closer to fighting world hunger.
“Today was the first time I had a very detailed and educated look at what’s going on below the surface thanks to the work Oceana is doing to protect the ocean,” Hemsworth said in an Oceana Facebook post when discussing the benefits of the voyage he and his wife took with the nonprofit.
“It’s very important that all of us who have a love for the ocean […] get on board and support the work that Oceana is doing.”
Today is world oceans day! My happiest memories have been spent in and around the ocean. When I was a kid surfing with my brothers & my dad and now being able to do it with my kids is the greatest thing I could’ve ever hoped for. #WorldOceansDay #loveouroceans @oceana @parleyxxx pic.twitter.com/f0lrpOcqLy
— Chris Hemsworth (@chrishemsworth) June 8, 2018
Chris Hemsworth fighting climate change to save our oceans
“We don’t think enough of how much we take from the oceans, and how little we give in return,” Pataky, who is an ambassador to Oceana, said according to a post on Oceana’s website. “We should all be working to ensure that they can continue to be our planet’s warehouse.”
Labeling the ocean as the “planet’s warehouse” has been Oceana’s goal from the start.
“Restoring the ocean could feed 1 billion people a healthy seafood meal every day,” the website says. Oceana doesn’t seek to deprive people of the benefits of seafood. They simply aim to provide balance to the relationship between humans and the sea.
Hemsworth’s sea-themed climate activism doesn’t end with Oceana. In 2017, he partnered with the Parley Air x Corona Initiative to clean plastic from the Maldives and educate the world on the lasting impact plastic has on the oceans.
“I’m thrilled to be a part of this program, because I want to inspire people to find a solution and protect the world’s oceans so future generations can enjoy them like I do,” Hemsworth said in an Instagram post announcing the partnership.
Can Chris Hemsworth actually help saving the oceans?
Parley Air is another organization that does similar work to Oceana. Their message is simple: “No oceans. No air. No life.” Parley Air paired with Corona as part of the beer brand’s initial steps to making changes in the way their beverages are produced and bottled. They are known for using glass and aluminum cans, and focused on implementing “a plastic-conscious philosophy across all aspects of the brand by adopting the Parley AIR (Avoid, Intercept, Redesign) Strategy,” according to a 2017 Corona press release.
The press release also explained the heart of Corona’s mission with the Parley Air collaboration, which was #100islandcleanup. The goal was to clean up 100 islands by 2020 in order to reverse the effects of climate change that predicted that the ocean will contain more plastic than marine life.
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With this partnership, Hemsworth got his hands dirty in the physical work that comes with saving our oceans. Photos of him removing armfuls of plastic bottles from a beach in the Maldives displayed his commitment to cleaning marine habitats.
Chris Hemsworth: environmental activist or greenwasher?
Despite all the advocacy that Hemsworth and his wife achieve between Oceana and Parley Air, the couple is still not immune to Hollywood hypocrisy, having taken two private jets in a week to return to Sydney from Byron Bay, according to a March 2021 article from the Daily Mail.
No one is perfect, and the advocacy that Hemsworth and Pataky have shared shouldn’t be ignored simply because they could not resist the allure of luxury travel that damns so many celebs today. Without big-name faces like Chris Hemsworth behind such important initiatives, the masses might never learn about the important mission that drives sea-protecting nonprofits.
Hopping on a private jet every now and then while advocating for the climate is still better than hopping on a jet and having no climate activism under his belt. It’s the small steps that matter, and if Hemsworth continues to educate the world about Oceana and Parley Air, he still gets points in the world of climate activism.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — Featured Photo: Chris Hemsworth at the 2017 San Diego Comic Con International promoting “Thor: Ragnarok”. Photo Credits: Gage Skidmore.
