Alanis Morissette
Singer, humanitarian and environmentalist
This Canadian songstress has sold tens of millions of albums and been nominated for and won scores of awards including Grammys and Golden Globes during a decade-long career. But that’s not enough for a woman who has spent years giving a voice to causes from global warming to disaster aid.
Lending her name to global warming awareness
In 2005, Morissette narrated the PBS documentary Global Warming: The Signs and the Science. The program presented growing evidence of climate change, along with examples of individual people and organizations working to make a difference.
The following year she signed up for another film, The Great Warming, which she narrated with Keanu Reeves. Many from the religious community got behind the film and pre-screenings were held in churches, creating a new breed of evangelical environmentalists. Now on DVD, the film features versions for everyone from religious believers to animal lovers – with featurettes and interviews tailored to each. The New York Times called it “a straightforward, quietly persuasive primer on the climate change crisis” and said it should be required viewing for everyone.
Greening her tours
Alanis Morissette is one of a growing number of musicians who are realizing the impact of traveling and concerts and are making a change. She has been involved with the nonprofit organization Reverb, a group that helps artists green their tours. They are well-known for assisting Morissette and others, such as the Barenaked Ladies and Dave Matthews Band, in leaving a smaller footprint while on the road. But that’s not the only green thing about Alanis; she also reportedly has solar panels on her home.
Award winning environmentalist
In 2003, Alanis was honored with yet another award, not for her music, but for her commitment to environmental causes. The EMA Missions in Music Award was presented to Morissette for acts such as speaking out against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and encouraging fans to learn about and become more involved in political issues. One of her concerns is that national parks, like Yosemite in California (which Robert Redford shares an interest in), aren’t being properly protected.
Humanitarian
Alanis supports Amnesty International and performed at a 1998 concert to celebrate the 50thanniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In 2001, she received a Global Tolerance Award from the Friends of the United Nations for promoting tolerance through her art and in her daily life.
Encouraging others
As well as urging fans to educate themselves on the Bush administration’s Energy Plan, Morissette posts information on her website about her own aid donations through CHF International and invites fans to contribute. Alanis Morissette has been acting on strong beliefs for years and isn’t afraid to push others to do the same.
