Climate Change Activists Take Entertainment Industry To Task At Hollywood Sign Protest

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Environmental activists gathered at the Hollywood sign a day before the Academy Awards to call on the entertainment industry to "take urgent action" on climate change.

"The Hollywood sign is an iconic symbol of glamour and film history," the group Extinction Rebellion Youth, said. "But with Hollywood also comes a history of excess and discrimination, which are part of the roots of the climate emergency. Some stars of Hollywood are aware of the scale of the climate crisis, and some have started to take action... But we do not believe that Hollywood as a whole has taken an acceptable stance on the climate crisis."

The protesters urged the industry to do what it does best: grab attention.

"They applaud awards and talent -- which is great -- but I believe with that platform we can really use it to expose what's happening," said protester Virian Gonzalez-Valdez.

One key area of concern for environmental activists is the thousands of fires that have raged in the Amazon rain forest over the past year.

"What we are finding is the rate of destruction is pushing the Amazon to a tipping point of no return. So it's urgent we protect the rest of the Amazon as soon as possible," urged protester Atossa Soltani, who just returned from there.

A U.N. report predicts there will be more frequent storms, more droughts and more famine due to climate change.