How Paris Hilton saved one endangered species

Reported by Mother Nature Network. Article edited by PHS.

Back in 2007 a small, but ambitious film project called “The 11th Hour” was released. It was innovative in several regards. It featured narration by a major A-list celebrity, Leonardo diCaprio. It included a massive compilation of over 100 interviews with leading environmental experts, and it was also one of the first films to link to an “Action Campaign” website.

The producers of the film hoped it would rouse a new generation of environmental activists. For a variety of reasons, the film did not do well at the box office and it didn’t deliver on the first count. But the film was far from a failure. As Tzeporah explained, the film’s premiere which was attended by a host of A-list celebs, was just the ticket she needed to save one of the most important carbon sinks in North America.

Forest Ethics, the nonprofit co-founded by Tzeporah, had been in a several year battle with the Canadian government to prevent logging of an ancient forest in Northern Canada, the last refuge of the endangered Caribou. Despite very successful campaigning and widespread public support, Forest Ethics’ cries fell on deaf ears. The government was unmoved and it seemed logging would proceed.

That’s when “11th Hour” was released. Tzeporah came down to the premier where she briefly met Paris Hilton. It was a 2 minute meeting that would alter the fate of one endangered species and pave the way for a new kind of celebrity-fueled activism.

The photo of their meeting quickly landed on the front page of hundreds of newspapers across Canada, followed by 2 weeks of nonstop interview requests. British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell then made a sudden about-face on his previous position and signed to protect the 2.2 million hectares of threatened rainforest.

Play the clip below to listen to Tzeporah’s comments about her meeting with Paris Hilton:

The audio/video associated with this article is unavailable.