Harrison Ford urges Arizona State graduates to extend social justice, prevent mass extinction

Actor Harrison Ford told graduates at Arizona State University (ASU) to “extend social justice” to clean up the environmental “mess” his generation left behind for them.The legendary “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones” actor gave the commencement speech during a graduation ceremony on May 11, where he received an honorary Doctor of Arts and Humane Letters degree for his work in conservation.Ford’s background in fighting climate change was a significant theme throughout the speech as he warned students about the need for “cultural change” to prevent “mass extinction” caused by corruption and global warming.“Humanity is a part of nature, not above it,” Ford said.“We have an essential mandate to protect 30% of the world’s land and sea by 2030, to prevent the mass extinction, to slow the warming of our planet.“Still, despite new science, new policies, we are still losing nature to profiteering, corruption, conflict — including land that is already protected on paper.

These efforts matter, but they’re not enough.”He continued, “We need cultural change.We need to extend social justice.

We need to respect and elevate the Indigenous people that are being marginalized and, in many cases, killed in cold blood.“These communities have long understood that the trees, the mountain, water, soil are not commodities.They are relatives to be cherished for following generations to embrace and protect.”Ford encouraged graduates and members of their generation to go out and “change the world” after acknowledging that past generations, including his, left the world a mess.“We can all play a role by embracing that wisdom in our day-to-day lives, by loving the planet, by honoring nature’s authority, her generosity, the bounty she affords us, the justice of her example, because the world you’re stepping into, the world my generation left you, is a real mess,” Ford said.He added, “Your generation has far more power than you ma...