The Coronavirus pandemic has left most of the world questioning not only when things will go back to normal, but also how. While things are unclear on that front, it looks like a large number of scientists along with the Hollywood Elite have already been making their own statements on the matter. In fact, they’ve all signed an editorial in an effort to promote a “radical transformation” of society. A few of the Hollywood celebrities that have already signed for the “radical transformation” include Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Willem Dafoe, and Adam Driver among many others.
The editorial piece was written for the French paper Le Monde, and it seems that it was made in response to current events. In particular, the editorial makes reference to the Coronavirus pandemic and states that “this crisis is, however, inviting us to examine what is essential.” This leads into their suggestion that a systemic change is required in order to fix the world’s problems.
It’s definitely an interesting write-up, and you can read the full translated piece below, titled No To A Return To Normal, via Deadline:
“The Covid-19 pandemic is a tragedy. This crisis is, however, inviting us to examine what is essential. And what we see is simple: “adjustments” are not enough. The problem is systemic.
The ongoing ecological catastrophe is a meta-crisis: the massive extinction of life on Earth is no longer in doubt, and all indicators point to a direct existential threat. Unlike a pandemic, however severe, a global ecological collapse will have immeasurable consequences.
We therefore solemnly call upon leaders — and all of us as citizens – to leave behind the unsustainable logic that still prevails and to undertake a profound overhaul of our goals, values, and economies.
The pursuit of consumerism and an obsession with productivity have led us to deny the value of life itself: that of plants, that of animals, and that of a great number of human beings. Pollution, climate change, and the destruction of our remaining natural zones has brought the world to a breaking point.
For these reasons, along with increasing social inequalities, we believe it is unthinkable to “go back to normal.”
The radical transformation we need – at all levels – demands boldness and courage. It will not happen without a massive and determined commitment. We must act now. It is as much a matter of survival as one of dignity and coherence.”
And, thanks to The Daily Wire, here is a complete list of those who have thus far signed the editorial:
- Lynsey Addario, senior reporter
- Isabelle Adjani, actress
- Roberto Alagna, lyric singer
- Pedro Almodovar, director
- Santiago Amigorena, writer
- Angèle, singer
- Adria Arjona, actress
- Yann Arthus-Bertrand, photographer, director
- Ariane Ascaride, actress
- Olivier Assayas, director
- Josiane Balasko, actress
- Jeanne Balibar, actress
- Bang Hai Ja, painter
- Javier Bardem, actor
- Aurélien Barrau, astrophysicist, honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France
- Mikhail Baryshnikov, dancer, choreographer
- Nathalie Baye, actress
- Emmanuelle Béart, actress
- Jean Bellorini, director
- Monica Bellucci, actress
- Alain Benoit, physicist, Academy of Sciences
- Charles Berling, actor
- Juliette Binoche, actress
- Benjamin Biolay, singer
- Dominique Blanc, actress
- Cate Blanchett, actress
- Gilles Bœuf, former president of the National Museum of Natural History
- Valérie Bonneton, actress
- Aurélien Bory, director
- Miguel Bosé, actor, singer
- Stéphane Braunschweig, director
- Stéphane Brizé, director
- Irina Brook, director
- Peter Brook, director
- Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, actress, director
- Khatia Buniatishvili, pianist
- Florence Burgat, philosopher, research director at Inrae
- Guillaume Canet, actor, director
- Anne Carson, poet, writer, Academy of Arts and Sciences
- Michel Cassé, astrophysicist
- Aaron Ciechanover, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- François Civil, actor
- François Cluzet, actor
- Isabel Coixet, director
- Gregory Colbert, photographer, director
- Paolo Conte, singer
- Marion Cotillard, actress
- Camille Cottin, actress
- Penélope Cruz, actress
- Alfonso Cuaron, director
- Willem Dafoe, actor
- Béatrice Dalle, actress
- Alain Damasio, writer
- Ricardo Darin, actor
- Cécile de France, actress
- Robert De Niro, actor
- Annick de Souzenelle, writer
- Johann Deisenhofer, biochemist, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Kate del Castillo, actress
- Miguel Delibes Castro, biologist, Royal Spanish Academy of Sciences
- Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota, director
- Claire Denis, director
- Philippe Descola, anthropologist, CNRS gold medal
- Virginie Despentes, writer
- Alexandre Desplat, composer
- Arnaud Desplechin, director
- Natalie Dessay, lyric singer
- Cyril Dion, writer, director
- Hervé Dole, astrophysicist, honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France
- Adam Driver, actor
- Jacques Dubochet, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Diane Dufresne, singer
- Thomas Dutronc, singer
- Lars Eidinger, actor
- Olafur Eliasson, plastic artist, sculptor
- Marianne Faithfull, singer
- Pierre Fayet, member of the Academy of Sciences
- Abel Ferrara, director
- Albert Fert, Nobel Prize in physics
- Ralph Fiennes, actor
- Edmond Fischer, biochemist, Nobel Prize in medicine
- Jane Fonda, actress
- Joachim Frank, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, actor
- Marie-Agnès Gillot, star dancer
- Amos Gitaï, director
- Alejandro Gonzales Iñarritu, director
- Timothy Gowers, Fields Mathematics Medal
- Eva Green, actress
- Sylvie Guillem, star dancer
- Ben Hardy, actor
- Serge Haroche, Nobel Prize in physics
- Dudley R. Herschbach, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Rob Hopkins, founder of Cities in Transition
- Nicolas Hulot, Honorary President of the Nicolas Hulot Foundation for Nature and Man
- Imany, singer
- Jeremy Irons, actor
- Agnès Jaoui, actress, director
- Jim Jarmusch, director
- Vaughan Jones, Fields Mathematics Medal
- Spike Jonze, director
- Camélia Jordana, singer
- Jean Jouzel, climatologist, Vetlesen Prize
- Anish Kapoor, sculptor, painter
- Naomi Kawase, director
- Sandrine Kiberlain, actress
- Angélique Kidjo, singer
- Naomi Klein, writer
- Brian Kobilka, Nobel Prize in Chemistry
- Hirokazu Kore-eda, director
- Panos Koutras, director
- Antjie Krog, poet
- La Grande Sophie, singer
- Ludovic Lagarde, director
- Mélanie Laurent, actress
- Bernard Lavilliers, singer
- Yvon Le Maho, ecophysiologist, member of the Academy of Sciences
- Roland Lehoucq, astrophysicist
- Gilles Lellouche, actor, director
- Christian Louboutin, creator
- Roderick MacKinnon, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Madonna, singer
- Macha Makeïeff, director
- Claude Makélélé, footballer
- Ald Al Malik, rapper
- Rooney Mara, actress
- Ricky Martin, singer
- Carmen Maura, actress
- Michel Mayor, Nobel Prize in physics
- Medina, rapper
- Melody Gardot, singer
- Arturo Menchaca Rocha, physicist, former president of the Mexican Academy of Sciences
- Raoni Metuktire, Raoni’s Indian chief
- Julianne Moore, actress
- Wajdi Mouawad, director, author
- Gérard Mouroux, Nobel Prize in physics
- Nana Mouskouri, singer
- Yael Naim, singer
- Jean-Luc Nancy, philosopher
- Guillaume Néry, freediving world champion
- Pierre Niney, actor
- Michaël Ondaatje, writer
- Thomas Ostermeier, director
- Rithy Panh, director
- Vanessa Paradis, singer, actress
- James Peebles, Nobel Prize in physics
- Corine Pelluchon, philosopher
- Joaquin Phoenix, actor
- Apple, singer
- Iggy Pop, singer
- Olivier Py, director
- Radu Mihaileanu, director
- Susheela Raman, singer
- Edgar Ramirez, actor
- Charlotte Rampling, actress
- Raphaël, singer
- Eric Reinhardt, writer
- Resident, singer
- Jean-Michel Ribes, director
- Matthieu Ricard, Buddhist monk
- Richard Roberts, Nobel Prize in medicine
- Isabella Rossellini, actress
- Cecilia Roth, actress
- Carlo Rovelli, physicist, honorary member of the Institut universitaire de France
- Paolo Roversi, photographer
- Ludivine Sagnier, actress
- Shaka Ponk (Sam and Frah), singers
- Vandana Shiva, philosopher, writer
- Abderrahmane Sissako, director
- Gustaf Skarsgard, actor
- Sorrentino Paolo, director
- Sabrina Speich, oceanographer, Albert Defant medal
- Sting, singer
- James Fraser Stoddart, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Barbra Streisand, singer, actress, director
- Malgorzata Szumowska, director
- Béla Tarr, director
- Bertrand Tavernier, director
- Alexandre Tharaud, pianist
- James Thierré, director, dancer
- Mélanie Thierry, actress
- Tran Anh Hung, director
- Jean-Louis Trintignant, actor
- Karin Viard, actress
- Rufus Wainwright, singer
- Lulu Wang, director
- Paul Watson, navigator, writer
- Wim Wenders, director
- Stanley Whittingham, Nobel Prize in chemistry
- Sonia Wieder-Atherton, cellist
- Frank Wilczek, Nobel Prize in physics
- Olivia Wilde, actress
- Christophe Willem, singer
- Bob Wilson, director
- Lambert Wilson, actor
- David Wineland, Nobel Prize in Physics
- Xuan Thuan Trinh, astrophysicist
- Muhammad Yunus, economist, Nobel Peace Prize
- Zazie, singer.
It’s definitely an interesting group of people to have seen sign this call for a “radical transformation”, and there are no doubt some valid ideas that can be taken into consideration from the associated editorial. But does the world need that massive of a “radical transformation” to fix things? There is certainly a lot to ponder from all of this.