Julia Roberts Stars in New PSA to Support Clean Cooking
The Clean Cooking Alliance today released a new public service announcement (PSA) featuring Academy Award-winning actor Julia Roberts. A Global Ambassador for the Alliance, Ms. Roberts works to bring attention to one of the most urgent health problems facing women and families around the world: toxic smoke from cooking over polluting open fires, stoves, and fuels.
As Ms. Roberts states in the video: “It’s difficult to believe, but the simple act of cooking is responsible for four million deaths globally each year. This is because some 3 billion people – close to half the world’s population – still rely on open fires and fuels like wood and kerosene to cook their food. Cooking this way emits toxic smoke that fills lungs, homes, and communities the world over.
“No one’s life should be limited by how they cook. The good news is that progress on this issue is happening, and I am proud to be part of an organization leading a global movement to make clean cooking a reality for the millions of families around the world who live each day without it. The Clean Cooking Alliance is working with a network of global partners to deliver access to cleaner, more modern stoves and fuels, which can save lives, protect our environment, improve livelihoods, and empower women.”
The new PSA is premiering as part of the World Health Organization Conference on Air Pollution and Health in Geneva, Switzerland, where the Clean Cooking Alliance is highlighting cooking’s impact on health and air pollution. Up to 25 percent of air pollution in some countries is attributable to household air pollution from cooking, which is a leading contributor to noncommunicable diseases such as lung cancer, heart attack, and stroke.
About the Clean Cooking Alliance
The Clean Cooking Alliance works with a global network of partners to build an industry that makes clean cooking accessible to families around the world. Established in 2010, the Alliance supports the development, sale, distribution, and consistent use of clean cooking solutions that transform lives by improving health, protecting the environment, creating jobs and income opportunities, and helping consumers save time and money. Learn more about our work at www.CleanCookingAlliance.org and follow the Alliance on Twitter @cleancooking.