Robert Redford – Ecowarrior
At age 16, Robert Redford worked in a California oil field to save money to travel and study art. This indelible experience showed him the contrast between oil company ads and oil field realities.
Robert Redford died September 16, 2025 at age 89. You may have seen him in movies such as Barefoot in the Park (1967), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), The Sting (1973), All the President’s Men (1976), and Out of Africa (1985).[1] Did you know that he used his name and fortune to fight for our environment?
In the 1970’s Redford advocated for the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, which led to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
In the 1980’s Redford was an early voice expressing concern about Climate Change.
He served on the board of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) because he felt litigation was an effective way to stop environmental degradation. In the wake of the Deepwater Horizon (Gulf) Oil Spill, Redford convinced the NRDC to use documentary films to make their cases visceral. Now NRDC fields its Rewrite the Future team to advise the development of major motion pictures. Think Avatar.
In 2010, Redford lent his commitment to successfully stopping the Pebble Mine in Bristol Bay, Alaska.
Redford built relations between the Navajo Nation and environmentalists to stop coal mining in southern Utah. That led to the creation of Grand Staircase-Escalante and Bears Ears National Monuments. (In 2001 I hiked solo across the awe-inspiring tiers of cliffs called the Grand Staircase.)
Robert and his son Jamie Redford launched the Redford Center to “merge the powers of environmental justice, collective action, education, and impact film making.” The center’s first film, Fighting Goliath (2008) tells the story of Texans who opposed the construction of 19 coal power plants. In 2019 the center launched the Youth Environmental Storytelling program, which led to 550 student films over three years. The Redford Center’s current executive director, Jill Tidman, says, “[T]o create real change, we must invite everyone in, fund creative voices, and imagine a world worth fighting for.”
So, Robert Redford is my real-life hero, not for his acting, but for his activism on behalf of Spaceship Earth.
Bio: Jon Biemer is a member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and holds a certificate in Process Oriented Psychology. He is a Professional Mechanical Engineer registered in California. This article draws from Our Journey to Sustainability (2024). Jon is authored Our Environmental Handprints (2021). Both are published by Rowman & Littlefield.
[1] I googled “Robert Redford filmography.” He played roles in 48 movies between 1960 and 2020 — 60 years. He directed 10 films (some that he acted in as well).