In July 2016, Orange Is The New Black aired it’s finale season and now, one of its most famous Australian actors, has chosen not to work in the US again.
Yael Stone, who played inmate Lorna Morello on the hit Netflix show, has made a shock announcement on her social platforms revealing she is giving up her US green card (which allows her to live and work in the US) in a bid to combat climate change.
Posting two powerful black and white videos, the first took aim at Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
“I’m sitting in a dark room wondering what the hell is happening. Our country is on fire,” she told her fans.
“We’ve lost 14.5 million hectares and our Prime Minister has done absolutely nothing. Cold, calculated. Nothing. We don’t have leaders. We have cowards.”
“The leaders we have are the people around us and that’s what we have to become, we have to step up because this is war,” she said.
While the “enemy is not wearing a uniform that we’ll be able to recognise”, it’s “our own behaviour” that is the enemy.
“Yeh, sure. On an individual level things can change, but it’s corporate—wide, it’s government—wide, it’s systematic changes that must happen and it must happen yesterday. It’s time to act. This is war.”
WATCH: Yael Stone’s first Instagram post. Story continues…
In the second video, Yael turns the finger on herself and says: “So, what sacrifices am I going to make? Good Question.”
“To begin with, I’d like to announce that I’m giving up my green card. After a long, considered process we’ve come to understand that it’s unethical to set up a life in two countries knowing what we know. The carbon emissions alone from that flying — it’s unethical. It’s not right.”
Stone will begin the process of giving up her green card and “saying goodbye to a life in America.”
Along with her partner Jack Bancroft and their 18-month-old daughter, Pemau Stone Bancroft, she will stay in Australia “doing the work I can to make a difference here because the time is now.”
“Like I said, this is war and we’ve only got ten years, so let’s make these sacrifices. Let’s make these changes. Let’s put some skin in the game and say ‘yeah, I care’ and this is what I’m going to do about it. This is just the beginning from me.”
WATCH: Yael Stone’s second Instagram post.
How You Can Help
If you can, please consider donating to one of the organisations below — your donation will directly benefit bushfire victims, communities and animals affected.
Donate to the NSW Rural Fire Service
Donate to the Victorian Bushfire Relief
Donate to the Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund
Donate to the Salvation Army Disaster Appeal
Donate to St Vincent de Paul Society Bushfire Appeal
Donate to WIRES
