The actor is linked to and profits from deforestation, environmental groups maintain

Apr 11, 2014 07:31 GMT  ·  By
Greenheads disapprove of Schwarzenegger's being involved with “Years of Living Dangerously”
   Greenheads disapprove of Schwarzenegger's being involved with “Years of Living Dangerously”

James Cameron's nine-part documentary “Years of Living Dangerously,” which focuses on climate change and its impact on human society and the natural world, is set to premiere this coming Sunday, on April 20, and odds are quite a lot of people will take a break from their busy schedules to watch it.

As surprising as this may sound, it turns out that there are some people who are busy badmouthing the documentary despite the fact that its first episode has not even been aired yet. What's more, these people are not climate change skeptics, but environmentalists.

According to Eco Watch, what these greenheads are upset about is the fact that actor Arnold Schwarzenegger is one of the series' executive producers and also makes an appearance in the nine-part documentary.

Specifically, “Years of Living Dangerously” shows the actor battling wildfires in Idaho, i.e. a state bound to be affected by numerous such disasters, as climate change and global warming intensify, the same source tells us.

The reason why environmentalists would have preferred Arnold Schwarzenegger not to be involved with this documentary is that, according to a recent Global Witness report, the actor is not only involved with but also profits from forest destruction.

Specifically, Global Witness maintains that, according to evidence at hand, Arnold Schwarzenegger is part owner of an investment company that backs logging companies guilty of destroying natural ecosystems. Hence, his involvement in “Years of Living Dangerously” pretty much spells hypocrisy.

Members and supporters of Global Witness and of Friends of the Earth fear that, due to the fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger is an executive producer and a co-star of “Years of Living Dangerously,” the documentary will lose its credibility. Given the urgency to raise awareness about climate change and global warming and limit these phenomena, this cannot be allowed to happen, they say.

“This is more than embarrassing. It threatens to undermine the integrity of the most ambitious and accessible story about climate change ever aired,” Tom Picken with Global Witness told the press in a recent interview.

“This is looking less like a star-studded journey into deforestation and climate change and more like a celebrity battle between two of Hollywood’s biggest characters – the Terminator versus Indiana Jones. While co-star Harrison Ford takes on the companies plundering rain forests in Indonesia, Schwarzenegger is lining his pockets from the proceeds of that destruction,” he added.

Despite being contacted by Global Witness, Arnold Schwarzenegger has until now remained silent on the topic of his connections with investment company DFA (Dimensional Fund Advisors) and the latter's ties with forest destruction.