Rihanna boldly calls on government officials to ‘step up:’ ‘It’s your turn’

Rhianna’s voice can be heard on radio stations worldwide, but she’s also using it to turn the volume up on the call for action on the climate crisis.

The singer is from Barbados, one of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) that has been found most at risk from the effects of our planet’s rising temperatures.

Rolling Stone reported that she recently tweeted at Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and World Bank President Ajay Banga to step up in providing real support to these communities.

According to the United Nations, SIDS contribute less to Earth’s rising temperatures than other communities but are hit hardest by the effects of rising oceans and temperatures, leading Rhianna and others to believe that the effects of the changing climate are a social justice issue as well as an environmental one.

Last year, the singer donated $15 million through her Clara Lionel Foundation (CLF) to 18 climate justice organizations working in Caribbean nations and the U.S., and now she’s calling on our leaders to do the same.

As the planet warms up, hurricanes and other severe weather events are growing worse, and SIDS and other coastal communities take the brunt of these storms but have limited resources to put toward prevention and recovery.

While we must slow Earth’s rising temperatures, this will take time, and monetary aid can help these communities today. Though most of us don’t have the platform Rhianna has, we can donate to helping organizations if and when possible, and we can talk to our friends and family about this issue.

According to AP, in a statement accompanying the announcement of her $15 million donation, Rhianna said, “Climate disasters, which are growing in frequency and intensity, do not impact all communities equally, with communities of color and island nations facing the brunt of climate change.”

The singer is also working with Mia Mottley, the prime minister of Barbados. In her tweet Rhianna wrote, “Will you join @miaamormottley and step up for communities hit hardest by climate emergencies? We need you to make bold commitments to finance & debt reforms. I address climate change w/ @ClaraLionelFdn — now it’s your turn.”

Global Citizen (@GlblCtzn), which recently launched the climate disaster relief campaign Power Our Planet, agreed heartily in their response to the tweet, writing, “@SecYellen & #AjayBanga it’s time to get to work, work, work, work, work!”

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