Names and faces
■ Veteran British broadcaster David Attenborough has been appointed the “people’s advocate” at the global climate summit this year, where he is expected to address political leaders about the need for urgent action to tackle the “crippling” threat of climate change. The 95-year-old, best known for his documentaries on the natural world such as “Planet Earth,” said the coronavirus pandemic has shown how crucial it is to secure international agreements to solve worldwide problems. “But the problems that await us within the next five to 10 years are even greater,” he said in a short video message Monday. Britain is hosting the United Nations’ COP26 climate conference in Glasgow, Scotland, in November. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked Attenborough for taking up the role, saying he has inspired millions with his TV work. “There is no better person to build momentum for further change” ahead of the climate summit, Johnson said. As part of his role, Attenborough is also expected to speak at the G-7 leaders’ summit in Cornwall, southwestern England, next month. Johnson’s government said last month it would commit to a tough new climate target, aiming to cut carbon emissions by 78% of their 1990 levels by 2035.
■ Country superstar Blake Shelton is joining an initiative to drum up financial support for food banks to enable them to provide 4 million meals in cities with large populations of musicians and music industry professionals in a new partnership with Feeding America that includes a donation challenge to fund an additional 1 million meals throughout all of Feeding America’s food banks. “There are a lot of people struggling in our country, and covid has only made that worse,” Shelton said. The covid-19 pandemic threw hundreds of thousands of musicians, roadies and other touring industry professionals out of work, according to the Country Music Association. In Tennessee alone, the industry’s unemployed number around 50,000. Its Music Industry Covid Support (MICS) Initiative will help those in Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, Seattle, Washington and Portland, Ore. All of that will come on top of $3 million that the association has invested in numerous nonprofits that serve music professionals. “Nobody wants to think about their friends or colleagues going without food,” said Sarah Trahern, the association’s CEO. “But I’ve been out at a couple of the food banks that we’ve done work with over the last year, and it’s us. As people, you think, ‘There but for the grace of God go I.’”