Ian Somerhalder jetted off to Washington D.C. to spend his Thursday afternoon testifying before Congress on wildlife preservation funds.
The 32 year-old actor, who started his own conservation organization, IS Foundation, is passionate about protecting our oceans and wildlife, saving our ecosystem and providing future generations with a healthy planet to inherit.
In speaking before the nation’s representatives, Somerhalder urged Congress to take action and renew H.R. 50 – the Multinational Species Conservation Funds Reauthorization Act.
“Wildlife and environmental conservation has always been not just a passion, but a priority of mine. When I began to find that through my work as an actor, I was gaining an increasingly prominent platform in front of the American public, I knew right away what I wanted to do with it. The IS Foundation is my attempt to use this opportunity, this share of the public’s attention, for the greater good.”
The Vampire Diaries star went on to present statistics regarding endangered species worldwide and said so many animals are on “the brink of extinction” and urged lawmakers to continue the funding.
“Due to instability or indifference in the areas that many of these species call home, for most of them we are the first, last, and only hope for survival. As the ones with the power to make a difference, the responsibility rests with us. It is imperative that we live up to it.
“On behalf of the Ian Somerhalder Foundation and the Alliance for Global Conservation, I urge the Subcommittee to mark-up H.R. 50 and move to reauthorize this important piece of legislation.”
Watch Somerhalder’s full testimony below. (Read the article)
