WASHINGTON, D.C.—Understated, conservative, and calmly good natured—a man in a grey suit strolled around the dimly lit banquet hall shaking hands and chatting.
"I have to say goodbye to Mayor Bloomberg," the voice of Han Solo said, and when asked for an interview added, "I'll come back."
True to his word, after posing for photos with giddy guests, he returned for an interview. "Han Solo wouldn't lie," quipped our Epoch Times reporter, glad to finally have a moment for questions.
"No!" corrected Harrison Ford, "Han Solo would lie, but I would not."
Ford was a special guest at Conservation International's D.C. Gala dinner on Nov. 1, where New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg presided as the feature speaker.
A supporter of non-profit organization Conservation International (CI) for over 16 years, Harrison Ford joined as a board member in 1991.
"I was looking for a way to give back," said Ford when asked what sparked his interest in supporting Conservation International. "I'd always been interested in nature," he explained.
Since joining CI to campaign for the conservation of earth's natural habitats, Ford has quietly received numerous awards for his efforts, including the "World Ecology Award" from the International Center for Tropical Ecology and the "Global Environmental Citizen Award" from the Harvard Medical School in 2002. In 2006 he also received the "Good Steward Award" from the International Conservation Caucus Foundation, founded by the U.S. House of Representatives.
Ford said that he was introduced to people in Conservation International and was deeply impressed with the intellectual capacity of its directors. Supported by the likes of Queen Noor of Jordan, Conservation International was founded in 1987 and claims to have protected over 500 million acres on land and sea, and given $100 million to conservation partners around the world over the past five years.
"What kept my support is their success and inventiveness of their strategies," said Ford about Conservation International's work in preserving threatened ecosystems and protecting plant and animal life facing extinction.
Edward O. Wilson, Harvard Professor Emeritus, who works with the organization, says that at the rate of destruction currently taking place on our planet, we could have half of the plants and animals that we know of at the present time on the brink of extinction by the end of the present century.
Mayor Bloomberg, who said during his speech that he was on his way to a conference of mayors to talk about carbon emissions, posed a fundamental question.
"What should we do?" asked Bloomberg. "We should hold ourselves accountable for getting results," he told the hall of gala guests.
Bloomberg said in his daily urban life, he uses mass transit. "I take the subway to work," said Bloomberg. He admitted to not particularly liking it, but that it was a necessary and fast path between his home and office, which he does like.
Mayor Bloomberg encouraged more people to take mass transit in an effort of reduce carbon emissions. He also said that people "should not have to choose between protecting the environment and promoting growth," referring to finding practical and creative solutions to promote environmental health.
One point that both Bloomberg and Ford agree on is the need for stronger leadership at the federal level to help protect the environment and stop ecological destruction.
"We are confronting problems in all areas of the world," said Ford. "What I am concerned about is the lack of moral commitment [on the government front]." He also added the problem of "political morality," saying, "Our government should step up to the plate."
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