Olivia appointed Goodwill Ambassador for the environment

Olivia Newton-John has come a long way since Grease.

Today, the Australian-born singer and movie star is more concerned with cleaning messes up. That is why she has agreed to become UNEP’s Goodwill Ambassador for the environment.

Her involvement with environmental causes goes back more than a decade. In the late 1970s, she publicly and pointedly canceled a tour of Japan to protest the slaughter of dolphins by Japanese fishermen. Then with the birth of her daughter four years ago, her commitment became even more focused. “When I came home with Chloe, it was amazing. This child in my arms was suddenly the most precious thing in the world. I learned about what I want for her, that I want this beautiful planet to be here for her.”

And so, as she tours, she will not just sell songs and she’s sold more than 50 million records - she will try to sell people, from the Arctic to Africa and beyond, on the idea that the future of our planet is in our hands and that together we can make it a more liveable, cleaner and safer place. “It’s all well and good to preach,” she says, “but you also have to set an example.” Contact: UNEP (212) 963-8138.