11 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Ryan Reynolds

In an interview with Jamil Smith during The Climate Reality Project’s 24 Hours of Reality, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds spoke about his passion for the planet—and how important it is to fight against climate change.

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Here are 11 things you probably don’t know about Ryan Reynolds:

1. He’s been an environmental activist for 25 years

“For me, it was about 25 years ago—I was in 10th grade—and I joined an outdoor education program called ‘Trek,’ which was offered at one of the local schools in Vancouver, where I grew up. In this program you’d do an accelerated curriculum so you’d basically do a year’s worth of school in about three months, and the rest of the year you spend outdoors, learning survival techniques, and learning about our resources, and how we can better serve our environment. A lot of it focused on the environment, and that—for me—was like a huge eye opener. It actually changed my life—from that point forward I led a very different lifestyle than that of my parents.”

2. He LOVES trees

“I grew up in the clear cut era, where people started to get hip to this idea that—here’s what’s going on in the forests in British Columbia. We have this incredibly diverse ecosystem in British Columbia that is so precious and so beautiful. You’d drive down the street—down a country road or in the mountains—and you’d basically see beautiful forests on either side of you, but if go just beyond that, you’re going to see clear cuts. And a lot of the kids I grew up with were tree planting in the summer. That was a way they’d have a summer job, but they would also give back.”

3. He’s a “big fan” of solar technology

“I’m a big fan of solar technology. For me that’s everything—I’m excited to see solar energy take off. … I can see these companies and these technologies becoming multibillion dollar companies—they already are! And it’s a beautiful thing to see.”

4. He drives an electric car—and wants everyone to be able to, too!

“I’ve solarized my home, I drive an electric car—these are just the things that I do. But I also recognize that the prices for these sorts of things are falling dramatically, and I love to see that. I’m in a position where I can afford to do this sort of thing—not everyone is. As we see these prices going down, I think it’s important to create infrastructure and to create systems in which people can afford this. And not just in ways that they’re incentivized to get a tax break or something like that, but it’s just absolutely affordable to everyone across the country.”

5. He gets that people are concerned about the future

“… Especially in these transitioning times and in our politics in the United States you might feel some anxiety and some concern over the environment and how that’s going to be protected in the future, because it’s not looking great right now.”

6. Wildfires get him down

“A lot of [the impacts of climate change are] the same as it is here [in the United States]. We’re seeing these huge wildfires—the Fort McMurray wildfire was such an eye-opener for me, watching the devastation that happened in that beautiful town and watching those hardworking people fleeing from their town—that was horrendous. We’re seeing the permafrost go away, we’re seeing the snowpacks melt, we’re seeing the same sort of droughts that are happening in the United States.”

7. He’s hopeful for the future

“You have to be [hopeful about the future]. You absolutely have to be. That’s what draws people from rest to effort. I have two young kids both under two, and I want them to experience the same things that I got to experience when I was a kid, you know? I want them to be able to walk out into the wilderness and enjoy everything—we live in the United States, and there are some of the most beautiful national parks that I’ve ever seen anywhere, and—you know—I want them to enjoy that the way I’ve able to enjoy that when I first moved to this country. But I am hopeful, I’m seeing that change.”

8. He thinks Hollywood needs to step up its climate change game

“I think [Hollywood] could do a lot more, and I hope to be an agent of change in that in the near future. I also work as a producer, so I have some say in how we conduct ourselves on the set. You can do little things obviously there’s a lot going on on the film sets where bottled water is just, sort of, banned. These are just small, topical things, but I think there’s a larger way to look at the future—these trucks, these heavy trucks, the generators that are running 24/7 when you’re on a film set—it’s a massive footprint and it’s something that needs to change.”

9. He hates fake news, but he still thinks people should share their thoughts on social media

“There’s a crap ton of the fake news out there, which is a little bit concerning. But I think it’s sort of like anything: we follow the people that we trust and follow the people whose opinions matter to us—I know I look at my timeline and I see things that I care about, issues that I care about, ideas being exchanged there. So I think absolutely: the more you pump it out on social media, the better.”

10. He’s got no time for deniers

“Scientists all over the world have basically proven that this is the case and our climate is changing for these specific reasons. When somebody denies climate change, I really don’t know what to say, except that they’re dead to me.”

11. He wants everyone to become a Climate Reality Leader

“There’s an incredible amount of resources out there that we can get involved with. [The] Climate Reality Project is one that has done—becoming a Climate [Reality] Leader is a huge thing that somebody can do.”