Jane Fonda makes rare comment about her ‘busy year' ahead

Jane Fonda is readily available to serve for environment.

The Academy Award winner, 88, told People magazine at the 41st Annual Santa Barbara Film Festival premiere of Gaslit on, February 5.

In the environment based documentary, Fonda embarks on a journey through Texas and Louisiana, where she inspects the long-term environmental and community impacts of the expansion of liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports from the U.S.

"My sleeves are rolled up and I'm ready for bear. It's going to be a busy year. It's a crucial year," she said, just over a month after her 88th birthday.

Fonda also revealed her eagerness to be a part of this documentary, saying, "Because this is the center. The Gulf region that we made this film in is the center of the climate crisis."

"The pollution is unbelievable. I mean, it's also destroying the local communities," Fonda continued. 

"The cancer rates are sky-high. People's livelihoods are being destroyed because of the pollution. Generations of shrimpers and crabbers and oysterers have lost their ability to support their families. It's the place in the world where the most destruction is happening, so we want to stop it."

As the actress took the road trip during Gaslit filming, she also highlighted a similar issue closer to home — the potential reopening of the Sable Pipeline in Santa Barbara County, Calif.

"It's all part of the same fight. And the same people are trying to bring this pipeline that burst 15 years ago back. And so, Santa Barbarans can stand up and fight that," Fonda told the outlet.

Moreover, the director of documentary Katie Camosy said in a press release, “Now more than ever, we need the world to hear directly from those experiencing the climate crisis firsthand.

“GASLIT is a visual representation of the movement and the people fighting tooth and nail for their lives every day. We’re deeply grateful to the communities in the Gulf South for their leadership – and we hope that people leave the theater feeling both outraged and inspired by their stories.”

During filming, Fonda had a meeting with oil rig workers, local cattle farmers and others regarding the expansion of the oil industry and the boom of plastic manufacturing.