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Conservation Efforts
RD: Do you think you are softer and gentler than you were in the past? Some people affectionately describe you as a bit of a grump.Ford: I don't feel grumpy. I think it's a characterization for the sake of humor.
RD: You've worked with Conservation International for 15 years. Are you optimistic that we can solve issues like global warming?
Ford: Absolutely. Let me give you one example. Twenty percent of greenhouse gas emissions comes from the burning of croplands and deforestation. That's greater than the entire transportation sector, by a long shot. Burning the residue of a crop after it's been harvested is a widely practiced method in many parts of the world, but it's not productive. And if we can keep forests standing, they sequester carbon; they're the lungs of the planet.
RD: You have 800 acres in Wyoming. Is that in part to conserve the land?
Ford: It has a conservation easement on a good portion of it. I wanted to be steward of a piece of undisturbed land. It's my ambition to leave that behind.
RD: Can you describe your favorite spot on the property?
Ford: There's a walk to the Snake River that branches off through the cottonwood forest. It crosses a couple of streams. I can make that walk in my mind with spectacular detail. [The property] is teeming with wildlife.
RD: Do you feel a certain responsibility to be philanthropic because of who you are?
Ford: Not for who I am but for what I've come to have. When I came into an unseemly amount of money, I decided it would be appropriate to become involved in a variety of issues. But I don't much believe in celebrity spokesmen. I want to affect people's lives in more anonymous ways, though my pursuit of environmental issues has become well-known.
RD: Your movies have grossed $3 billion. Is money all it's cracked up to be?
Ford: Money is really only important if you don't have any.
RD: You don't have to work. What drives you to continue making movies?
Ford: I'm not a person who can occupy my time with recreation. I need a challenge. I need the intellectual stimulation. I'm a member of a community on each film, working in concert to try to bring an idea to life. It's a great job.
RD: Is there a piece of Jedi wisdom that you carry with you?
Ford: "May the Force be with you" is charming but not important. What's important is that you become the Force -- for yourself and perhaps for other people.
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