Dolly Parton has spoken out about the effects of climate change comparing it to “being ugly to your mama”.
The country legend urged world leaders and people to do more to protect the environment in the wake of recent incidents of extreme weather conditions.
“Well, my hope for the environment, for all things living, and all things good, just nature in general, [is] that we should pay more attention to how we’re treating our mountains, how we’re treating our world, how we’re just treating everything,” Parton said in an interview with National Geographic ahead of Earth Day on April 22.
“We’re just mistreating Mother Nature. That’s, like, being ugly to your mama, you know? That’s like being disrespectful, you know? Seriously. So, I really think we all need to pay closer attention to taking better care of the things that God gave us freely and that we’re so freely messing up. We need to rethink that and do better.”
Her comments came after Parton and her Smoky Mountain businesses raised $700,000 (£535,650) to help residents impacted by floods in Tennessee last summer.
More than 500 homes and 50 businesses were damaged after up to 17 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, causing rising waters to tear through Humphreys, Hickman, Houston and Dickson counties.
Meanwhile, Parton recently confirmed that she will star in the film adaptation of Run, Rose, Run, the novel she co-wrote with author James Patterson.
Following the book’s release in February, along with a companion album of the same name, the singer announced she’ll produce a film adaptation alongside Patterson for Reese Witherspoon’s media company Hello Sunshine.
Parton was also recently nominated for this year’s Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame induction, alongside the likes of Eminem, Kate Bush, Beck, Eurythmics, Duran Duran, Lionel Richie, Rage Against The Machine, A Tribe Called Quest despite the country legend asking to have her nomination withdrawn.