At SF event, Harrison Ford begs voters to 'stop electing leaders who don't believe in science'

Actor Harrison Ford addresses a crowd at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco on Sept. 13, 2018. Actor Harrison Ford addresses a crowd at the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco on Sept. 13, 2018. Photo: Courtesy Global Climate Action Summit Photo: Courtesy Global Climate Action Summit Image 1 of / 5 Caption Close At SF event, Harrison Ford begs voters to 'stop electing leaders who don't believe in science' 1 / 5 Back to Gallery

An impassioned Harrison Ford told a crowd in San Francisco Thursday to "stop giving power to people who don't believe in science, or worse than that, pretend they don't believe in science for their own self-interest."

With a graying beard, the Hollywood actor who starred in the Star Wars series as Han Solo, delivered a speech at Moscone Center for the Global Climate Action Summit sponsored by California Gov. Jerry Brown.

Ford didn't name President Donald Trump in his talk, but some of his comments obviously referred to the U.S. leader.

"For God's sake, stop electing leaders who don't believe in science," he said. "Or even worse, pretend they don't believe in science. Never forget who you're fighting for."

Ford's comments quickly went viral on Twitter and actor Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker in "Star Wars," jumped into the chatter and wrote: "HE HAS SPOKEN! (and I couldn't agree more.)"

In a followup tweet, Hamill simply wrote "Purpose."

Ford is vice-chair of Conservation International, an American nonprofit environmental organization with the goal "to protect nature." In November he ripped the Trump White House while accepting an environmental honor for his work, saying the "greatest threat" was "that we've got people in charge of important s--- who don't believe in science."

Business leaders, mayors, governors and activists from around the world are descending upon San Francisco Sept. 12 to 15 for the Global Climate Action Summit. Participants are expected to introduce new ideas to address climate change and pledge trillions of dollars for spending on cleaner energy.

More stories on the climate summit:

Celebrity-watching: A-listers in Hollywood, music and politics gather in SF for Climate Summit

35-foot-tall polar bear stands guard at SF Ferry Building

Protesters gathering in S.F., say climate change leaders not doing enough