Page 29 - ATD19September2015
P. 29
PEOPLE & ARTS A29
Saturday 19 September
Actors join campaign to draw attention to Arctic issue
DAN JOLING In this May 10, 2012, file photo, Alexander Skarsgard, a cast member in the film “Battleship,” ously caught the attention
Associated Press waves at the American premiere of the film in Los Angeles. of celebrity environmental-
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ists.
— Critics of Arctic offshore Associated Press Actor Ted Danson, a board
petroleum drilling have member of ocean advo-
used climbing gear, kayaks Environmental groups say part, she said, as did world- used by the petroleum in- cacy group Oceana, was
and polar bear costumes burning oil extracted from wide photos of 35,000 wal- dustry to explore for oil. in Alaska in 2010 filming the
to protest industrial activity the Arctic Ocean seabed rus hauled out last Septem- Shell, Chevron, Statoil and Drew Barrymore movie “Ev-
in the Arctic. They’re now will accelerate climate ber on northwest Alaska other companies hold leas- erybody Loves Whales.” He
trying humor. warming and that indus- beach because of a lack es in the region. testified at a federal hear-
Actors Alexander Skarsgard trialization will harm polar of sea ice. “They’re basically firing very ing and called for a pause
of “True Blood” and Jack bears, walruses, whales Arctic issues reached an loud pulses at the seabed, in drilling plans.
McBrayer of “30 Rock,” and ice seals. apex two weeks ago, trying to figure out where “Law and Order” star
along with Andy Bichlbaum Margaret Williams, Arctic she said, when President the oil deposits are locat- Sam Waterston, another
of “The Yes Men” activists, program director for World Barack Obama, on a trip ed,” Scheller said. “These Oceana board member,
are on a Greenpeace ship Wildlife Fund, said Arctic to Alaska to draw attention blasts are so loud that they recently narrated a two-
in the Greenland Sea with awareness has increased climate warming, became can seriously injure whales minute video on the risk of
a team from the Funny or as Americans experience the first sitting U.S. president and other ocean life. But Arctic drilling that the orga-
Die production company extreme weather events. to visit the Arctic. Eroding right now they’re doing this nization has posted on its
to make a comedy se- “Increasingly, Americans Alaska villages, he noted, without much public atten- website.
ries focused on industrial understand that the im- were once protected by tion or scrutiny.” Carolyn Prousky, head of
threats to the Arctic. pacts of the extreme sea ice. Greenpeace has been public relations for Funny
“It’s really important that weather events — drought Critics of Arctic drilling, how- tracking seismic vessels off Or Die, said by email that
we reach as many people and floods and crazy winter ever, target the Obama Greenland since mid-Au- the Arctic voyage comedy
as possible with the mes- storms that they’re experi- administration for granting gust. Skarsgard, McBrayer series will be short videos.
sage that the Arctic de- encing in the Lower 48 — permits to Royal Dutch Shell and Bichlbaum came on She was not sure of the re-
serves our protection — it’s are related to the changes PLC for exploration wells in board in mid-September.q lease date on the compa-
not just another resource in the Arctic,” she said. ny’s platforms.
to be exploited until it’s The declaration of the po- the Chukchi Sea. Arctic drilling also has previ- Shell officials have said re-
exhausted and broken,” lar bear as a threatened peatedly they have fol-
Greenpeace Arctic cam- species in 2008 played a Scheller said Greenpeace lowed every requirement
paigner Sune Scheller said imposed by federal regu-
by email Thursday from the is in the Greenland Sea to lators and that drilling can
Arctic Sunset, a 160-foot be done safely in Arctic
Greenpeace icebreaker. investigate seismic air guns waters.
Arctic waters, once mostly The company is working to
ignored, are attracting at- complete an exploratory
tention as summer sea ice well 70 miles off the Alaska
has diminished, expanding coast and has assembled
opportunities for tourism, a flotilla of nearly 30 ves-
shipping and exploratory sels that could respond to
petroleum drilling. The Na- a spill.
tional Snow and Ice Data In an interview this month,
Center on Tuesday said the Marvin Odum, president
Arctic hit its summer mini- of Shell Oil Co., said noth-
mum last week with 1.7 mil- ing will change the minds
lion square miles of sea ice, of some who protest Arc-
down 240,000 square miles tic drilling. He welcomes
from 2014. It’s the fourth- debate, he said, on how
lowest level on record for to drill safely but not illegal
summer sea ice in Septem- tactics that put protesters
ber. or workers in danger.q
David Letterman to take part in
series about climate change
NEW YORK (AP) — David signed Letterman for his first Each will give first-person In this March 2, 2015 file photo, David Letterman attends “An
Letterman will return to TV announced appearance accounts of conditions at Evening of SeriousFun Celebrating the Legacy of Paul Newman,”
next year to help draw at- since leaving his job hosting locations from across the hosted by the SeriousFun Children’s Network at Avery Fisher Hall
tention to the effects of CBS’ “Late Show.” planet where the effects of in New York.
climate change when he climate change are most
appears on an episode of Fellow correspondents will prevalent. Associated Press
“Years of Living Danger- include Ty Burrell, James “Years of Living Dangerous-
ously.” Cameron, Don Cheadle, ly,” whose new season is
The National Geograph- Arnold Schwarzenegger, scheduled for fall 2016, was
ic Channel series, which Olivia Munn, Ian Somer- last year’s Emmy winner for
Thursday was renewed halder and Cecily Strong, best documentary or non-
for a second season, has among others. fiction series.q
