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PEOPLE & ARTS Wednesday 21 august 2019

Actor Javier Bardem urges UN delegates to protect oceans

By EDITH M. LEDERER He cited the ills that have
Associated Press made the oceans un-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — healthy: plastic pollution,
Spanish actor and environ- over-fishing, mining, drilling,
mental activist Javier Bar- ocean acidification “and
dem said Monday “we are of course, climate break-
all villains” for playing “deaf down.”
and blind” and not caring The drafting committee is
about the world’s oceans, expected to produce a
which are under more pres- draft treaty in 2020, with the
sure than at any time in his- aim of having it adopted
tory. as a legally binding docu-
The Oscar winner came to ment under The United Na-
the United Nations to press tions Convention on the
delegates who are drafting Law of the Sea. It will gov-
an international treaty to ern the conservation and
protect oceans to support use of plants and animals
a strong document “that in the 64% of the world’s
can actually create safe ocean waters that do not
havens for marine life to re- come under national juris-
cover.” dictions.
“Our oceans are on the Bardem was asked what
verge of collapse, and we message he would have
have all played a huge role for President Donald Trump,
in this,” Bardem said. “Now Javier Bardem poses for a picture in Times Square New York, Monday, Aug. 19, 2019. who announced two years
we must all play our part, Associated Press ago that the U.S. was with-
especially you in this room.” tions will meet over the next empty chairs here which Bardem said the biggest drawing from the 2015 Paris
He was speaking on a two weeks for the third of worries me a lot,” because mistake delegates can climate agreement aimed
lunchtime panel in the con- four treaty drafting sessions. an effective treaty is crucial make “is not to care” and at limiting greenhouse gas
ference room where dele- But he started his remarks for future generations and take seriously the threat of emissions that cause global
gates from the world’s na- saying, “I see too many the future of the planet. a possible catastrophe. warming.q