UNITED NATIONS (TURKISH JOURNAL) – By Janet Ekstract – Spain’s most famous actor and environmental activist, Javier Bardem warned the United Nations at a specially convened panel, that no one can afford to neglect the world’s oceans.
Bardem made his case to UN delegates three days ago -urging all delegates to take ocean pollution seriously and to realize that the time for drastic change is now. His warning to the delegates was crystal clear: ”Our oceans are on the verge of collapse, and we all have played a large role in this.”
The actor told delegates the biggest mistake they could make is ”not to care.” Bardem specifically made his stand – because over the next two weeks, delegates will meet for the third of four treaty drafting sessions one of those concerns a draft of an international treaty to protect oceans that won’t take effect until 2020.
He commented to delegates that he wants to see a strong treaty that would provide for protecting and recovering marine life. Bardem expressed his concern that not enough delegates realize just how severe the problem of ocean pollution has become with plastic waste having taken over a huge percentage of sea space as well as garbage from other nations along with chemical waste residue that also washes up on beaches.
The UN drafting committee is expected to produce a draft treaty in 2020 with the goal of having it adopted as a regularly binding document under The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The purpose of the treaty will be to govern the conservation and use of plants and animals in the 64 percent of the world’s oceans waters that do not come under national jurisdictions.
It is common knowledge by now, that two years ago President Trump pulled out of the 2015 Paris Climate Accord whose goal is to limit greenhouse gas emissions that cause global warming.
When asked by reporters what message Bardem would like to give President Trump, he had this to say: ”You cannot withdraw from the Paris Climate Convention by any means.” He added: ”This is serious. This is happening. This is now. You cannot live in denial. There is nothing to deny, it is a fact.”
