Global petition for an Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary, Radiohead also voices support for Greenpeace
Text / Greenpeace
With an area of 1.8 million sq km, equivalent to the size of 50 Taiwans, Antarctica is important not only as a habitat for penguins, whales and other wildlife, but also plays a pivotal role in the balance of the global climate and marine ecosystem. Greenpeace has gathered a global petition of more than 2.65 million people, calling on the Antarctic Ocean Commission, which began its meeting on October 22, to establish an "Antarctic Ocean Sanctuary," which would also be the largest protected area on Earth!
The globally popular rock band Radiohead's lead singer and mastermind Thom Yorke recently collaborated with Greenpeace to jointly push for the establishment of the world's largest ocean sanctuary in Antarctica, releasing a brand-new single Hands Off The Antarctic, and in mid-October presented a 3D projection screening of this song at the famous London landmark Marble Arch next to Hyde Park.
The music video imagery comes from the three-month expedition and research conducted by Greenpeace's research team in Antarctica earlier this year, during which they filmed the vast polar landscapes and wildlife ecology. In the footage, conditions such as climate change, pollution and industrial fishing can be seen, as well as their impact on wildlife. The film uses black-and-white imagery as its tone, echoing Thom Yorke's electronic music and presenting a chilling, striking scene.
Thom Yorke: We must protect this pure land
Earlier this year, Greenpeace's ship the Arctic Sunrise and scientists sailed to Antarctica. Behind the pure and beautiful icebergs, penguins, majestic blue whales, seals and seabirds, these wonderful creatures that regard Antarctica as their "home," the scientific research results instead showed global warming accompanied by the collapse of icebergs, ever-expanding industrial fishing, and the finding that 7 out of 8 seawater samples contained microfibers and other microplastics. Various human factors are seriously threatening this beautiful and important ocean and the creatures that live there.
Thom Yorke said, "Some places on Earth should simply retain their pristine landscapes and ecosystems and should not be destroyed by human factors. This song expresses that humanity should stop excessive development. Antarctica is a completely pristine land, and everything that happens there affects all of humanity. This is also the reason we must protect this pure land."
