Apparently this happens today (or happened this morning). Pamela Anderson, star of “Baywatch,” ex wife of Tommy Lee and Kid Rock, gave a speech in Russia. About the economy. I guess they invited her. They aren’t stupid. Who wouldn’t invite Pamela Anderson to give a speech? And then she taught mouth to mouth resuscitation. I’m told Pam is high on Donald Trump’s list for Treasury or HUD. She turned down Homeland Security.
Text of Pamela Anderson
Address to the Eastern Economic Forum.
Vladivostok, Russia September 2015
Thank-you for this opportunity to address this forum.
I am very honoured and I very much appreciate the invitation from The
Minister of Natural Resources and Environment for the Russian
Federation Sergei Donskoi to attend this Eastern Economic Forum.
As an international celebrity I am aware that I have a global audience
and that my views are listened to, reported on and at times can be quite
controversial.
I recognize that there are scientists, journalists, scholars and politicians
who are much more knowledgeable than I on many things but I also
recognize that the value I have as a person in the spotlight and I take
that responsibility head on – in my passion for compassion regarding all
living things…
Our modern media culture has given artists the platform to be
influential communicators.
This gives me the ability to be a voice on many issues.
Issues like the diminishment of bio-diversity, climate change, pollution,
the treatment of animals, the destruction of our forests and health issues
associated with the decline in ecological integrity affecting this entire
planet.
I believe that our planet is in trouble. I believe that our oceans are dying.
We are losing our coral reefs, we have removed over 50% of the living
natural biomass from this planet since 1950. We have seen a 40% loss of
plankton in the Ocean since 1950. Imagine if your economy diminished
by 40-50%…
We are also seeing a dangerous diminishment of bee populations around
the world.
We live in a world where economic priorities increasingly push ecological
priorities aside. Yes the economy is important, but it should never be
more important than the life support system that sustains us all.
Last month Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said “The last thing
we want to do is strengthen the environment and at the same time
damage our economy… to put the environment ahead of the economy.”
This is a willfully- reckless and irresponsible statement- but not
surprising from a world leader who has declared war on
environmentalists. My own Prime Minister Stephen Harper shares Mr.
Abbott’s views and these are views that will be condemned by future
generations.
The world needs leaders that represent the needs of future generations. I
have children and therefore I am very concerned about the state of the
world, decades into the future.
It is evident that if we are to survive as a species upon this planet we
must conduct ourselves within the boundaries of ecological law and
specifically three very important ecological laws.
The first is the law of diversity. An eco-system is dependent upon the
diversity of species within it. The greater the diversity, the stronger the
eco-system. When diversity is diminished eco-systems are diminished.
The second law of ecology is the law of interdependence. All diversity
within an eco-system is inter-dependent and this interdependence
maintains the ecological integrity of the system.
The third law of ecology is the law of finite growth. There is simply a
finite limit to resources. This means a limit to carrying capacity.
Increased human populations and increased consumption of resources
literally steals the carrying capacity of other species.
Thus increased human population growth and consumption of resources
diminishes diversity and interdependence.
Humans tend to think of ourselves as separate from nature. We tend to
view ourselves as superior to all other species. This is an arrogant point
of view that simply has no place in reality.
I have come to address this forum today because I believe there is a need
for stronger leadership that recognizes that the ecological systems that
sustain us must be managed with broader intelligence and vision.
I believe that President Vladimir Putin understands the importance of
interdependence. His recent public concerns about bees being threatened
by industrial chemicals is an example of his ecological insights.
President Putin knows that if the bees disappear there will be severe
consequences for agriculture and therefore he understands that the
preservation of bees must take precedence over the profits of a chemical
company like Monsanto. Unfortunately many of the world’s economic
systems place short-term profits before long-term human, animal or
ecological interests.
What, for example, is the value of a whale?
If harpooned, it is cut up into meat and consumed with a limited market
and a finite price. A whale is killed and money is made by a very few.
But there is a far more important value to a whale that benefits all of us.
As I said earlier since 1950 we have lost 40% of our plankton population
as well as about 90% of the fish biomass. The ocean has been severely
diminished.
During the 20 th Century millions of whales were removed from oceanic
eco-systems. One species the largest mammal to have ever lived, the Blue
whale, was driven to the brink of extinction. More than 300,000 of these
incredible animals were slaughtered. The meat was sold and consumed
and the money has been spent.
But consider the real value of those whales, if they had been allowed to
live.
Everyday a Blue whale defecates about three tons of nitrogen and iron
rich fecal material. This is not waste, it is essential food for plankton. The
Blue whale literally fertilizes the pastures of plankton upon which it
feeds and that plankton is the foundation of the entire food chain of the
sea. Additionally it is one of the planet’s most prolific producers of
oxygen.
The whales need plankton. Fish need plankton and humans need
plankton. Removing whales from marine eco-systems means removing
the primary source of plankton fertilization. A living whale benefits all of
humanity. A dead whale benefits only a few individuals.
In many ways it is like killing the goose that lays the golden egg. No
goose no egg, in other words, no whales means diminishment of iron and
less iron means a diminishment of plankton.
and – less plankton means less oxygen.
For millions of years, completely independent of humanity, oceanic ecosystems
have been kept in balance by the interdependence of the
diversity of species within these eco-systems. A species takes, and a
species gives, and it is this ‘give and take’ that keeps ecological systems
running.
Within the last few centuries humans have taken from the sea and
returned nothing of value except chemicals, plastics, oil, noise pollution,
acidity and radiation.
As a result life in our ocean has been seriously diminished since 1945 and
this diminishment continues at an ever-increasing and alarming rate. Too
many people and not enough fish.
So… How do we replenish this system?
We need to call a moratorium on all industrialized fishing operations.
We need to give time for the fish to replenish their numbers and we need
to encourage the growth in population of apex predators like, sharks,
marine mammals and seabirds. Sharks, whales, dolphins, seals and
seabirds contribute to the system within which they evolved, all
interdependently producing and recycling nutrients. As strange as it
might seem the fact is that the more seals, dolphins, sharks and whales,
the healthier the fish populations.
This can be seen historically. When marine mammal and shark
populations were much higher than today, there was no shortage of fish.
The agent of diminishment is the predations of humanity and not the
species that have maintained the system for millenniums.
We must stop being takers of resources from the sea and we must make
the effort to replenish bio-diversity.
Government subsidies to industrialized fishing operations must end. Yes
this will create some economic challenges- but by continuing on the
present course of subsidies, as well as massive extraction of fish will only
lead to greater ecological challenges and that will certainly lead to
economic collapse.
What we have here is this thing called “the tragedy of the commons.” A
country may realize that their actions are destructive to the environment
but they also know that if they desist from exploitation that other
countries will simply continue to exploit the resources.
An example in my own country. The cod fishery collapsed in 1992.
Despite this crash various nations continued to exploit cod just outside
Canada’s economic territory. One country knew that if they stopped
fishing, that another country would simply take their quota.
What we need is a nation to lead and to say enough is enough and that
decisions must be made based on ecological realities and not just
economic realities.
Russia is not a stranger to this kind of thinking. In 1962, Premier Nikita
Khrushchev made the rational and correct decision to avoid nuclear war.
He chose the path of sanity over national pride and if not for his decision
perhaps none of us would be here today.
We also must understand that we share this planet with other species. We
need them, for humanity is not a biological island unto itself. We are
interdependent with all the other citizen species of the planet.
We not only need these species, we can also learn from them.
As various societies spend great amounts of money on a search for extraterrestrial
intelligences we have all but ignored the possibility of
communicating with intelligent species on this planet.
Many animals like the great apes, cetaceans and elephants for example
have demonstrated that they are self-aware beings capable of emotions
and thoughts. In our arrogance we have steadfastly ignored the
possibility that they may have something to say.
We measure intelligence by the ability to manipulate tools. We are a toolmaking
species. I believe however that there are non-manipulative forms
of intelligence. Cetaceans have large complex brains and a complex form
of communication between themselves. Apes have learned sign language,
elephants have been observed displaying empathy and a comprehension
of life and death.
But instead of learning from these magnificent creatures, we kill them
and capture them for our amusement.
Humanity needs a great nation with the vision to look into the future and
to see that we need to share our world with these other species. We need
leadership to restore the ecological balance and we need leadership to
guide us to evolve into more compassionate beings ourselves.
Russia could easily win the hearts and minds of tens of millions of people
worldwide by becoming a nation that addresses ecological realities with
positive actions and a nation that recognizes the rights of ecological value
of animals.
India has declared dolphins to be non-human ‘persons’.
Cannot Russia do the same?
I would like to humbly request that Russia free dolphins from captivity
and abolish the killing of whales and dolphins. I would also like to
humbly request that Russia oppose the trade of whale and dolphin
products, ivory and endangered wildlife products from transiting by air,
land or sea through Russian territory.
Such a move would warm the hearts of tens of millions of people
throughout the world.
This may not be easy but I firmly believe it is essential for the survival of
diversity, interdependence and maintaining finite resources.
My wish is that we find a way to unite economics with ecology in an
system where the economy is organized to benefit natural eco-systems.
A healthy eco-systems maintain a viable economy.
Like the “Moon Race” of the 60’s, who will win the “EARTH race”?
Which Nation will be brave enough and forward thinking enough to go
first?
As A person of Russian decent, I came all this way, because…
I’m betting on you…
Thank You
