Global Compact International Yearbook 2016

“
The planet Earth has its own
life force – the oceans. Our oceans
generate most of our oxygen, regulate
our climate, and provide most of our
population with sustenance.
strong and formidable females, especially in her most famous
role as Ellen Ripley in the Alien franchise. However, it would
be another film featuring extraterrestrials that would inspire
Weaver to once again speak out on conservational matters,
this time on behalf of our marine life. In CGI behemoth Avatar,
she plays Dr. Grace Augustine, a scientist who has dedicated
her life to analyzing the links between the alien Na’vi people
and the peculiar environment on Pandora. Similarly, Weaver
is determined to compel lawmakers to enact legislation to
save our oceans.
”
“The planet Earth has its own life force – the oceans. Our
oceans generate most of our oxygen, regulate our climate, and
provide most of our population with sustenance,” explains
Weaver, who narrated the 2010 documentary ACID TEST: The
Global Challenge of Ocean Acidification as part of her work on
behalf of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“Marine ecosystems are essential to all life on earth,” Weaver
says. “Yet our oceans face a threat as dangerous as any Pandora
faced: ocean acidification.” The film explores the startling
phenomenon of the increasing acidity of our waters and the
subsequent threat to marine life. Like global warming, ocean
acidification stems from the increase of carbon dioxide levels
in the Earth’s atmosphere since the start of the Industrial
Revolution.
Leading scientific experts on the problem – many of whom
appear in the film – believe that it is possible to cut back
on global warming pollution, improve the overall health
and durability of our oceans, and prevent serious harm to
our world, but only if action is taken quickly and decisively.
Weaver insists that we simply cannot act fast enough. “One
of the reasons that science fiction movies are becoming more
and more popular is because we are actually in a world more
and more like the worlds in science fiction. Our glaciers are
melting and people are talking about colonizing Mars – so I
think that not only will it become a very popular and beloved
genre but also increasingly significant.”
The problem with ocean acidification is that while, individually,
we can all do our part to lower our own carbon footprints, for
the most part it is the lawmakers and politicians who need
to bring in legislation and devote money to monitoring and
researching a problem that could prove devastating, not just
for sea life but for our ecosystem in its entirety. By urging
politicians to support America’s transition to a clean-energy
economy, Weaver insists that America can increase its energy
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Global Compact International Yearbook 2016