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Change Your Life! |
‘Superman’ wants under-populated ‘super planet’ |
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June 23, 2000
UNITED NATIONS (AP) - In an impassioned speech at an award ceremony honoring Tipper Gore's work with children, paralyzed U.S. actor Christopher Reeve urged world leaders to take urgent action to stop global population growth.
"The children of the 21st century will be faced with a very daunting problem: that is the quality of life because of overpopulation," Reeve warned guests Wednesday at the black-tie dinner at U.N. headquarters.
Over six billion people live "on a planet that is falling apart, where there is not enough food to go around, not enough health or education," the actor said from his wheelchair.
"It is time to take bold steps to control the world's population," Reeve told about 100 guests including UNICEF Executive Director Carol Bellamy, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and fellow actor Alec Baldwin.
"I hope we will not let political, social and religious barriers get in the way of what we owe to our children," Reeve said, before receiving a standing ovation.
Two Japan-based organizations that work for the welfare of children, the Aprica Childcare Institute and Movement Headquarters to Nurture Warm-heartedness, honored Tipper Gore, wife of U.S. Vice President Al Gore, as "a tireless advocate of children and families." Gore's daughter, Karenna Gore Schiff, accepted the award.
Other award recipients were Bellamy, the Most Reverend Joseph Pittau, a Catholic priest who has concentrated his life's work on education in Japan; and two New York City doctors - Irwin Redlener of The Children's Health Fund, and Harold Koplewicz of New York University's Child Study Center.
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