Celebrities protest Calif. gas platform

MALIBU, Calif., Oct. 23 (UPI) -- Numerous celebrities including actors Pierce Brosnan and Halle Berry gathered in Malibu, Calif., to protest a proposed floating natural gas terminal.

The massive platform would warm natural gas from Asia and Australia, then pump it ashore, the Los Angeles Times said.

Sunday's protest, which also included model Cindy Crawford and actors Van Dyke" class="tpstyle">Dick Van Dyke, was aimed at disrupting plans for a massive floating terminal from Australian mining giant BHP Billiton, which could allegedly contribute to California's air pollution problems, said the Times.

The appearance of celebrities such as actors Ted Danson, Jane Seymour and Daryl Hannah at the protest drew media attention to an issue that had previously gone unheeded.

"Finally, I'm getting people to pay attention to this issue," California Coastal Protection Network director Susan Jordan said. "The goal was to send the governor a message: to terminate the terminal. His is the last voice that actually stops this terminal from being approved."

The Times said that a spokesman for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said he is awaiting the outcomes of several studies before making his final decision on the matter.