Pierce Brosnan, other celebrities protest natural gas facility proposed for Malibu

Former James Bond actor Pierce Brosnan and other celebrities gathered Sunday to protest a natural gas facility proposed for a site 14 miles (23 kilometers) off the Malibu coast.

Photo: Pierce Brosnan, other celebrities protest natural gas facility proposed for Malibu

"We have to use our voices and band together and stop this," Oscar winner Halle Berry said.

The gathering also attended by model Cindy Crawford and actors Jane Seymour, Dick Van Dyke and Tea Leoni was intended to raise awareness about how the energy industry has invested billions to liquefy and ship natural gas across oceans.

There are five facilities proposed for California, with three along the Southern California coastline. One of the world's largest energy companies, Australian-based BHP Billiton, is seeking to build the terminal off the coast of Malibu and Oxnard. A decision is expected next year.

BHP officials say the terminals would provide a reliable source of low-polluting energy. Opponents say, however, that the terminals would not meet clean air requirements and could be terrorist targets.

Brosnan, who hosted the protest, said his opposition to the terminals extended beyond the beach in his backyard. He said he planned to oppose other proposed terminals, including one in Long Beach and one in Port Hueneme.

Mark Massara, a lawyer and director of the Sierra Club's California Coastal Program, said the recent celebrity interest in the terminals has helped their cause tremendously, reports AP.

"This is the greatest thing that has happened to our effort," he said. "We have struggled over the last three years."

Following a pancake breakfast, dozens of surfers, including actress Daryl Hannah on her pink board, paddled out to a sign bobbing in the water. The message to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who has the power to veto the proposal, had a picture of the proposed terminal with a red line through it and the words: "Terminate it!"