Pamela Anderson hopes to collaborate with the Russian government on environmental issues at the upcoming East Russia Economic Forum, the Canadian-American actress said in a letter addressed to a Russian official.
Anderson, who gained celebrity status in the 1990s starring in television series Baywatch, has become increasingly engaged in environmental activism in the following years. In her letter, addressed to Evgeny Shumilov, an economic officer at the Russian Embassy in the U.S., she thanked the diplomat for accepting her request to attend the forum, which will take place in the far eastern city of Vladivostok on Sept. 3.
“I am very interested in having my Foundation work with the government of Russia to make the world a better place,” Anderson wrote, referring to the Pamela Anderson Foundation, a charity devoted to human and animal rights as well as environmental issues she launched in 2014.
In Vladivostok, Anderson will meet with Minister of Natural Resources and Environment Sergey Donskoy, according to the letter. She had previously requested a meeting with either the official or Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a letter dated July 13 published on her foundation's website shows.
“Russia’s commitment to defending bio-diversity on both land and in the sea is imperative if we are to take the effective measures that are needed,” Anderson wrote in her letter to Shumilov. The actress also praised Russia for making the protection of bees from harmful chemicals a priority and for opposing the operations of agrochemical corporation Monsanto “in the face of that giant corporations [sic] ability to buy off other governments.”
Anderson acknowledged that Russia's environmental record is not entirely pristine, but hoped to be able to establish a dialogue with her Russian counterparts.
“Although the shipment of endangered Fin whale meat illegally exploited by Icelandic whalers is presently on route through Russian waters bound for Japan,” the actress wrote, “I am hopeful that we can discuss Russia looking into banning such transits of protected species in the future.”
Anderson has credited animals and nature for helping her cope with traumatic experiences in her life, including sexual abuse. During the launch of her foundation in May 2014, Anderson said that her “loyalty remains with the animal kingdom,” the Associated Press reported at the time. A few days later, the actress posed naked for a PETA campaign to raise awareness about water waste involved in meat production, The Washington Post reported.
The actress is also among the faces of the Save the Arctic campaign, an initiative against oil drilling launched by environmental organization Greenpeace. In the past Greenpeace has staged various protests against Russia for the operations in the Arctic Ocean.
