Thom Yorke unveils new song 'Hands Off the Antarctic' in collaboration with Greenpeace: Listen

Thom Yorke unveils new song 'Hands Off the Antarctic' in collaboration with Greenpeace: Listen

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke has always been a vocal supporter of many noble causes. He's known for his activism on behalf of human rights, fair trade, anti-war causes and especially the environment.

In 2000, during the recording of 'Kid A', Yorke became self-admittedly "obsessed" with the Worldwatch Institute website, which he said was "full of scary statistics about icecaps melting, and weather patterns changing." In past interviews, he has spoken about how he got involved in the movement to halt climate change after becoming a father and "waking up every night just terrified".

Among Yorke's many contributions to the cause is a 2008 study commissioned by Radiohead to reduce the carbon expended on tour. Based on the study, they chose to play at venues supported by public transport, made deals with trucking companies to reduce emissions, used new low-energy LED lighting and encouraged festivals to offer reusable plastics.

Continuing to lend his voice for the cause, Yorke has now unveiled a new track titled ‘Hands Off The Antarctic’, accompanied by a music video, released in support of Greenpeace’s Protect The Antarctic Campaign which aims to set up a vast Antarctic ocean sanctuary. The sparse, haunting tune is set to a stark black-and-white backdrop of the environment and wildlife of Antarctica, showcasing footage which was gathered during a three-month Greenpeace expedition to the area earlier this year. The footage comes courtesy of Greenpeace's very own ship - ‘Arctic Sunrise’.

Watch the video below:

“There are some places on this planet that are meant to stay raw and wild and not destroyed by humanity’s footprint," said Yorke. "This track is about stopping the relentless march of those heavy footsteps. The Antarctic is a true wilderness and what happens there affects us all. That’s why we should protect it.”

The sentiment was echoed by Frida Bengtsson of Greenpeace’s Protect The Antarctic Campaign, who notes, “The Antarctic doesn’t have a voice but we are a movement of two million people and we do. We’ve seen around the world what happens when we don’t put areas off-limits to human activity. This vast wilderness is more fragile than we might think and plays an important role for the planet’s climate and ocean systems.”

Later this month, the Antarctic Ocean Commission will meet in Tasmania to discuss the proposed site, which would offer sanctuary to many species that live in the area, including whales, penguins and seals. When governments meet over the next two weeks, they have an opportunity to make history," Bengtsson added. "Millions of people from around the world are urging them to seize this moment.”

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