Right now, the Reef needs us more than ever - unless we act today, our already fragile national icon could be dredged up and destroyed as early as March next year.
International banks have clearly stated they won’t fund Reef destruction - but our banks have remained quiet.
We’re not going to let the banks or Adani off the hook until we protect the Reef. Help save the Reef today » http://bit.ly/1oTC8xS
Greenpeace, the environmentalist non-governmental organization with the goal of “peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems,” has pissed off its fair share of petroleum companies, whalers and creators of starvation-ending superfoods over the decades, but a publicity stunt in South America has angered a new foe: the Peruvian government.
That glyph is more than 1,500 years old and extremely fragile
bluedogeyes
"The Peruvian government is planning to file criminal charges against Greenpeace activists who may have permanently scarred the Nazca Lines World Heritage Site during a publicity stunt.
The ground around the site is so sensitive and so sacred that Peru has even forbidden presidents and top officials to walk where the Greenpeace activists went. Peru’s Deputy Culture Ministertold the BBC: “They are absolutely fragile. They are black rocks on a white background. You walk there, and the footprint is going to last hundreds or thousands of years. And the line that they have destroyed is the most visible and most recognized of all.”
Greenpeace activists entered into the prohibited area beside the figure of a hummingbird where they laid big yellow cloth letters reading: “Time for Change! The Future is Renewable.” They were also sure to leave a signature. The message was intended for delegates from 190 countries at the UN climate talks being held in Lima.
Peru is planning to file criminal charges against the activists before they leave the country.
Yesterday, Greenpeace apologized for the stunt, saying it was sorry if the protest at the historical site on Monday caused an “moral offense” to the Peruvian people. The environmental activist group said it would collaborate with the government to determine if any damage was done to the site, and that it would stop using photos of the protest in its campaigns. Greenpeace is also sending its Executive Director Kumi Naidoo to Lima to apologize in person to the Peruvian government.
The Nazca figures were drawn between 500 BC and 500 AD by removing a thin patina of dark rocks covering light sand. This is one of the driest regions of the world, and the lack of water and wind has helped preserve the lines for centuries.” - Via io9
Is #ForestFriday a thing? We think it should be. Enjoy these photos of the coastal rainforest of Cameroon.
This forest, at the fringe of the Congo Basin, is a biodiversity hotspot, home to endangered species including chimpanzees and forest elephants. It also provides hunting and fishing grounds, building materials, fuel wood and medicine for local communities.
The forest, and the people and animals who depend on it, are being threatened by a proposed palm oil plantation that would flatten an area eight times the size of Manhattan. The corporation behind the proposed project, US-based Herakles Farms, is pressing ahead with forest clearance, despite widespread local opposition.
11/09/2012 || © Greenpeace / Alex Yallop