Greenpeace seems to have stuck their foot in their mouth, while trying to make a legitimate point.
Oil company executives just might be having a good laugh.
Greenpeace activists just might be charged with major crimes for, well, leaving footprints.
There is little if any effort by those with the most power to charge oil company executives with massive and real environmental damage.
Would you laugh if you were an oil company executive?
The Guardian reported the following excerpt about the Nazca lines:
Peru to take legal action over Greenpeace stunt at ancient Nazca lines 08/01/2014
Government plans to file charges of attacking archaeological monuments after activists set up banner near famed drawings.
Peru will seek criminal charges against Greenpeace activists who it says damaged the world-renowned Nazca lines by leaving footprints in the adjacent desert during a publicity stunt.
“It’s a true slap in the face at everything Peruvians consider sacred,” said Luis Jaime Castillo, the deputy culture minister, after the action by the environmental group on Monday, at the famed drawings etched into Peru’s coastal desert, a UN world heritage site.
He said the government was seeking to prevent those responsible from leaving the country while it asks prosecutors to file charges of attacking archaeological monuments, a crime punishable by up to six years in prison.
The activists entered a “strictly prohibited” area beside the figure of a hummingbird, the culture ministry said. They laid big yellow cloth letters reading: “Time for Change! The Future is Renewable.” The message was intended for delegates from 190 countries at the UN climate talks being held in Lima. Complete article
Government plans to file charges of attacking archaeological monuments after activists set up banner near famed drawings.
Peru will seek criminal charges against Greenpeace activists who it says damaged the world-renowned Nazca lines by leaving footprints in the adjacent desert during a publicity stunt.
“It’s a true slap in the face at everything Peruvians consider sacred,” said Luis Jaime Castillo, the deputy culture minister, after the action by the environmental group on Monday, at the famed drawings etched into Peru’s coastal desert, a UN world heritage site.
He said the government was seeking to prevent those responsible from leaving the country while it asks prosecutors to file charges of attacking archaeological monuments, a crime punishable by up to six years in prison.
The activists entered a “strictly prohibited” area beside the figure of a hummingbird, the culture ministry said. They laid big yellow cloth letters reading: “Time for Change! The Future is Renewable.” The message was intended for delegates from 190 countries at the UN climate talks being held in Lima. Complete article
Is anyone wondering whether or not the people that gave "a true slap in the face" to "sacred,” or important things are the oil companies or the Greenpeace activists?
Is there any doubt which is doing far more damage?
This may not be as well planned as they might have hoped but when you consider the enormous advantage the mass media gives to the oil companies that buy enormous amounts of propaganda ads from them with the profits they get from destroying the environment it might be understandable why they might try to do the best they can with the limited resources they have.
I think ancient sites should be preserved as much as anyone else; and I would prefer better ways to get good points across than flashy publicity stunts; but how much damage are these footprints really going to do?
Greenpeace had this to say when they planned it:
Greenpeace presents message beside the historic Nazca lines calling for a renewable future
Ministers urged to show stronger climate action after Typhoon Hagupit struck the Philippines
Lima, Peru, 8 December 2014 – Before dawn today, twenty Greenpeace activists from seven countries unfurled massive letters at the historic landmark of Nazca in Peru, delivering the message: "Time for Change: The Future is Renewable.”
The message is directed at world leaders and ministers at the ongoing UN climate talks, in Lima, who are failing to take real climate action, while countries like the Philippines, which is again being battered by a massive typhoon, are paying the price of their inaction.
Speaking from the Philippines, where he is bearing witness to Typhoon Hagupit, Greenpeace International Director, Kumi Naidoo said:
“While one of the largest evacuations in peacetime history was underway here in the Philippines to clear a path for Typhoon Hagupit, a week of talks in Lima has simply not shown enough progress. This is the third year in a row that the people of the Philippines have been hit by extreme weather while most negotiators sit in comfort and fail to deliver the desperately needed action on climate change. Over the next week ministers must examine their conscience and find the energy to put us on the path to end the fossil fuel age and move toward a 100% renewable energy future. The people of the Philippines deserve and expect nothing less.”
Greenpeace activists from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Germany, Italy and Austria displayed the message, which can be viewed from the sky, to honour the Nazca people, whose ancient geoglyphs are one of the historic landmarks of Peru. It is believed that one of the reasons for the Nazca’s disappearance can be linked to massive regional climate change [1]. Today, manmade climate change caused by the burning of oil, coal and gas is threatening our future.
“Companies and individuals should no longer be allowed to profit from destroying the climate and placing communities like those in the Philippines in peril. In 2015, governments, as part of their climate commitments, should require that the profits from major carbon polluting companies are used to make the needed investments to fix this problem," said Naidoo. Complete article
Ministers urged to show stronger climate action after Typhoon Hagupit struck the Philippines
Lima, Peru, 8 December 2014 – Before dawn today, twenty Greenpeace activists from seven countries unfurled massive letters at the historic landmark of Nazca in Peru, delivering the message: "Time for Change: The Future is Renewable.”
The message is directed at world leaders and ministers at the ongoing UN climate talks, in Lima, who are failing to take real climate action, while countries like the Philippines, which is again being battered by a massive typhoon, are paying the price of their inaction.
Speaking from the Philippines, where he is bearing witness to Typhoon Hagupit, Greenpeace International Director, Kumi Naidoo said:
“While one of the largest evacuations in peacetime history was underway here in the Philippines to clear a path for Typhoon Hagupit, a week of talks in Lima has simply not shown enough progress. This is the third year in a row that the people of the Philippines have been hit by extreme weather while most negotiators sit in comfort and fail to deliver the desperately needed action on climate change. Over the next week ministers must examine their conscience and find the energy to put us on the path to end the fossil fuel age and move toward a 100% renewable energy future. The people of the Philippines deserve and expect nothing less.”
Greenpeace activists from Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Spain, Germany, Italy and Austria displayed the message, which can be viewed from the sky, to honour the Nazca people, whose ancient geoglyphs are one of the historic landmarks of Peru. It is believed that one of the reasons for the Nazca’s disappearance can be linked to massive regional climate change [1]. Today, manmade climate change caused by the burning of oil, coal and gas is threatening our future.
“Companies and individuals should no longer be allowed to profit from destroying the climate and placing communities like those in the Philippines in peril. In 2015, governments, as part of their climate commitments, should require that the profits from major carbon polluting companies are used to make the needed investments to fix this problem," said Naidoo. Complete article
During the psst week I have been watching alternative news more often when I can but I have still managed to watch plenty of the local news and some of the world news but I don't remember them mentioning the climate summit once. I almost certainly missed at least a little coverage from the world news but I doubt if they provided much coverage of it at all. Democracy Now has provided much more coverage about the climate summit and the news that is available to me from several other countries also cover a reasonable amount of coverage for the climate summit, although they don't do nearly as well as Democracy Now or environmental news outlets.
For a subject as important as this it seems to me that we need to do what we can to draw more attention to it and if the media does start paying attention to this only to blame Greenpeace without covering the damage by oil companies and other corporations or the military to the environment they're only showing how badly we need media reform.
Photos reveal possible damage to Nazca lines by Greenpeace activists 12/09/2014
Greenpeace activists 'damage' ancient Nazca lines, Peru to seek criminal charges 12/10/2014
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