Greenpeace damages Nazca lines
Above, you see the Nazca Hummingbird undamaged: The lines are formed by removing the dark coat of soil and exposing the white sand under it. Besides the animal shapes, the different Nazca lines include single lines and markings all over the area, which is why access is prohibited.
Photo posted by Greenpeace on Facebook
Peru is currently hosting the COP20 international conference, and Greenpeace had the great idea of breaking into this restricted area (the nearest road is almost 1mi away) to place a banner next to the Hummingbird.
Photo of the Hummingbird after Greenpeace left
An organization dedicated to protect the lines denounced yesterday that Greenpeace caused damages to the ancient site. The lines are made by breaking the dark layer of soil and exposing the lighter sand under it. The photo shows the trail left by the activists to get to the side (left to right) and the marks left by the banner right next to the bird shape.
Greenpeace did a similar stunt in 2008
In 2008, Greenpeace put banners in the ancient ruins of Machu Picchu. Fortunately, no damages were caused. That section of the ruins was closed to public since the walls are to fragile.
Relevant Link:
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/dec/10/peru-press-charges-greenpeace-nazca-lines-stuntI am so angry about this I can’t see straight.
All those calendars with sad baby seals, all those “Save The Whales” posters—no. This is what Greenpeace is now—people who would trample a sacred site and damage it irreparably.
They planned this action for MONTHS, and not one person ever bothered to look up the environmental impact of walking on the desert there. Greenpeace. The irony is choking.
And when there is horror that they have left lines scrawled across the site, their apology is for “moral outrage” and to say that they have lots of experience with protests that don’t impact the site. (Really? Then why didn’t they USE any of that experience?) They haven’t even acknowledged that they’ve damaged the lines, even though the Peruvian archaeologists say that it is irreparable.
The hummingbird was the only completely intact, undamaged glyph. And now there are none. Until the lines are worn away completely, in another few thousand years, we will see the gouges in the landscape left by these criminals, and they will be clearer and brighter lines than those left by the Nazca.
The Nazca lines are irreplaceable. They are this glorious, wonderful, mysterious thing that exist for no reason that anyone has figured out. The world is richer and better for having them in it.
The same can no longer be said about Greenpeace.