Greenpeace Damages Nazca Site

[Kolby Jack]

"Only" 6 years? 6 Years is quite a long time. I signed up for the Navy for 6 years (with 8 more months tacked on later). Almost 5 years in now and I'm ACHING to get out and get my life going in the direction I want. I don't regret my choice, but it certainly is a much bigger chunk of my life than I initially thought it would be. 6 years in prison is enough to ruin anyone's life, I imagine.

That said, these guys are morons. Good intentions don't justify screwing up an ancient national treasure. I hope Peru can undo the damage, and I don't blame them for seeking justice. If these people want to spread their message in absurd and illegal ways, they must be prepared to face the consequences.

 

[ToastiestZombie]

When will people learn that the worst way to protest is to be "shocking"? Surely they noticed that Femen running naked into churches, neo-nazis worshiping Hitler, the (some!) citizens of Ferguson rioting and the WBC picketing soldiers funerals didn't help their respective causes at all.

 

[kyp275]

Big difference between "Nazca lines" in the headline and "or the area around them".

Not really, the immediate area around the lines is just as much a part of the site as the lines itself. What Greenpeace did is akin to scribbling on the Mona Lisa, and then claim no damage was done since they didn't draw on the face.

 

[CrazyGirl17]

I'm all for environmentalism, but there are those people who have to go and ruin it for everyone else by being morons about it. You'd think Greenpeace would have planned this out better - or at least done it somewhere that makes sense..

 

[MerlinCross]

"Only" 6 years? 6 Years is quite a long time.

I do realize the 'only' part makes it sound..., bad. Actual term escapes me but I probably shouldn't have down played it.

Big difference between "Nazca lines" in the headline and "or the area around them".

Not really, the immediate area around the lines is just as much a part of the site as the lines itself. What Greenpeace did is akin to scribbling on the Mona Lisa, and then claim no damage was done since they didn't draw on the face.

I thought about that and edited the title to take that into account, as well as the OP. Least I thought I did, I had two tabs of the edit open and most of closed the one I actually editted. I shall make those changes now.

EDIT: Title changed to Nazca Site rather than Lines. I hope this will clear up things.

 

[Queen Michael]

I'd like to say what I think of the people behind this. I really would. Thing is, if I did I'd get suspended by the mods. We're talking language that could make sailors blush. But I think you can guess.

 

[small]

even seeing them that close to the drawing gives me a feeling of panic. im an environmentalist but thats wrong on every level

Same. From the images I've seen they damaged the area next to them? Although it's still bad and you could argue they damaged the artwork just as much you'd damage a painting by doodling on a part of the canvas that had nothing on it.

But I think that makes a difference in how easily it could be restored? I'm not seeing any reason why that couldn't be done, but it will take money and time. Make Greenpeace pay for that.

I'm not against publicity stunts on principle, even if they might break the law (but we're getting on a shaky ground whenever that happens, especially if it's by activists from other countries etc) but this is vandalism, plain and simple.

i will be honestly curious to see if they can repair the damage completely.

i understand the point of wanting to protest and draw attention but you dont invade delicate sites and definitely need to do extensive research rather than "this is a great idea lets go"

 

[renegade7]

Greenpeace is to environmentalist what PETA is to animal rights groups.

Yea, basically this.

I'm an environmentalist myself, and I find this reprehensible. Not only is the environmentalist in me embarrassed, but my inner academic is just indignant. One of the main parts of environmentalism is preservation, so that the the value of the things we have now can be enjoyed by others forever, rather than just exploited for immediate, short term gain. And that is exactly what Greenpeace has done here, they've taken a 1500 year-old historical site, one of few artifacts left by a fascinating culture, and essentially vandalized it to make some advertisements.

Historical artifacts are not renewable resources. For people claiming to be so against consumption, they seemed to have no problem consuming a cultural artifact, one of few remnants of an entire civilization, to make flyers.

Why couldn't they just Photoshop the letters onto an aerial photo of the site?

 

[CrazyBlaze]

Is it wrong that the first thing I think of when I hear that the nazca site was damaged is that this will anger the Dark Gods and will cause an early rise of the Dark Signers?

OT: People like this make me mad. Yes I hate it when companies wreck our environment but that doesn't mean that if you want to fight them you sink to their level.

 

[one squirrel]

First of all, I am no friend of Greenpeace, they represent pretty much everything I loathe...

But here, I really don't see what the big deal is. What damage has actually been done, I couldn't spot any kind of alteration to the site, except the admittedly tasteless yellow letters. The outrage over some footprints (that can't even really be seen anywhere if you don't search with a magnifying glass) in a desert seems to be just as petty as the supposedly harmful activity itself.

 

[one squirrel]

First of all, I am no friend of Greenpeace, they represent pretty much everything I loathe...

But here, I really don't see what the big deal is. What damage has actually been done, I couldn't spot any kind of alteration to the site, except the admittedly tasteless yellow letters. The outrage over some footprints (that can't even really be seen anywhere if you don't search with a magnifying glass) in a desert seems to be just as petty as the supposedly harmful activity itself.

Spoiler: Before

Spoiler: After

Then you clearly haven't looked very hard, because you'd need to be literally fucking blind to miss that.

OT: Fuck Greenpeace. I hope everyone involved in this disrespectful ass-nugget of a stunt gets put away for the rest of their lives.

Edit: Spoilered for space.

Thank you, but these lines are nowhere to be seen in the picture that is embedded in the OP.

 

[one squirrel]

First of all, I am no friend of Greenpeace, they represent pretty much everything I loathe...

But here, I really don't see what the big deal is. What damage has actually been done, I couldn't spot any kind of alteration to the site, except the admittedly tasteless yellow letters. The outrage over some footprints (that can't even really be seen anywhere if you don't search with a magnifying glass) in a desert seems to be just as petty as the supposedly harmful activity itself.

Spoiler: Before

Spoiler: After

Then you clearly haven't looked very hard, because you'd need to be literally fucking blind to miss that.

OT: Fuck Greenpeace. I hope everyone involved in this disrespectful ass-nugget of a stunt gets put away for the rest of their lives.

Edit: Spoilered for space.

Thank you, but these lines are nowhere to be seen in the picture that is embedded in the OP.

No, they were just in one of the OP's source links you didn't bother clicking.

Granted, but I did a short google search on the topic and this is literally the only picture where the damage is highlighted. Most articles where just vaguely rambling about the damage without showing any evidence.

OT: Fuck Greenpeace. I hope everyone involved in this disrespectful ass-nugget of a stunt gets put away for the rest of their lives.

Making such hysteric statements you are just proving my point that the created outcry is disproportionate to the actual facts.

 

[Lieju]

even seeing them that close to the drawing gives me a feeling of panic. im an environmentalist but thats wrong on every level

Same. From the images I've seen they damaged the area next to them? Although it's still bad and you could argue they damaged the artwork just as much you'd damage a painting by doodling on a part of the canvas that had nothing on it.

But I think that makes a difference in how easily it could be restored? I'm not seeing any reason why that couldn't be done, but it will take money and time. Make Greenpeace pay for that.

I'm not against publicity stunts on principle, even if they might break the law (but we're getting on a shaky ground whenever that happens, especially if it's by activists from other countries etc) but this is vandalism, plain and simple.

i will be honestly curious to see if they can repair the damage completely.

i understand the point of wanting to protest and draw attention but you dont invade delicate sites and definitely need to do extensive research rather than "this is a great idea lets go"

Hmm, it seems they might have walked on one of the lines, but the damage is largely on the previously undug ground.
The lines are made by removing the surface rocks to uncover the different coloured ground under it. I don't see why you couldn't cover the foot prints again but it would be delicate work and take time. And it still wouldn't be EXACTLY the same but at least you could make the damage less visible.

 

[Dansen]

Here's some truth for you. Activists are idiots. All they do is symbolic gestures that don't change anything. They're stupid. Their intentions are good, but they're stupid. If you thought that individual people are dumb, put them in a group and give them a common goal. That's a whole lot of stupid.

Ill disagree with you there, its just that the stupid stunts done by stupid people tend to be the ones that are reported on since they tend to be more interesting and rage inducing than the more logical forward thinking of actual activists.

 

[lSHaDoW-FoXl]

OT: Fuck Greenpeace. I hope everyone involved in this disrespectful ass-nugget of a stunt gets put away for the rest of their lives.

[/quote] Vandalism = Life sentence. Sorry, but regardless of the value we put on a few lines in the sand they're still just lines in the sand. And the lines them selves are still untouched. If they're getting a life sentence for that, I'd hate to imagine what punishments you deserve for all the suffering you've caused in turn.

 

[Something Amyss]

This was a really shitty thing for Greenpeace to do.

But here, I really don't see what the big deal is. What damage has actually been done, I couldn't spot any kind of alteration to the site, except the admittedly tasteless yellow letters. The outrage over some footprints (that can't even really be seen anywhere if you don't search with a magnifying glass) in a desert seems to be just as petty as the supposedly harmful activity itself.

You know, Peru has taken an awful lot of care to avoid any sort of alteration to the site, to the point you need special permission to go on foot and need special footwear to avoid marking the ground. As people have pointed out, that ground could potentially remain marked by Greenpeace's feet for thousands of years. The lack of respect alone should be worth note, even if not the damage itself.

 

[Shamanic Rhythm]

Yeah, I saw this, and as a lover of antiquity it made me pretty angry.

But what got me even more angry was their response. "We are surprised to have caused moral offence." Fucking Greenpeace, the masters of moral outrage, acting as if they don't know what might cause it? Or as if the real problem here isn't the fucking criminal damage, it's the moral offence? Asshats.

 

[Lieju]

On a related note, I'd be curious to know what kind those special footwear that people with permission to study the lines are required to wear are.
All my searches just get me this story, and I'd love to know.

 

[Poetic Nova]

Stupidity knows no limits. This can be applied to both PETA and Greenpeace.

 

[Vigormortis]

Here's some truth for you. Activists are idiots. All they do is symbolic gestures that don't change anything. They're stupid. Their intentions are good, but they're stupid. If you thought that individual people are dumb, put them in a group and give them a common goal. That's a whole lot of stupid.

Ain't that the truth...

And now you know why I always distance myself from ideologies.

I'm a staunch advocate of many ideals[footnote]For example, many of the core ideals of Feminism, Humanism, etc.[/footnote], but you'll rarely if ever see me associate myself with the ideologies associated with those ideals.

Ideologies are too easily tainted by lunacy, corruption, and idiocy. Ideals less so.

The actions of these Greenpeace buffoons are a fine example of this.

On a related note, I'd be curious to know what kind those special footwear that people with permission to study the lines are required to wear are.
All my searches just get me this story, and I'd love to know.

I'm curious as well, but have not been able to find the appropriate information either.

If you find the answer would you be gracious enough to share with the class?