Photographs of nature, places and objects that have caught my eye.

Φωτογραφίες απο την φύση, απο τόπους και αντικείμενα που μου χτύπησαν στο μάτι.

Friday, April 30, 2010

MAYDAY, MAYDAY, MAYDAY

I have to interrupt my pleasant walk and tour around Acropolis of Athens. It is May the first and i feel it is my duty to join my cries with the rest of the wold, screaming to :
-Stop the destruction of the Planet.
-Stop the earth polution.
-Stop the destruction of the nature.
-Stop the deforestation of the rain  forests.
-Stop wildlife extinction.
-Stop the famine of children.
-Stop exploitation of human labor.
-Stop the wars.
-Stop the tampering with the news the fabrication and engineering of the news by governments, officials,         
conglomerates and the media.
-Stop the LIES. Stop the Half Truths.
The list above is not in order of significance. Just the order i was making it up in my mind.
I do not have any beautiful photographs to show to you today. Instead I will show you some photographs I collected from various sources from the internet. I cannot remember all the sources to mention here to thank all those who have taken them, sometimes risking their lives. I hope they forgive me for not mentioning their names. All these photographs are available in the internet and one can find them easily.
At the end, i am posting for you a greek song, music by Mikis Theodorakis (composer of the music one hears in the movies Zorba the Greek, Serpico, "Z" and others) . I think it is relevant. he words start with something like this.. " On mayday you left.. on mayday i loose you... .. "

Θα διακόψω σήμερα την βόλτα μου στην ανθισμένη Αθήνα. Είναι πρωτομαγιά αλλά αντί για λουλούδια, σήμερα θέλω κι εγώ να ενώσω την φωνή μου μαζύ με των υπολοίπων που φωνάζουν να:
-Σταματήσει η καταστροφή του Πλανήτη.
-Σταματήσει η καταστροφή της φύσης.
-Σταματήσει η μόλυνση του περιβάλλοντος.
-Σταματήσει η καταστροφή των μεγάλων δασών της βροχής.
-Σταματήσει η καταστροφή της άγριας ζωής.
-Σταματήσει η ο θάνατος των παιδιών από την πείνα και την έλλειψη φαρμάκων.
-Σταματήσει η εκμετάλλευση του εργατικού δυναμικού.
-Σταματήσουν οι πόλεμοι.
-Σταματήσει η κατασκευή, παρουσίαση και χάλκευση των ειδήσεων από κυβερνήσεις, επισήμους υπερεθνικές-πολυεθνικές εταιρίες και ομίλους και τα ΜΜΕ και τους κατα παραγγελίαν "δημοσιογράφους".
-Να σταματήσουν πια τα ΨΕΜΜΑΤΑ και οι μισές αλήθειες..
  Όλα τα παραπάνω όχι αναγκαστικά με σειρά σπουδαιοτητας παρά με τη σειρά που τα σκέφτομαι.
  Δεν θα βάλω φωτογραφίες με λουλούδια σήμερα. Μόνο φωτογραφίες σοκαριστικές που βρήκα στο διαδύκτιο. Ελπίζω να μου συγχωρέσουν τις πηγές που δεν αναφέρω όσοι με κίνδυνο της ζωής τους τις τράβηξαν. Και στο τέλος λίγη επίκαιρη μουσική του Μίκη Θεοδωράκη. "Μερα Μαγιού μου μίσεψες.." Με το Γρηγόρη Μπιθικώτση. Νομίζω πως ταιριάζει στο ύφος της ανάρτησης.

 The Haymarket affair. Chicago. May 1886. Η σφαγή του Haymarket. Σικάγο. Μάης 1886.
 Source : Wikipedia. Πηγή : Wikipedia.









Rain forest destruction. Η καταστροφή των μεγάλων δασών της βροχής.




 Pollution. Environmental disasters. Fires. Μόλυνση. Καταστροφή Περιβάλοντος. Πυρκαιές.
 1.Exxon Valdez. Alasca. March 24, 1989.  Έξον Βαλντέζ. Αλάσκα. 24 Μαρτίου 1989.
    Source :Wikipedia. Πηγή: Wikipedia


 2.Gulf of Mexico. Oil rig explosion and oil spillage. April 2010. Κόλπος του Μεξικού. Εκρηξη σε εξέδρα άντλησης πετρελαίου και τεράστια διαρροή και πετρελαιοκηλίδα.
Source : News agencies and Captain John and Bumpkin on a swing.
Πηγή :  Ειδησεογραφικά πρακτορεία και  Captain John and Bumping on a swing.



 
 3.Forest fires and environment destruction in Peloponnese, Greece. August 2007.Satellite images.
    Source : ESA.
    Πυρκαιές στην Πελοπόννησο. Φωτογραφίες από Δορυφόρο. Πηγη : ESA.







Wildlife extinction.  Καταστροφή της άγριας ζωής.


  
Above : Baby seals clubbed to death. Πάνω : Μωρά φώκιας εξοντώνονται για τη γούνα τους.
Below : Brown Bear on Pindos  mountains of Greece. Many are killed while crossing a new road.
Κάτω : Η αρκούδα της Πίνδου. Πολλές σκοτώνονται στους δρόμους.


Whales Massacre. Σφαγιασμός Φαλαινών.





 Famine : Children dying from lack of food or medicines.
 Πείνα   : Παιδιά πεθαίνουν από πείνα και έλλειψη φαρμάκων.



 War. Πόλεμος






  

26 comments:

Sylvia K said...

This is a heartbreaking, terrifying post that needs to be read by everyone on our planet before it is totally destroyed, not only the environment, but people and animals are in peril as well! Thank you, Costas!

Sylvia

evelina said...

Η σημερινή σου ανάρτηση πράγματι πολύ διαφορετική από τις προηγούμενες…Δεν χωράνε σχόλια σε όλη αυτή την καταστροφή του πλανήτη μας …όμως και πάλι δεν μπορείς να μη τα σκέφτεσαι ,να μη λυπάσαι ,και κυρίως να μην αναρωτιέσαι που βαδίζουμε? Επιτέλους κάποια στιγμή όλοι αυτοί οι μεγάλοι που κυριαρχούν σ αυτό τον πλανήτη πρέπει να δουν ,να σταματήσουν όλη αυτή την καταστροφή…Σε συγχαίρω για αυτή σου την ανάρτηση ,γι αυτή την σημαντική για μας μέρα .Καλύτερη δεν θα γινόταν…Καλή πρωτομαγιά

Regina said...

Sad that its real and happening.
We live in a dying world.
Great post.

Anonymous said...

Δεν υπάρχουν λόγια μπρος σε τέτοιες εικόνες!

Αυτη είναι η ανάπτυξη της τεχνολογίας!
Να χαιρόμαστε τα επιτεύγματά μας ως πολιτισμένοι άνθρωποι!

Ντοπή μας...

Bagafarna said...

It is painful, but true. Usually we don't think about such problem, having our small daily problems. But sometimes it is good think about other people, about our Planet, and try to do something, even something small. Thank You for Your wise post.

tapirgal said...

Costas,

This is an incredibel post, Costas. At some point today I will link to it. We all need to think and also to act. So many of these issues became political and hence ended up in battles between sides, when really they are not about politics but about humanity and the planet - everyone's planet, and not just the planet of the humans.

Sheryl

tapirgal said...

P.S. It's interesting that May Day first started as a festival of the Earth, flowers, nature, etc. I don't know a lot about its origins and history, but I was reading that in Wikipedia. Beltane is about fertility. We have come so far from nurturing this planet, we are actively destroying it. Perhaps "May Day" should become "Mayday," a cry for saving what we're now destroying. It's not enough to think about these things for one day, but it may be important to have some days that clearly focus on it. Everyday has to be Earth Day just as now every day is Mayday.

Costas, I'm going to re-post your blog on my Facebook page and suggest that others might do the same.

Paula Werner Severo said...

what´s happening to the planet is all so sad and cruel.. I can hardly see theses photos without crying.. i hope people change...

dianasfaria.com said...

so sad but true. Looking at some of these images one wonders if people think at all.
I like to hope things are getting better.
I also think change begins with each & every one of us.
Blogging helps I am sure. After all we are becoming more connected to each other- all around the world, & that is a good thing.

Diane AZ said...

Your great post raises awareness about senseless horrible events that could have been prevented. Humans have so many resources and just this one planet to care for, surely we can do better.

Unknown said...

Thank you all my friends for the welcome and the acceptance of this post.
I am sorry if i shocked you a little but that was my intention from start.
It is about time for us to wake up, be shocked and react. Join our voices together to do something about saving this planet.
We do not seem to understand that we are visitors on it and preserve it so other visitors, our future descendants, will find it inhabitable. We owe that to them.
Feel free to redistribute my post
or create links to it as you feel, so others have access to it as well, if you think it might be of help.
Love you all
Wish you a great May Day.
Costas

joanna said...

Costas

You did not shock me with this post --- what has shocked me is that mankind all of us is sleep walking and waiting for some one else to fix this massive earthy problem- I have been a animal activist and human activist for years -- and what saddens me a few laws yes we managed to get through --We have gathered some strong organizations -- like Animal Watch Planet Watch,, -- that monitors what Countries are doing and brings it to the worlds attention -- but some things remain the same if not worse -- back in the sixties I gathered over 1000 signatures and sent them to Washington D.C. to stop the slaughter of seals and send money every time I get an email and sign the petition and here it is close to 40 years later...I do not mean to go on and on -- but I apoliged to my younger son the other day for the world in which I brought him into that his generation will have much suffering and have to fix many things we have left undone. My son still refuses to drive a car he walks every where -- I sadly do not now that I got older.
There are many organizations that need our help out there that are working steadfastly to change the situation that need our support -- and we also need to do our parts as well. some quotes to leave you with --

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed. ~Mohandas K. Gandhi



It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was yours. ~Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990


In America today you can murder land for private profit. You can leave the corpse for all to see, and nobody calls the cops. ~Paul Brooks, The Pursuit of Wilderness, 1971

my quote It begins within us to do what is right and for the benefit of every living thing on this planet All our lives dependent on it.

Peace,
Joanny

Nellie from Beyond My Garden said...

Again and again my heart is broken

Clytie said...

Heartbreaking and terrifying indeed. I can't save the world, but I can start to save my own little corner. Thank you for this post! Forgive the tears.

ShySongbird said...

A truly heartbreaking but timely post Costas. Thank you for bringing it to us. I agree with everything you say. Sometimes I just despair...

Unknown said...

May there be peace and love in our hearts. The world we live in needs each of us to be kind.

lotusleaf said...

Costas, your post is truly heartrending. A few years ago, the picture of famine was common in India. I am glad to say that it has changed now.

Eva F. said...

M΄έκανες κι΄ανατρίχιασα με αυτή σου την ανάρτηση!
Πράγματι είναι φοβερά όλα τούτα!....

Καλό μήνα θα σου ευχηθώ και να είσαι καλά!

deathii said...

Bravo daddy! I am proud of you!! :)

SquirrelQueen said...

The truth is a painful, frightening thing but we need to face reality. I agree with Joanny in that your post did not shock me but rather what we as humans have done to our planet and each other is what I find disturbing.

An excellent post Costas, very timely indeed.

Costea Andrea Mihai said...

impressive documentary

Shirleyanne said...

Thank you for this post Costas. It's all very sad & tragic! The actions of some are trully awful & disgraceful. We are mean't to live in a 'caring society'!?! not only for the treatment of humans, wildlife, but also to our envirnoment. It really does make you wonder!
Your thoughts & convictions are very commendable.

kiki said...

Εύχομαι έναν καλύτερο μήνα κι ένα καλύτερο μελλον για όλους μας και όλα όσα αναφέρεις!

Marie-Noyale said...

Although it may be harsh to look at some of the pictures,
we cannot blind ourselves anymore!!

I am a big fan of Mikis Theodorakis music

Pat Tillett said...

Not only are we destroying the planet, we are destroying ourselves.

Iowa Gardening Woman said...

Thanks so much for sharing. So much sadness.................