World of the Bizarre

Greenpeace apologizes for Nazca Lines stunt

By T.K. Randall
December 13, 2014

Image: Aerial Image of Hummingbird Geoglyph in the Nazca Desert, Peru
Credit: Diego Delso / CC BY-SA 4.0 (adapted) The group had attempted to raise awareness for renewable energy sources by creating a message next to the famous hummingbird geoglyph which was carved more than 1,500 years ago.

The text, which read "Time for a change - the future is renewable", was made from reems of yellow material that were arranged on the ground and weighted down by bricks. None of those involved however had been granted permission to be there.

Access to the Nazca Line sites is strictly controlled and visitors are required to wear special footwear to protect the fragile geoglyphs from unintentional damage.The Peruvian government is now looking to prosecute those responsible. "It's a true slap in the face at everything Peruvians consider sacred," said Deputy Culture Minister Luis Jaime Castillo.

Greenpeace later issued an apology over the incident and claimed that it is willing to accept "fair and reasonable consequences" for its actions.

"Without reservation Greenpeace apologises to the people of Peru for the offence caused... we are deeply sorry for this," the organization said in a statement.

"We fully understand that this looks bad. Rather than relay an urgent message of hope and possibility to the leaders gathering at the UN climate talks, we came across as careless and crass."

Source: BBC news

Tags: Greenpeace, Nazca Lines