Here is a photo I took a month ago beside an image my friend Zena took of the same stretch of beach last week. They think it is from the oil storage sites and electricity plant that were bombed weeks ago and are still burning.
The oil spill stretches all the way north at least to the ancient Phoenician port in Byblos, the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world. This environmental disaster is something not being reported here in the news. Please check out Zena's blog to read more about this and the actions she is taking there.
The view on the left is from my parents Beirut apartment. It is called Ramlet-el-Baida which translates to white sands. This is the only public beach in Beirut, but most people go to beach clubs further north or south. As our plane was landing we had an awesome view of this beach, and all the kids on the plane started yelling "look! look! Beeeach! ma! Beeeach!"...and the parents yelled back "no, this isn't the beach we go to!" Ah, details.
Here are links to my previous Lebanon photo posts ::
:: Tripoli :: Byblos
:: Tyre :: Sarafand
:: Sidon :: Sea Castle :: Soap Museum
:: My Art Lounge Exhibit
:: Knitting :: Down the Mountain
:: Centre Ville :: Downtown Beirut
:: Mir Amin :: Beiteddine
3 comments:
Thank you so much for the photos. They're more precious now than they were when you took them.
I've been so glad you've been writing about the local impact, both literally and personally, that this conflict can have. I've enjoyed very much following your thoughts and pictures here - there seems to be a omission of politics that is crucial in understanding that PEOPLE are involved in all of this. Your photographs and writings are beautiful, and I am glad your family is safe(r).
{{pink light}}
I heard about the oil spill on the news here and saw terrible photo's of the impact too. They were saying that the devestation of the size of this oil spill is absolutely massive and will take years to clean up. The problem is that no-one can get there to start cleaning it up yet, so the impact will be far worse.
Everyday it just gets worse. What a nightmare.
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