October 2012 Photo of the Month

People look at the burned out ruins of the Breezy Point neighborhood in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. This photo, one of an incredible set of images showing the devastation of one of the most populous areas of the United States by Tim Aubry, is the October 2012 Greenpeace USA Photo of the Month.

Breezy Point Ruins

The ruins of homes in Breezy Point after Hurricane Sandy

 

I chose this image for the way it illustrates the human impact of the disaster. Shot across the grid of streets, groups of people, perhaps families, inspect the ruins of a modest neighborhood obliterated by the powerful storm. Whole buildings were knocked off their foundations releasing gas which ignited leaving blackened trees and poles where wood frame houses stood.

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Mega coal mines threaten Great Barrier Reef

Blogpost by John Hepburn, Greenpeace Australia
Save the Great Barrier Reef

© Tom Jefferson/Greenpeace

In our campaign to stop dangerous climate change, Greenpeace is taking on one of the most urgent issues: the enormous expansion of coal mining and coal exports from Australia. Not only does coal expansion spell disaster for our global climate but it threatens one of the world’s most precious treasures, the Great Barrier Reef.

The Galilee Basin, located in the heart of Queensland, is the site of a series of proposed mega mines that could see Australia’s coal exports more than double within a decade. Enormous coal mines mean enormous amounts of carbon pollution and supporting infrastructure – including at least one rail line and multiple massive port terminals. Australia is on the brink of turning the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area into an industrial estate. Continue reading