The UK’s Mail Online newspaper has some interesting photographs today regarding the ongoing protests by environmental groups in Italy who are trying to protect the beautiful city of Venice from the effects of water pollution, air emissions and erosion of historical building by traffic from huge cruise ships.
Earlier this week we addressed this issue in our article Italian Environmentalists Urge Sofia Loren to Stop "Monster of the Sea" from Attacking Venice.
Over the past 25 years, the number of cruise passengers cruising into Venice increased from 280,000 to 1,800,000 last year.
Over 650 gigantic cruise ships sail into Venice every year now. Unlike the quaint gondolas historically associated with the city, cruise ships today are 1,000 feet long, weigh 140,000 tons and have drafts well over 25 feet. They pose a substantial risk to this fragile Italian city which is struggling against mass tourism and the deterioration of the city’s underwater foundations.
Here is my view of the problem last year: Are Cruise Ships Ruining Venice Or Just Memories From My Youth?
Take a look at the spectacle below. Do you trust the titans of the cruise industry with the survival of historical sites like this? Do you trust the Micky Arisons of the world to be the curators of Venice?
Photo credit: Getty Images via Mail Online