Tuesday, 4th January 2011
Held To Ransom
by Gavgristle
Not my most beautiful image but I think it tells a story, and one that bothers me.
I love Nanaimo and since we moved here there is only one thing I don't like about the city. The stench from the pulp mill that you see in the distance.
It seems the entire city is held to ransom by one business. I know they provide much needed jobs but at what expense.
The foul smelling smoke the spews from their chimneys pollutes most of the city and prevents us from opening our doors and windows so as not to let the stink in.
For a city that has so many rules and regulations I find it obscene that one business is allowed to mar the beauty of the area in such a way that not only effects the people but more importantly the wildlife.
Seems like if you want to live in Nanaimo this is the price you have to pay.
I don't want to sound like some preaching environmentalist so I'll let the picture do the talking from now on.
Gavgristle
Website: www.flickr.com/photos/gavgristle/
Held To Ransom by Gavgristle was photo of the day on Tuesday, 4th January 2011. It is tagged Birds, Pollution. You can leave a comment below.
19 Comments
Nikhil kumar
I think this photo is apt for the title “EArth shots”… This is what Earth is now!…All just want to make money somehow.No one cares about Earth!
Morkel Erasmus
great story-telling picture indeed!
I feel your pain…
Susan
I know the smell you are talking about….there’s a paper mill in Maryland that is near my ex-husband’s family. The smell is awful- you can detect it for miles in every direction & it permeates everything. People there joke it is the “smell of money.” But you’re right- at what cost? Keep up the great work!
Jermaine
Air & water pollution, deforestation, climate change to mention a few are major concern affecting our world. How long before all the beauty that our world has to offer will be gone because of the greed and love of money by mankind. It is sad…
Patti-Ann
To get back to the picture, the depth of field is excellent. The eye is brought back from the scene behind to the really beautiful part – the bird and rocks. Well done!
Nico De Pasquale
such an amazing scenery
love the silhouette
Wanda
Great story-telling shot.
PlanetLover
Great capture of “man vs. nature” . The bird in the foreground is peaceful nature and the city in the background aflame. We still have time to save our planet and harness the healing power of nature. Paper could become irrelevant some day…
Rajib Singha
An image with a message.
Alex Sharp
Amazing photo and story to go with it – food for thought on two levels – well done
Zoya
The picture tells the story you have written… Well taken shot!
Marie Dunphy Harding
Wise bird , keeping his distance from that awful smog. My sympathies are with you!I I guess moving is not an option!
Addie Levy
Terrific shot. You really captured coastal living with the heron in the foreground. But…………..I question why you continue to live there when you feel so strongly about the mill. You could move up-island to the beautiful Comox Valley where you can view the magnificent glacier, go skiing, fishing and beach combing all in one day.
Evan Spellman
ours is gone here in Prince Rupert –10yrs now–it was originally built in 1950– the whole town smelled like Sulphur– there’s not many left anymore– the forest industry has been reduced to a shadow of its former self– Harmac in Nanaimo is one of the few pulp mills left operating in British Columbia—Your Photo is very Beautiful and tells a very good Story–
Pauline Jones
I didn’t know that pulp mills caused such problems; surely some filters could be put on the chimneys.
Mario Gustavo Fiorucci
Subtle, wonderful. The wild thing and the urban thing in a shot. Congratulations
Laura Milholland
Terrific contrasts in this image – and beautifully done. Wonderful to have not only a gorgeous shot, but one that purposes to make people think!
wade Bodell
Nanaimo is a beautiful vibrant city even with Harmac located south of it. It certainly has much more to offer than the Comox valley. Oh and by the way Harmac llike many other pulpmills have dramatically cleaned up there acts over the last few years. I’m sure the automobiles travelling up and down the Island highway have a much more serious effect on the enviorment than any Pulpmill. Maybe we should also be taking a closer look at the raw sewage pumped into the ocean by the City of Victoria. Funny how that is kept so quiet, wouldn’t want to scare the tourist away now would we ?
wade Bodell
Dont get me wrong I dont support pollution of any kind, but I do feel that the pulpmills are not the only offenders. Harmac has had it’s own effluent treatment plant for years now, can the City of Victoria make that claim ? Also dont forget that much of the discharge from the mill chimneys is steam and it does look much worse that what it really is, especially on colder days. We shouldn’t be too quick to condemn, especially when many of us think nothing of driving around in our cars or burning woodstoves in our homes.