'The Lost City' challenge posed by Greenpeace
Friday 12th July 2019
Art has always been able to show the beauty and wonder of far away places. Greenpeace has put the call out to artists across the globe to help bring the so-called 'Lost City' and all its wonders to people everywhere. As a long-standing supporter of Greenpeace, Quentin Blake has joined other artists in creating his own vision of the Lost City - both its current magic and the dark future that may await it.
The Lost City sits in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, over 750 metres below the surface. Discovered barely 20 years ago, it’s name derives from the giant chimney-shaped hydrothermal vents which make it look like an abandoned metropolis. Its discovery has opened up a new chapter in the history of the planet, with some scientists even asking if it holds the key to where life started.
But the discovery of the unique ecosystem has attracted the interest of mining industries. The areas around the big venting chimneys also contain rare earth minerals. The deep seabed mining industry wants to scoop, dredge, and destroy places like the Lost City, so all the beauty it holds could be irreversibly damaged – before anyone even fully understands what is there.
Greenpeace is working to help protect the Lost City by calling on the UK government to negotiate a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the UN. Negotiations have started and an online petition seeks to put protection at the heart of how global oceans are managed. The petition is here: https://act.gp/protectthelostcity
#TheLostCityInYourStyle Challenge is on Instagram now.