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Venice's Grand Canal "turns green", and radical environmental groups become suspects again Kyojoukan

author:Beijing News
Venice's Grand Canal "turns green", and radical environmental groups become suspects again Kyojoukan

On May 28, ships sail in the fluorescent green waters of the Grand Canal in Venice, Italy. Photo: Xinhua News Agency

According to Reuters, the Washington Post and other media reports, on May 28, local time, a body of water near the Rialto Bridge of the Grand Canal in Venice turned fluorescent green. Local police, environmental authorities and other local agencies have launched investigations.

Venice's Grand Canal is surrounded by historic buildings and is a major "check-in" attraction for tourists, and the Rialto Bridge is the oldest bridge on the Grand Canal and is considered a Renaissance icon.

The Grand Canal in Venice is not the first time that it has "changed color". In 1968, the Argentine painter Nicolás García Urivulu threw fluorescein into the Grand Canal to create a fluorescent effect on the water to remind the public to protect the environment. Because of this experience, some experts speculate that the greening of the Grand Canal of Venice this time is either caused by an algae outbreak or by environmental groups.

Drought to flooding leads to algae ingrowth

The Venetian water network is connected to the lagoon at the northwestern end of the Adriatic Sea, and the siltation of the lagoon carried by the Venetian water network has lasted for thousands of years. The increasing amount of silt at the bottom of the lagoon basin not only caused sea levels to rise, flooding Venice and urban buildings.

Venice is watery, so algae grow naturally and flourish. In February 2021, the water level dropped in Venice due to too little rainfall, and algae once climbed onto the exterior wall of the building.

In fact, more than 10 years ago, Venice invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the hope of converting seaweed into energy through photosynthesis generated by abundant algae plants, making Venice the first city in the world to use algae as the main energy source.

In 2021, the last edition of the Venice Architecture Biennale, a series of algae experimental installations attracted widespread attention. This kind of experiment is actually to use seaweed crystals to capture a small amount of sunlight and transmit it to the surrounding chloroplasts for photosynthesis. From a human point of view, sometimes it does shine. The environmental assessment agency said the water in the canal was stained with a nontoxic substance called fluorescein, a compound found in some animals, algae and fungi.

Since May, Italy has turned from drought to flood, and Venice has activated coastal flood control devices to combat the usual high tide floods in May. Therefore, algae breeding is the main cause of the green of the Grand Canal of Venice, and there is a certain possibility. However, the local media in Venice are more inclined to believe that radical environmental groups are responsible.

Venice's Grand Canal "turns green", and radical environmental groups become suspects again Kyojoukan

On May 19, 2023, local time, Venice, Italy, the 18th Architecture Biennale was held in Venice, and visitors were viewing the installations displayed at the Australian Pavilion. Photo/IC photo

Radical environmental groups are hard to dismiss

The local media is so skeptical because radical environmental groups in Italy, Germany and other countries have become active again in recent months.

On May 21, seven members of the radical environmental organization "Last Generation" dumped a large amount of liquid containing charcoal by seven members of Rome's famous attraction Trevi Fountain, dyeing the fountain pool with black water.

The Trevi Fountain was the filming location of the famous movie "Roman Holiday", and many visitors make wishes here.

The "last generation" was exposed in the destruction of cultural relics in many parts of Europe last year. Last July, Botticelli's famous painting "Spring" in the collection of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence was glued to the painting by two extreme environmentalists of the "last generation", but thanks to the protective glass, the famous painting was not damaged.

After the Grand Canal turned green, the "last generation" came forward to deny that it was responsible, but in the past year they have repeatedly denied that it has anything to do with the destruction of European antiquities, such as denying that its members poured pea soup on the famous painting "The Sower at Sunset", but they have never completely dismissed it.

Moreover, the contamination of the Grand Canal of Venice and the contamination of the Trevi Fountain also have similarities in method, which makes it even more doubtful whether the "last generation" dominated the matter.

Venice's Grand Canal "turns green", and radical environmental groups become suspects again Kyojoukan

On May 24, 2023, local time, Berlin, Germany, German police conducted a large-scale raid on the extreme environmental protection organization "Last Generation" suspected of forming a criminal organization. Photo/IC photo

There may be other motives behind it

If it was really the "last generation", then why did you choose to start on May 28?

There is speculation that it may have something to do with the regatta held locally over the weekend. Making trouble during sporting events is indeed a common tactic used by radical environmentalists in Europe. At the same time, two other incidents could also be reasons for radical environmentalists.

Recently, German Chancellor Scholz has just slammed the "last generation," saying the group's actions are completely irrational. On May 25, German police launched a large-scale search of the "last generation" in Germany on the grounds that they had sucked criminal funds through fundraising.

Perhaps, dyeing the Grand Canal of Venice green is to send a signal that the "last generation" will not give in after the German blow.

In addition, the six-month-long Biennale of Venetian Architecture was once again opened. This year's Biennale highlights the environmental disasters caused by "colonial landscapes" and "transnational extractivism", imagining a future in which people's lifestyles will be retrospective. These otherwise normal displays of ideas may provide unexpected inspiration and motivation for radical environmentalists.

For many years, Venice has struggled to preserve its splendor in a fragile ecological environment. Now, the water city seems to be facing another test: the new threat posed by the changing presence of radical environmental groups in Europe.

Written by/Xu Lifan (Columnist)

Editor/Chi Daohua

Proofreader/Chen Diyan