Ecobreves – ARGENTINA: Masked Forebears

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

BUENOS AIRES, Feb 10 2002 (IPS) - The environmental organization Greenpeace sent the lawmakers of the Argentine capital a calendar illustrated with statues found throughout Buenos Aires. The unique twist is that in the photos the faces of the historic figures are covered with gas masks. Greenpeace used this unconventional approach to underscore its rejection of the incineration of public hospital waste, a task carried out by private companies.

The burning of the syringes, latex gloves, bandages and other hospital items releases dioxins into the air, increasing the incidence of cancer among the population, says the group.