Comments on: LV Sketchbook Page 025

By: mbartalos

mbartalos — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 05:52:09 +0000

Hi Donald, Yes it’s difficult to understand how environmental awareness could have been absent for so long. I don’t imagine the U.S. Antarctic Program is terribly fond of that legacy but I give them credit for publicly acknowledging past mistakes and acting on them proactively as well as retroactively.

I should mention that the U.S. Navy was largely responsible for those decades of dumping. Not to let the scientific community off the hook entirely, but logistics support was operated by the Navy up till 1999 and from what I gather, scientists held limited influence over the military’s practices.

Thanks for your comment!

By: Donald Fortescue

Donald Fortescue — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 02:49:07 +0000

Michael
This is a shocking little tidbit. I’ve always thought of Antarctica as being polluted only as an end process to global pollution. I didn’t realize how much crap has simply been dumped in the ocean off the bases. I would have thought that even ‘back in the day’ it would have been obvious that things would stay in the circumpolar loop and take forever to break down in any way whatsoever in the dry and cold. It helps me realize how recent environmental awareness is even in the scientific community.
Thanks for the ongoing flow of interesting images, information and work.
Donald

By: mbartalos

mbartalos — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:52:30 +0000

Thanks so much Bill, glad you’re enjoying it!

By: Bil Russell

Bil Russell — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 19:37:32 +0000

I’m really loving your process, Michael…from the science and research, the blog reportage, the lessons in recycling and sustainability to the distillation to your beautiful art creation. Looking forward to seeing the future structures!