Lebanon sinks tanks in Mediterranean to make new reef

Environmentalists dumping 10 old army tanks off the coast of a city trying to deal with a massive rubbish problem may seem counterintuitive.
However, that is exactly what one group in the Lebanese city of Sidon have done in the hope it will not only attract tourists to the region, but also create a new haven for wildlife in the Mediterranean Sea.
Onlookers watched as the tanks were lowered into the water 3km (1.8 miles) off the coast on Saturday.
The 81-year-old woman inspiring a nation to recycle
Plastic pollution: Scientists' plea on threat to ocean giants
"This will be a paradise for divers and a place where we can develop underwater life," Kamel Kozbar, of Friends of the Coast of Sidon, the group spearheading the project, told news agency AFP.
He hopes seaweed will soon cover the tanks, a gift from the army, creating the group's vision of an "underwater park" - a world away from the beaches which have not escaped Lebanon's overflowing rubbish crisis.

In January for example, pictures emerged showing mounds of rubbish dumped on the beaches north of the capital Beirut.
But this is not just an environmental project. The group have also purposefully pointed the tanks towards their southern neighbour, Israel.
According to Mr Kozbar, it was done "out of solidarity for the Palestinian people".

Source: BBC

 

The Liberum

Vox Populi, Vox Dei
See full bio >
The Liberum runs on your donation. Fight with us for a free society.
Donation Form (#6)

More articles you might like

A Three-State Solution for the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict is a Good Alternative for the Oslo Accords

A two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is outdated. A three-state solution is a much […]

Jamaica recognizes The State of Palestine: what does it mean?

The recognition of The State of Palestine has become a political card that is sometimes […]

Liberum Editor-in-Chief hands over Readers’ Donations to Lebanese Elderly Home in need

The Liberum’s editor-in-chief was in Lebanon recently to hand over our readers' - modest - […]

Abeer Abdel Galil Ibrahim – An interview from between the warring stars!

Abeer Abdel Galil has two novels in a series—‘The Return (العودة) and ‘Janus’ (الجانوس)—and a […]

Celebrate Women every day, Everywhere, even in Conflict Zones

It’s not just about celebrating the women who have stood the test of time and […]
- - by The Liberum on 13/03/2024

The Sad Truth on the Conflicting Israeli and Palestinian Views

The latest Israeli-Gaza war is still ongoing. Since its inception on October 7, over 31,000 […]