The restoration of the classic icon
On Wednesday climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in New York on her yacht. Yesterday she was joined by swelling and excited crowds of American teenagers at a protest outside the UN headquarters in New York.
Nothing to do with Notre Dame except it’s now got to the point that if we don’t tackle the climate changes, we won’t be around to see Notre Dame restored.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/30/greta-thunberg-un-climate-protest-new-york
“More than a national icon or a touristic spot, cathedrals such as Notre Dame reveal their soul when they house singing and baptisms, confession and pardon, preaching and prayer.” wrote Pastor René Breuel for The Washington Post.
Having said that it would be silly, Boris Johnson has decided that he will prorogue the UK Parliament and for an unprecedented five weeks.
I’ve attempted to liven up this site with a bit of a joke sometimes but this isn’t a joke, though perhaps it should be. Perhaps he would be better turning Notre Dame into a hotel... (that was a joke)…
I’ve close with John Oliver’s biting assessment of Boris Johnson that I first used a couple of weeks ago.
Stones exploded like fireballs due to the heat. It took less than an hour for the old cathedral to be lost.
But Christopher Wren’s new cathedral is a worthy replacement. Although it took quite a while. It was started on 30th July 1669, but the “topping out” of the cathedral (when the final stone was placed on the lantern) did not take place until 26th October 1708.
Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro’s chief of staff mocked the French leader, Emmanuel Macron, for failing to stop the “avoidable” Notre Dame cathedral blaze.
https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9803346/amazon-fires-brazil-notre-dame-macron/
The current President of the US, Donald Trump, suggests nuking hurricanes that might hit America. Can we restore Notre Dame first?
I like this headline on this report…
“The G7 Is Just Another Stage for a Presidential Sh*tshow”
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a28815033/president-trump-g7-climate-amazon-nuke-hurricanes/
Notre Dame may be slowly restored but if we don’t make peace with the climate there will be few people to see it.
Maybe it will just be a ruin where a future race in a few thousand years look at it and say “that’s a wonderful building but the people were doomed, they didn’t look after the climate.”
I admire Greta Thunberg for trying to make a difference but unless the majority of civilization respond, it may be too late.
Perhaps Prince Harry and Meghan should go everywhere in a small sailing yacht instead of a jet. I think Harry might enjoy that.
The Irish Examiner has an interesting take on the debate. Some fires matter more than others, and while the fire in the Amazon hasn’t garnered nearly as much attention or money, the impact of the devastation is far, far greater.
As the raging Amazon forest fires burn, people have turned to social media to express their utter fury at the lack of coverage and care, with many comparisons being made to the global coverage received when Notre Dame Cathedral was burning back in April.
https://www.fm104.ie/the-buzz/comparisons-made-between-notre-dame-cathedral-and/
According to The Art Newspaper, French president Emmanuel Macron will be the sole official in charge of the rebuilding of Notre Dame. Macron, according to the report, will “directly and indirectly control all phases of an operation that would normally be the remit of the ministry of culture.”
https://archinect.com/news/article/150152688/notre-dame-rebuilding-plan-gains-detail-nuance
