LA STAMPA (Italy)
ROME– Like every other weekday, 100,000 free papers were handed out in the main metro stations around the Italian capital on Tuesday. But, reports La Stampa, the regular menu of political back-stabbing, soccer trade rumors and crime blotter were missing. In its place were hard-to-believe reports about an Italy and the whole world that were turning magically green, and finally facing the biggest environmental challenges.
Greenpeace released a version of the free newspaper “Metro”, identical to the original, with some of the articles featuring pure fiction, but others absolutely true.
A sample of the made-up stuff: the political leaders involved in Italy’s current election campaign promise to radically change their strategy, focusing on a greener economy and a renewable energy revolution; In the U.S., Obama makes the challenge of climate change his top priority; China abandons fossil fuels; back in Italy, both the people and politicians of Sicily decide to revolt against oil drilling rigs off their coasts.
“That’s what we want to read in the newspapers. More than that, we want to show that environmental issues are completely absent from the election campaign,” says Andrea Boraschi, campaign manager of Greenpeace Climate and Energy.
There are also some fun graphics in the pamphlet, including the leading candidates (below) for prime minister, Pierluigi Bersani, Silvio Berlusconi and Mario Monti, as dinosaurs.
Along with the mock newspaper is a Greenpeace petition, which has already been signed by almost 50,000 asking the candidates to act on the enviornment or they will not vote for them.
On the last page, the association explains to readers: “The paper you just read is just too good to be true.”
