Residents in Conwy have removed a Greenpeace mural that appeared on a mountainside following recent wildfires. The artwork, which bore the words "Our house is on fire, Andy" and depicted the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, drew criticism from local officials and residents.
Janet Finch-Saunders, a Member of the Senedd for Aberconwy, condemned the mural, calling it "environmental vandalism" and stating that burnt hillsides should not be used as "a canvas for political protest." Dean Ward, a local resident, informed Greenpeace online that he had removed the mural, questioning the group's "leave no trace" ethos.
Greenpeace UK's co-executive director, Areeba Hamid, defended the artwork, explaining it was not intended to disturb grief but to highlight the escalating climate crisis. She asserted that the mural was temporary and applied with water-based paint, safe for grass, plants, and soil, on an area where all living vegetation had already been destroyed by the fire, leaving only rocks and ash. Hamid emphasized that the real threat was not the paint but "extreme weather driven by fossil fuels."
"We wanted to challenge the system that caused this damage and send a vital message to the prime minister: the science shows that more oil and gas drilling means more communities left to cope with the devastation brought by heat, droughts and wildfires," Hamid said. The group aimed to draw attention to the link between fossil fuel use and extreme weather events that contribute to wildfires.