It is a wonder that the Danube, the only river in the world to cross seven countries and two important capitals, collects along its 2860 kilometers of erstwhile blue waters thousands upon thousands of tons of waste spilled out by a savage, destructive civilization, obstinately carrying them downstream, to its tolerant Delta that turns them over to a sea that grows darker and darker from the accumulation of pollutants. It is equally a wonder that the Danube Delta survives this immense pressure of pollution, heroically conserving its beauty and biodiversity. It wouldn't be utopian to suggest that ecologists study the miraculous and as yet undeciphered filtration systems of the Delta which enable this amazing monument of nature to offer a true paradise to a Europe whose landscapes are increasingly impoverished, and whose soul has grown indifferent.
1975
by Jacques-Yves Cousteau
