In its simplicity and boldness, the scaling of central London's Shard skyscraper on July 11 must be the most appealing show ever staged by Greenpeace in all of that organization's long history of grabbing public attention. No biohazard suits, no showing off, no David and Goliath stand-offs requiring David to shout through a megaphone — just six climbers, a sunny day and a great crowd of awed Londoners — and beyond that, countless followers online, doing no work.
This must have been the effect American illusionist and endurance artist, David Blaine, had hoped for in 2003, when he hung a plexiglass box nearby, and starved for 44 days. Instead, Londoners threw buns at him.
I wish I could have gone to the Shard and gawped too, as the women worked their way up the Qataris' tower, and with absolutely no ado cut it down to size. But at least you could watch the action unfolding close up, in real time, unlike what is perhaps the most comparable adventure: Philippe Petit's 1974 tightrope walk between the Twin Towers.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.