The rise of sea level has significantly affected some stretches of the maritime coast of mainland Portugal, such as the Ovar region. The sandy coast, with low cliffs of soft sandstone, has receded many meters in recent decades.

The Maceda forest park, made up mainly of maritime pine, is located within this region and has been severely affected. The retreat of the cliff has led to the death of the pine trees located along the edge and the weakening of those nearby.

When walking through this area last March, I was impressed to see the dead pine trees near the beach, which would soon fall to the ground. It was late afternoon, and the sky was full of clouds. The sun was behind the clouds and near the horizon.

These two pine trees, almost leafless and still with some dry pine cones attached, appeared to me like two formidable ghosts. They remind us that man's negative actions on nature can have a marked and dramatic visual impact on the landscape. The drama of the landscape, which nevertheless has beauty and aesthetic quality, corresponds well to the drama of the current degradation of the earth's biosphere.