Halloween is around the corner, and children will soon be dressing up and chanting "trick or treat," their demand for candy backed up by the threat of a prank. Climate-change activists, from pranksters to presidents, are doing the same. This past Monday, the activist-artist group The Yes Men staged another of its hoaxes, with one member posing as an official from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, leading what appeared to be a legitimate press conference and stating the chamber's complete reversal on its historically adamant opposition to climate-change legislation.

The image is soft, colour-shifted and shot through a dirty ferry window. In the background, the pink-tinged New York skyline; in the foreground, dozens of passengers huddle on the slick wing of a U.S. Airways airplane as it sinks into the cold Hudson River. The photograph, one of the first broadcast from the remarkable crash site, was taken by Florida businessman Janis Krums, who just happened to have his iPhone handy.

Another image, equally soft, equally muted. From Toronto this time - the Israeli consulate. Seven women chant in a circle, refusing to end their occupation until Israeli leaves Gaza. The image was shot by Canadian activist Judy Rebick, who just happened to have her Blackberry and a connection to her email and Facebook account.