Michele Rasore
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Copyright 2007 Michele Rasore.
All rights reserved.
The usual stuff.

Slices of the Green Belt

Background Information

Published on 10/9/2007 on the Campaign to Protect Rural England website

"At current rates of loss, countryside free from major disturbance could all but disappear in most regions of England well before the end of the century. Startling new maps (enclosed) published today (Monday) by countryside campaigners CPRE [1] show that currently 50% of England is disturbed by the sight and sound of nearby roads, urban areas and other major infrastructure.
Nationally, since the early 1990s 320 square miles (820km²) of countryside has been overshadowed by urban intrusion every year – or the area of Greater London every two years. At this rate much of the remaining 50% of the undisturbed countryside in England could be blighted in just 80 years.
These are the stark findings of new maps and analysis [3] which reveal the relentless intrusion of traffic and urban growth into the English countryside since the early 1960s. The maps show that in the early 1960s 26% of England’s land area was disturbed by urban intrusion; in the early 1990s this had grown to 41%; and by 2007 50% of England was affected by urban intrusion. This shows that the rate of loss is actually increasing."

So, what will happen when our cosy, contemporary living rooms will meet the Green Belt and the countryside in general?
What will happen when our ever increasing need for movement and connections will eventually saturate any single available space?
What will happen when our unstoppable appetite for high end goods, cheap goods, happy goods, goods that are not good, trinkets, gadgets and baubles will catch up once for all with the natural resources available?
I tried to imagine it and I found myself in my living room, admiring the miracle of Nature happening in a polished, white frame.
How sad.
Our obsession for well designed, beautiful objects also plays a key role in this situation, according to a BBC article published on 9 October 2006 (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6033407.stm).
The article states: "Rising consumption of natural resources means that humans began "eating the planet" on 9 October, a study suggests.The date symbolised the day of the year when people's demands exceeded the Earth's ability to supply resources and absorb the demands placed upon it. The figures' authors said the world first "ecological debt day" fell on 19 December 1987, but economic growth had seen it fall earlier each year.
The data was produced by a US-based think-tank, Global Footprint Network."

We will eventually be wiped out by our electric toothbrushes.

In another dystopian vision of the future these will be the only green spaces left at our disposal: forget patios, parks, stuff.
We'll all be left hanging around these things whilst sipping Martinis, discussing the poetry of nature and the power of farting art with our friends.

Technical Notes
16 x 16 inches
Frame depth 1.5 inch
Ventilation openings:
72 holes on the top surface, further 36 on each side
All holes have been drilled one by one by hand. Their function is to guarantee air circulation and avoid the formation of moisture and excessive humidity within the frame.
The upper back of all frames is removable in order to access your slice of garden for upkeeping and general intervention if necessary.
The bottom half of all frames is treated with waterproof paint and silicone.
All frames have a needle punched hose interred roughly 2 cm underneath the surface of growth. This method of irrigation is considered to be the most effective to irrigate lawns because it delivers water and nutrients straight to the roots. At the moment is possible to deliver water to the frame connecting a standard wash bottle to the irrigation hose, thus delivering water through hand generated pressure.
I'm in the process of trying to devise an irrigation system able to pump the right amount of water to several frames at scheduled times.
The system should be connected to a timer and an electric pump, just to remind us that we are an advanced albeit slightly wasteful species.

Credits

This cycle of works has been developed with the invaluable support of Dottor Fomasi Lorenzo (currently doing his Phd studies in Environmental Science at Universita' Statale di Milano) who provided me with an insight into the process of seeding and growing grass (not that grass), the requirements of the environment of growth and possible solutions for the irrigation system.

USEFUL LINKS
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6033407.stm
http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=global_footprint