So the point of the project was to find a handful of people who were interested in installing small green roof modules (little trays of green roof that were less than 2′x4′). These people were then to reach out to their friends/neighbors to interest them in putting modules on their roofs too. The goals were to create a network of people in a region who were all interested in urban environmental issues and spark a wave of green roof building – more on all that here.

So it started slowly with a few people interested – I kind of thought there would be loads of people who wanted a free green roof! Then I started to get interest from institutions, and although this wasn’t the intended audience, it seemed like a good idea anyway. So when we went to install the first modules the comments were along the lines of “that’s it?” “that’s so easy!” — and I realized (after my great experience with the planting program with Covenant House) that there was some other potential here. So I brought up the idea of doing a planting program with the residents of this particular institution. If they cover the costs (at just over $1,000) we could do run a half day workshop and by the end of that they would have a larger green roof – about 2,000 square feet worth!

I have since planted at a pre-school, an environmental organization and another school, all of whom are interested in doing planting workshops in the spring! So that is 4 more green roofs than NYC had before I started the project.

So, while I may not (yet) be getting the broad reach that I had hoped for, I am getting to install some larger scale green roofs with some great people. And the green roof education reaches a broad base of people who will one day build their own networks…

He felt I would be a good participant because my work so often was focused on making the invisible visible in landscapes (I am paraphrasing greatly). It really got me to thinking about how I define my work. He struck a very true chord with me.

I have always felt uncomfortable with pigeon holing myself into the world of eco or environmental artist. Even though much of my work does explore these themes, it primarily is encouraging audiences to re-think their existing environment or landscape. This is true of historical work and definitely true of current and proposed projects. A number of which don’t fit neatly in the environmental pigeon hole. Some of these include:

• The “48 Hours of Sao Paolo” project, which seeks to black out the advertising in Times Square for 48 hours in an effort to see what else is there.
• A project I am hosting with the MoMA teen nights, which will introduce the students to visionary architecture and art projects (including Dickson Despommier’s Vertical Farms, The Lilypad Cities, Steve Lambert’s “Wish you Were Here, Postcards from Our Awesome Future,” and the Ansan City proposals), and ask the students to re-envision their “Dream NYC.” This is part of the digital project I would like to do in which I recreate the entire island of Manhattan (or a large portion thereof) as MyNyc, my own dream version of NYC – complete with monorails!
• Paths of Desire, which will trace movements of project participants as they explore historic Lower Manhattan within the confines of contemporary Lower Manhattan. (Proposal images coming soon).
• The project I am doing with the colloquium students. I am asking them to map a non-obvious route and document it in someway (graphics, photos, stories). This idea is on both Paths of Desire and HighWaterLine (which traced a topographic line). I am also planning to do my own set of invisible maps and post them online to share with the students.

Two Bikes, originally uploaded by holly_northrop.

So… I just think he really has a point about my work. I certainly hope that the projects will continue to inspire critical and creative thinking around environmental & ecological issues, while at the same time connecting people to their landscapes.

I guess a new statement is in the works… Any thoughts?

*I like the word landscape because it includes not only visible features but also the weather, climate and human features & the flora and fauna.

I am really interested in branching out to more communities around the world- for different work experience, to learn more about global perspectives on the issues I deal with and to be able to share with a larger and larger audience. Plus the work is applicable to a global audience and the problems are global problems.

So, given that status, how do i – or for that matter, any artist – continue to expand their practice in good conscience?

View from the airplane, originally uploaded by FS2004.

I have started some efforts, through the open source style projects and sharing learning, experiences and resources through the web.

I am also working on a couple of tools to help build community and support for artists around the world through (the magic of) the web. I’m trying out a virtual studio with a couple artists across the country (get us out of solitary practices) by being available to one another on skype. Even trying to bulk up a lot of activities into any trips I do take (speaking of which I will be in san francisco & seattle in december – hint, hint!)

Do you have any ideas about expanding your practice while at the sa,e time reducing your footprint?

Under the current transportation paradigm in New York, human life and health is traded for mobility, economics and other factors…

More than 250 New Yorkers are killed in automobile related crashes every year, and it’s not unusual for City officials to tout these historically low numbers as evidence they are doing their jobs well, as if exchanging 250 lives is a reasonable trade for mobility. Only in transportation is this somehow acceptable.

The full article is available as a pdf.

Then I read today in the Carl Pope opening article in Sierra magazine this (emphasis is mine):

…You don’t have to take responsibility for the results of your deeds; you just have to be bold about whatever risk you feel like taking, generally with the lives and money of others.

In keeping with this philosphy, this summer the EPA reduced the official value of the average US lilfe from $7.8 million to $6.9 million. In Bush’s first term this had been a goal of White House regulatory czar John Grahm, who tried to discount the lives of senior Americans in particular...

Why devalue human lives? Because the less your life is worth, the less the Bush administration has to do to keep you safe. The less your life is worth, the easier it is to come up with a cost-benefit analysis showing that banning a dagerous pesticide or preventing global warming is “uneconomic,” particularly as the value of future lives is discounted by 2 to 3 percent a year.

I often wonder how it is possible for people to be reckless in a way that puts others at risk – whether it is driving recklessly down city streets or making decisions based on profit rather than safety. If any single person were confronted with the idea that their action would cost the life of one person (especially if we use someone they know as an example) I would think that they would chose to change their action.

Sweethearts, originally uploaded by adwriter.

I don’t think that people are inherently evil, but it is possible that without the ability to think longterm or big picture, than some of our actions are evil.

On the other hand, I really do believe in the good of all people and that finding ways to reach out to one another helps to strengthen our communities and positive actions.

As I am writing this, the Bush administration is pushing through oodles of “executive orders” that are raping and pillaging this country and its resources (natrual, human, our privacy, our security). But at the same time, the Obama team is watching closely. And simultaneously the local administration is turning streets into pedestrian plazas.

If we each slow down and notice one another, and then as a next step, come together, maybe there is hope and maybe we can all learn to value every human life.

With tongue planted firmly in cheek, the paper has this to say, on George Bush’s indictment for treason:

“The death and economic collapse that resulted has been completely devastating to our nation and, most of all, to me,” read Mr. Bush’s indictment. “I want to make amends, and it is for this reason that I am requesting that I be indicted for high treason. I thank the court for allowing me to right my grave wrongs. Bring it on!”

On holding nationalizing oil to fund climate change projects:

“The private oil interests have been involved in theft for decades,” responded Deputy Under Secretary of the E.P.A. Gavin Newsom. “They’ve stolen our air, our oceans, our health, and our land. They’ve proven they can’t run their business without massive theft.”

“If we’re going to give corporations the same rights as people,” said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, “then we need to hold them accountable like people. When parents abuse their children, the government takes over. When oil companies abuse the planet, the government needs to take over too.”

And on NYC’s greatly expanded bike lanes:

Over the next two years, every other avenue will also receive a full bike lane, blocked off from traffic, while every fifth crosstown street will be opened exclusively to bicyclists and pedestrians beginning next month.

Mark Blair, a transit worker from Queens, was busy re-timing traffic lights for bicycle speed. “Riding your bike up or down the avenue, the traffic lights are going to change in sync,” explained Blair. “You ride 10-15 miles per hour, and you’ll be hitting all greens.”

“Now that our country is taking its rightful place among the world’s developed nations,” said Mayor Bloomberg, “it is time for our greatest city to take its place among the world’s great cities.”

You should go read it all yourself. The ads are pretty funny too.

And while it is all done in good humour, there is not just a small amount of poignancy and hope. The paper is written from the point of view of our country (the people, institutions, government and corporations) actually having a conscious.

It’s about approaching the world from a people first (not convenience or money – which is what rules it now) and long term thinking. Actually leaving the world a *better* place for the next generation.

In the print version there is an HSBC add (you know the ones where they use three images with three different points of view written over them) of Barack Obama pictured three times with the words: “epoch-making” “pivotal” “squandered.”

So bring on the massive transportation infrastructure rebuild, the closing of guantanamo, and the maximum wage law.

It would be refreshing.

Platform2: Failure Support Group

Arctic Listening Post

Kite flown at Blue Hill Residency

for more information: http://www.janemarsching.com/

All photos courtesy of Jane Marsching.

Climate Change - That’s kind of like calling Hurricanes Katrina and Ike, “alterations in the weather pattern.” What we are facing, is in reality, climate catastrophy. We are talking about massive, drastic, significant and irreversible weather patterns that will alter ecosystems on both the micro and macro scale. It is an alteration of life as we know it – happening on a meteoric time scale.

That’s daily post #1.