La creatividad y la pintura

Figure 41.The Idealist/Eco Warrior

“We’re all here together helping to make our lives better, making the place better, the environment. As I say, it’s not just about growing, there’s a whole rake of things there that are to be learned in many many different ways, ... and the constraints of wind, soil, all those things too” Pat. Idealist/Eco-Warrior. Dublin. 2012 The Idealist “Eco-Warrior” reflects new middle-class practitioners investing in allotments in the Dublin today. Their motivations are part of wider concerns for the environment and ecological sustainability. They are motivated by a desire to grow nutritious chemical-free food while achieving environmental, ecological and sustainable objectives. They see UA as an important resource in the city, and believe that cities can be transformed into important resource conserving, health-improving, sustainable generators (Smit & Nasr, 1992). They are keen and active members of the allotment culture who adapt their whole-food approach to cultivation (Crouch, 1989; 1992). They express concerns over changes in consumption and production practices and are committed to educating others about environmentally friendly sustainable methods of food production. The Idealist/Eco-Warrior believes that debates concerning genetic modification of food and an omnipresent dependence on global food economy have disconnected urban dwellers from nature, the environment, knowledge and food production systems.

100 John is a young architect and a fervent environmentalist. Determined to generate awareness of the environment and encourage bio-diversity (ecology), John’s motivations for investing in UA are primarily driven by his desire to consume chemical-free foods and educate others while contributing to, and encouraging sustainable urban development within his locality. His interest in allotments stems from his membership of environmental awareness groups in the city, and is an avid member of his local food coop, which he sees as a better alternative to the supermarket. He is keen to integrate UA into the local environmental and ecological systems, and believes that cities can be transformed into sustainable urban generators.

“well, I’m a member of that, the co-op, which is commemorating its 30th anniversary this year. I’m a member of various groups. We’re basically a bunch of animal rights people, environmentalists, vegans and vegetarians, but I think people are more interested in the health aspect of it than the environmental aspect. I want to promote that side of it because I see it as important to sustaining the environment, the eco-system and so, promoting bio-diversity and all that is important for us. Educating people about GMO’s, the likes of Monsanto and that. People need to be educated about that, to know what’s going on. To be aware of those things and the harm pesticides are having on the environment … it’s just lack of education. People need to be educated about this, that’s all”

John. Idealist/Eco Warrior: Dublin. 2013 The idealist/Eco-Warrior, also sees UA as central to increasing awareness and progressing sustainable urban development. However, they represent a small number of practitioners investing in allotments in the city today. They see education as crucial to achieving sustainable urban development, and actively seek ways to educate others. Their foray into UA provides a means of educating others about sustainability¹¹, environmental and ecological awareness.

11 The concept of sustainability emerged in the 1960s in response to concerns about environmental degradation resulting from poor resource management (McKenzie, 2004:1). As the environment became increasingly important as a world issue, the term ‘sustainability’ was adopted as a common political goal.

In 1960, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) was created to promote policies that would achieve ‘the highest sustainable economic growth and employment in Member countries in order to stimulate employment and increase living standards’ (ibid:2). Hence, ‘sustainable development’

became a term which was defined as “the maintenance of essential ecological processes and life support systems, including those of humans” (ibid:2). The United Nations Commission on Environment and Development (UNCED) (which came into fruition in the late 1980s) defined sustainable development as

‘development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.’(McKenzie, 2004:8). However, this definition has been widely critiqued for presupposing the necessity of development rather than focusing on strategies for the maintenance of current

101

“For me, it’s about passing on the knowledge, making people aware of their environment, encouraging bio-diversity and eating healthy organically grown foods that are free from artificial chemicals. I pass out leaflets to encourage people to be aware of bio-diversity, to educate and encourage awareness of it, to protect the environment…..and learning to do it. Protecting and enhancing our environment is essential. Sprays are not good so you need to have the knowledge if you introduce a plant or a bug that’s native here as an alternative to spraying, it’s better for the soil you know?…. so, say if you need to find out about seeds or what potatoes you can grow, the soil types, what works, doesn’t and all that you need education, and I am fairly keen to pass on that knowledge to others, to teach them, and make them more aware of the harm being caused, to make them more conscious of it” Pat. Idealist/Eco-Warrior: Dublin 2012 However, their involvement in community groups throughout the city suggests that they are actively promoting social sustainability as part of their environmental and ecological remit. Bernard, a retired working class man is keen to educate others on his site about the importance of encouraging bio-diversity (eco-systems). Bernard returned to education after retiring from work and enrolled on a local horticultural course. Through education, Bernard has become actively involved in a variety of groups promoting environmental, ecological and sustainable objectives:

“... I am involved in all sorts of stuff there, and I’m getting other people to get involved with them as well, educating people about all the benefits and the things they can bring as individuals that will benefit the environment. Did you know that 3 metres of grass

conditions, and consequently concentrating on areas in which development is most important. Hence, converse arguments (for example, ‘The Brown Agenda’) promote economic development and the fostering of ‘social capital’ as a key means to control environmental destruction. As many of the worst excesses of environmental degradation occur in areas of high poverty and low social cohesion (McKenzie, 2004), it is argued that an increase in social capital through development will lead to an improved environment. Hence, the interrelationship between the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability is commonly represented by one of two models: the first featuring three concentric overlapping mutually-dependent spheres: economy, society and environment, and secondly, the ‘Triple bottom line’ model, developed by environmentalists and economist, John Elkington (1997). The latter has fast become an international commonplace term used to describe a mode of corporate reporting that encompasses environmental and social as well as economic concerns. It is said to have crystallised the increasingly widespread view that

‘we need to bear in mind that it is not possible to achieve a desired level of ecological or social or economic sustainability (separately), without achieving at least a basic level of all three forms of sustainability, simultaneously (McKenzie, 2004). Whilst many communities and organisation tend to adopt the former approach, which includes social sustainability as a concern equal to the environment or economy, in practice this has not been the case. Conversely, others argue that despite the inclusion of ‘society/social’ factors, that the role played by the ‘social’ is rarely equal to economic and environmental concerns, Indeed, it tends to be seen as subordinate to the economic or environment, and hence, tends to “fall off the sustainability agenda” (ibid: 8). Hence, the stumbling block in defining sustainability (economic, environmental and/or social) is that the context in which the definition is applied is viewed as more important than the wording itself. Hence, inclusive definitions call for interdisciplinary input and a cohesive view of the interrelation of nature, society and the economy. Accordingly, social scientists have re-evaluated the concept to include social and cultural, as well as economic and environmental elements.

102 provides enough oxygen for one adult per day? So grass is actually a good thing. We see people taking out all the grass....You don’t need to do that, it’s actually a good thing to have a bit of grass there in the plot … We should be sharing the knowledge and ideas and making the city better for residents”

Bernard. Idealist/Eco-Warrior: Dublin. 2013

While Idealists’ objectives may be personally fulfilled in terms of growing chemical-free foods and enhancing the ecological and environmental quality of their locality, their endeavours have yet to be acclaimed by other practitioners who often ridicule the Idealists approach to practice. The Idealist is in some ways similar to the Practical gardener, though their relationship to the land is mediated through different knowledge systems. Both are eager to share and educate others about the benefits UA generates. However, Idealists are often misunderstood by new members to UA, who see their approach to their plots as challenging the ‘traditional’ aesthetic associated with allotment gardening (Fig 42). (For a detailed analysis, see chapter 6 & 7).

“…ah they’re the hippy ones … one woman had a no-dig policy … she wouldn’t dig. So if weeds came up, she’d pluck them. She wouldn’t dig anything……you’d see some of the lads [older] out breaking their backs digging, eighty square metres and the idea was…

I don’t need to do that, I just put the seeds in the ground [laughs] you know? I suppose it’s fairly similar to the concept of guerrilla gardener …”

James. Socio-organic gardener. Dublin 2013 However, as knowledge is shared and objectives understood, their approach to UA is accepted by others.

“Ah once you know what they’re at, why they are doing it that way I think everyone gets it. If you didn’t you’d think it was just a dump. They don’t look pleasing to the eye, but they’re the ones who are always here. They’ve all the knowledge, … there’s not that many of them but say for example, there’s John’s plot there, and to anyone who didn’t know what he was at, they’d think it was a disgrace, an absolute tip, but he knows more than any of us” Samantha. Socio-Organic Gardener. Dublin 2013

While Idealists/Eco-Warriors are dispersed across allotment sites in the city, they are more likely to be involved in local community garden groups promoting ecological and social sustainability. Their plots are distinguishable through the methods they employ. They devote the entire plot to cultivate food, and remain steadfast in protecting the micro-eco-system. These plot-holders fervently express their desire to integrate UA into the urban

103 ecological system and to improve the aesthetic, ecological and environmental quality of their locality. They are keen to enhance knowledge by educating others, and display their specific identities through the methods they employ: re-using urban waste and resources found in and around the local area, adding purpose built compost bins, whilst showing displays of experimentation with new cropping methods (Crouch, 1989) , such as water harvesting systems and/or re-using urban waste (Fig 43 a & b). They generally grow specific plant species to improve bio-diversity and the aesthetic quality of the city. (For a detailed analysis, see chapter 6).

Figure 42. Challenging the traditional allotment aesthetic. Figure 43 (b & c above):. Re-using urban waste

104