2100: a sea odyssey is a project of landscape architectural design that includes a series of illustrations and a research book.
2100: a sea odyssey deals with climate change consequences and what sea level rise means at the time of the Anthropocene, era in which the action of man is the main geological force. Not only did we design solutions to contrast risks, but we are proposing a new way of looking a world crossing a specific age. The history of the impermanence of the territory allows us to recognize that man’s instinct for survival has made possible enormous transformations, perhaps even greater than those caused by catastrophic events- the one destructive to the natural landscapes that host them, the others towards the action of man. Above all else we have not abandoned an optimistic attitude, so we are not talking about extinction, but we are thinking about transformations and evolution, designing a possible future scenario of 2100.
Science fiction is the chosen vehicle for challenging conceptions of time, testing future scenarios, but especially for informing people to the risks that involves all of us, but that still have not a big impact on our conscience and on our everyday life. Crossing a time-line that starts from the past until the 2100, the series of illustrations want to tell a story focusing on the city of Ravenna as a sample city, since it is strongly subjected to the consequences of the acceleration of the climate change and in particular to the risk of the sea level rise. The illustrated history is used as a tool to learn, to sensitize people and to raise awareness, aiming to catch the sight of children, students, adults till elderly man.
1stPART OF THE SERIES
The first part of the series shows the enormous progressively transformation of the territory due by the actions of man as processes of reclamation, industrialization and uncontrolled exploitation of resources.
1.IN THE PAST (59,4 cm x 42 cm) - The coast of ravennate in Emilia Romagna was characterized by a series of small lagoons. The water of the lagoons did not communicate directly with the sea because divided by a cordon of sand dune.
2.GEOGRAPHY IN MOTION(59,4 cm x 42 cm) - Since the XIII century, due to healthcare needs and to obtain new agricultural fields, this territory began to be modified through numerous processes for the reclamation of swamps and lagoons. The geography of the territory kept changing and changing making the impermanence the main characteristic of the place.
3.THE EXPLOITATION OF SOIL (84,1 cm x 59,4 cm) - After the World War II the area underwent a phase of intense industrialization and exploitation of the sea following the discovery of methane deposits in the waters. Gas extraction further modified the territory.
4.DEFORESTATION(59,4 cm x 42 cm) - In 2008 the breaking of a bulkhead in the tank of an adjacent industry led to the pouring of 20,000 m3 of sludge into the water of the Piallassa Piomboni.
The almost complete deforestation of the island concerned a Site of Community Interest and Special Protection Area, a very important environment for nesting protected birdlife.
Therefor, the deforestation determines changes in the climate and increases the hydrogeological instability.
5.TOXIC AGRICULTURE(59,4 cm x 42 cm) - The continuous transformations of the territory, in particular the reclamation processes, have guaranteed a vast extension of the agricultural fields.
The condition of the soil and the quality of crops got worse by the excessive exploitation of soils and unsustainable agriculture. Agriculture is also one of the sectors that emits more CO2 into the atmosphere.
6.RAVENNATE COAST (42 cm x 29,7 cm) -The history and the economical aspects of this territory led us to understand the identity of the ravennate coast nowadays and the reasons why it is one of the Italian territory mostly exposed to risks as flooding and sea level rise.
