27th June: Eden Project

With gale force easterlies forecast for the second day of the Swallow Yachts’ Raid the decision was made to cancel sailing ahead of time. Lara organised tickets for those Raid participants who wished to visit the Eden Project and I went, giving a lift to two “raiders” who had sailed their BC26 from Plymouth to Mylor.

Although the “biomes” dominate the project I was surprised at the lush planting of the land surrounding them. It really is spectacular – although I think they could have done without the “zip-wire”!

Of the biomes the larger and most spectacular is the Tropical Rainforest one. There is a high level walkway with rope “bridge” but the really high view point was closed due to the excess heat. Despite the high winds, the temperature and humidity outside were not that dissimilar to the climate in the dome! Here are some photos…

The “Mediterranean” biome is smaller and less spectacular – it seemed to be more “Western Australia” and “South Africa” than Mediterranean…

The other main building of the Eden project is known as the “Core” and features an exhibition entitled “Invisible Worlds”. The most striking part is a sculpture called “Infinity Blue (by Studio Swine) which is designed to celebrate the role of cyanobacteria in creating an oxygen rich atmosphere on the earth.

I assume that the sculpture is meant to evoke stromatolite giving off oxygen but I don’t think that the connection was well made, and I’m sure most people would not understand it.

Click for Ed Hawkins’ video

They were also showing a climate change film which included Ed. Hawkins “Spiraling Global Temperatures” which I think is one of the most chilling representations of atmospheric temperature change. However, whilst I was there most people walked past the video with hardly a glance. Videos in exhibitions don’t attract attention – maybe we are sated with images.

Anyway here are some photos of “Infinity Blue” and its long-lived vortices…