Thursday, January 27, 2005

Around the World in 7 Days: Europe

Manchester Online has this story about an art exhibit gone wrong. Artist Kerry Morrison designed a vending machine, on display in a U.K. gallery, that dispenses Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) seeds. An environmental organization called Red Rose Forest is outraged, noting that the artist is encouraging the spread of a known invasive plant. Kerry hopes that her piece will cause the public to think about the impact they have on the environment, and notes "Only 200 of all plant species in Britain are indigenous so when does an alien species become native and does it really matter in a globalised, multi-cultural world?" At least she put some thought into it. Maybe her next project could be a machine that vends gloves and gardening shears.

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